GOP Begins Attacks on Pelosi, Democrats Over Ethics

By: Brian Montopoli
Topics: Congress

The Republican National Committee has released a new ad designed to capitalize on Democrats' recent ethical troubles and cast doubt on House speaker Nancy Pelosi's claim that she would help oversee the most ethical Congress ever.

The Washington Post's Chris Cillizza brings word of the spot, which you can watch at left. It will run on cable stations in Washington D.C. starting Wednesday.

The ad opens with Pelosi promising "the most open and the most ethical Congress in history." An announcer then says "Charlie Rangel stepped down after breaking ethics rules and failing to pay taxes. Pelosi defended him for nearly two years." (It's worth noting that Rangel "stepped down" from the chairmanship of the House Ways and Means Committee, not from Congress.)

"Eric Massa resigned after allegations of sexual harassment surfaced," the announcer continues, as the words "SEXUAL HARRASSMENT" flash onscreen. "Pelosi called it rumor...Pelosi's wrong -- it's time to change Washington."

Cillizza reports that while not much is being spent to run the ad, the message behind it is important.

"Republicans clearly believe that the ethics problems for Democrats -- from Rangel to Massa to even New York Gov. David Paterson -- has reached critical mass and can now be turned into an electoral issue," he writes.

Ahead of the 2006 elections, Democrats made Republicans' ethical problems central to their case that the party in power should be replaced.

Brian Montopoli
Brian Montopoli is the senior political reporter at CBSNews.com.
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by CBSisCommunist5 March 9, 2010 11:50 PM EST: Its all Bush/Cheney's fault...; Reply to this comment


by steeepe March 9, 2010 7:21 PM EST: Politicians are subject to the same defects as all of us. What bothers me more is the relentless lying, pandering, corporatism, and propaganda of the GOP machine. That continues to damage America much more seriously than the foibles of individual politicians, Republican or Democrat.; Reply to this comment


by timdgrim March 9, 2010 5:43 PM EST: Cheney-Bush for the Hague 2012! The real unethical duo.; Reply to this comment


by rbi149 March 9, 2010 4:45 PM EST: What a friggin' joke. The difference between Republican't politicians with ethics problems and Democrats with the same problems is that the Democrats usually resign, while the Republican't crooks and hypocrites ARE STILL IN OFFICE. (Still waiting for Mark Sanford to be removed from office).; Reply to this comment


by Nivlac_Skcaj March 9, 2010 4:41 PM EST: Who cares? The republicans do not have the right to point any fingers. Two wars (one where the same lies were given to every intelligence agency in the world so they would all be onboard)that were not funded, an economy on the brink of disaster (and no one is to blame) is enough to make them look rediculous for any complaints they think they may have.; Reply to this comment