Twice in June, former Representative Chris Bell came to MyDD to talk about his potential campaign for Governor of Texas. In case you weren't sold, he is an article that makes it clear why he is clearly one cat we need to support: Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean is trying to get voters to hold the Republican Party responsible for the "culture of corruption" he sees in Washington, but Dean is getting virtually no help from fellow Democrats in the House of Representatives.

In the year since then-Rep. Chris Bell (D-Texas) filed a complaint that triggered the current ethics investigation of House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas), not one Democrat has initiated another complaint despite the pleas of outside watchdog groups.

House Democrats are victims of "a kind of mindset that too often creeps in in Washington --to get along, go along," Bell said in a telephone interview from his law office in Houston. "There's not a more adversarial act you can take in the House than an ethics complaint, and some people just don't have the stomach for it."

A lonesome battle

Indeed, at the DNC's executive committee meeting in Washington in early June, Dean publicly acknowledged that some congressional Democrats had urged him to tone down his "culture of corruption" rhetoric because they did not want to get caught up in the same ethics probe as DeLay. But Dean said he would not hold back.

"We have not spoken about moral values in this party for a long time," Dean said. "The truth is, we're Democrats because of our moral values. It's a moral value to make sure that kids don't go to bed hungry at night. ... It is a moral value not to go out on golf trips paid for by lobbyists."

While I know some disagree, I think it is pretty clear that the main reason (not the only reason, but the main reason) Kerry lost in 2004 was because of "values voters." Considering this, I am shocked and appalled that more Democrats are not willing to speak out against the morally corrupt activities of Republicans in Washington. Dean and Bell are right: it is a moral value to not out on golf trips paid for by lobbyists. It is a moral value to not vote for a person who goes on such trips to House Majority Leader. It is a moral value to not sell out your country and reveal confidential information such as the name of an undercover CIA agent. It is not moral to then promote someone who does that to Deputy White House Chief of Staff. That a party with leaders does such a thing and still lays claim to the mantle of morality is sickening. That there are people in our own party who are not willing to stand up to this is just as sickening.

Maybe they will listen if we make it clear who speaks for Democrats. Support Chris Bell for Governor of Texas.