Some facts we can assume about the scandals..

[SoCalDem]

1. Votes and legislation WERE and ARE manipulated through lobbying bribery.

Why would any lobbyist worth his salt waste time and money with a bunch of nerdy policy-wonks if it did not benefit their company/client? Do we really think that those people we see on c-span extolling the virtues of renaming a post office in Idaho are capable of even understanding the gobbledygook legalese in the bills they vote on? We already know that mopst of them do not even READ the stuff the pretend to "debate" for c-span's cameras. LOBBYISTS and special interest lawyers write the legislation and they PAY our elected officials for every little gem they insert into the legislation.


2. The party in power is always the "target" of bribers and later, investigators.

As hard as they try, republicans cannot escape the fact that THEY are the targets this time around. Lobbyists are not going to throw money around to people whose votes don't really matter.


3. No matter how many politicians are shot down in flames, this will not be the last time we see this. No "party" is immune, since these deals are made in secret, between a briber and a willing participant.

Democrats are not AS implicated in this particular scandal, but a few will get caught up in the net, and be made out as evil as the rest.


4. The BIGGER the scandal, the more likely that deals will be made, and punishments will be lighter than we would wish...and the LONGER it will take to sort it all out.

The logjam might slow Bush down, but it will not stop him. His cohorts could all be under indictment, and he would still be president. Once the '08 election season is in full-swing,attention will shift from the investigations to the elections, and once they are over, whichever party triumphs, they will just want to sweep it all under the rug again.

5. The media we have will determine the ultimate end-game.

What they choose to focus on, will be what the general public will know about. When the media loses interest, the investigation coverage will fizzle out.