n end to the majority party's "culture of corruption": we'll be hearing and reading that more and more as we approach the 2006 elections. The Democrats are sensing, and with abundant reason, that now is the time to show as unified a front as possible, if they are to succeed in sweeping back in to power. To put it mildly, the Republicans have  ethical woes that will, minimally, disrupt President Bush's agenda. It is a weakened administration. For eleven years they have reigned on Capitol Hill , sweeping into power with a net gain of 52 seats in the House in 1994. Just weeks before that election, the party released its "Contract with America." It worked well as a national platform promising reform. Shortly the Democrats will produce their own version of the contract and they are hoping to ride back into Congressional leadership.
White House officials are geared for the possibility that Carl Rove, the President's White House Chief of Staff, might be indicted in the next few days. There is so much distracting the White House beyond Carl Rove's attention to his own problems. Harriet Meiers nomination to the Supreme Court; Much of the early criticism of her being selected comes from fellow conservative Republicans.
The president's legislative initiatives are foundering and no wonder - The House Majority Leader Tom Delay (R-Tex.) has been indicted for alleged campaign funding irregularities. The Senate Majority Leader Bill Grist R-Tenn.) has a subpoena in an insider-trading investigation.
Add to those woes and distractions the abysmal initial response to the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, the growing body count in Iraq and the growth of terrorism globally. Bin Laden is still free... somewhere. The name to watch for more and more is that of lobbyist Jack Abramoff, whose business dealings brought him into frequent contact with many lawmakers and top White House officials. Many people, as we will soon discover, had questionable dealings with the conservative lobbyist.
This is an administration with political problems stemming from the Iraq war. (As a sidebar the Bushian attempts at P.R. are failing more and more. This week's staged press conference, with our President being questioned by men and women in uniform in Iraq, was a prime example. It was rehearsed and the participants truly pre-screened. They even had an Iraqi soldier in uniform saying to the chief executive, "I like you, Mr. Bush").
House Democrats say they have 40 candidates set to run in competitive districts. I don't think they had even 10 at the same time before the 2004 vote. The President's approval rating is at a record low and some 60% of Americans believe the nation is on the wrong track.
Word has it that promising GOP candidates are not enthused about getting into races in a year that could be defined by an anti-corruption backlash against Republicans.
Quoting Amy Walter, a congressional analyst for the Cook Political Report, "It is clear that the political environment right now looks bleak for Republicans. At the same time, I don't think that the ethics issue is enough to run on solely." I agree. If only the Democrats can speak out, speak up and clearly convince the electorate that, God knows, it is time for a change!