The Conservative Bean Is Honest

2) Abramoff

This scandal is really just a symptom of a deeper problem in congress, and obviously doesn't apply only to Republicans. What we actually have is a base that holds its party to different, higher standards than does the Democrat base. The Republican base does not want politicians that look, act, and have that awful,corrupt and rotten smell that was the Democrat Party after nearly eighty years of undisputed congressional power.
This is a good problem to have when compared to the expectations of the labor wing, or the environmentalists, or the "women's reproductive rights" wing of the Democrats. In terms of morality, no one's shocked to hear that another union's been busted, another developer has to spend money and time for court proceedings to get "concerned" folks off his land (or worse), we need not discuss Dr. Tiller.
Honestly, if I have to bear the embarrassment of having the party I most identify with being involved with a scandal, it's nice that the so-called scandal doesn't involve "cement overshoes" or killing a tree cutter with his own chain saw, or turning a nearly delivered baby's brains into hamburger.
Secondly, I for one never know when the media should be trusted with political information, particularly when the story is of Republican scandal. The story of Jefferson Clinton (D-LA) has been greatly underplayed compared to the DeLay litigations.
Having said all of the above, congressional Republicans never should have let it go so far. They know the media won't let up, and at least NOW, know their base will not show up to the polls (unlike the democrat base) to support corruption.