Baked AlaskanTony Perkins
frc.orgWell, it just wouldn't be an election year without the smell of scandal in Congress. Over the past few years, the campaign season has become almost synonymous with corruption in America's capital city. In 2006, we watched it unfold in the House with Mark Foley and his page problems, William Jefferson and his freezer full of cash, and Bob Ney's luxurious all-expenses-paid vacations. Last year, Sen. Larry Craig made an unforgettable visit to the men's restroom in Minneapolis, and now Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) is poised to join him in the hall of shame with allegations that America's longest-serving GOP senator took hundreds of thousands of dollars in gifts from oil executives.
As Republicans try to claw their way back to respectability before an election cycle that could plunge them even deeper into the congressional minority, they're instead pushed back into the familiar role of damage control. The news of Stevens' indictment can undo any progress the party has made in rebuilding voters' trust. Instead of purging corruption, Stevens' debacle may do even more damage to the Republican brand. If Alaska's senator does resign, as some speculate, it will be no great loss for values voters. Stevens may be a Republican, but he's never been a conservative. In fact, he voted so often with the pro-abortion crowd last year that NARAL gave him a 75 percent grade. On FRC Action's scorecard, his departure on life issues earned him a dismal 57 percent.
Traditionally, GOP scandals at election time have shaken the confidence of conservative voters and depressed voter turnout. Congressional Democrats are counting on that effect again this year; the irony would be that as government grows so will opportunities for and incidences of corruption.
