Cross-posted from The Wayward Episcopalian.

Honor and ethics are very important to me. As I wrote on my personal blog earlier this week, the Gospel shows us that few things are more immoral than the abuse of power. When corruption scandals beset DC, I am usually very swift to condemn the accused, even if they are members of my own party - case in point, while in New Orleans, I volunteered for Karen Carter's 2006 midterm campaign to unseat Rep. William "Dollar Bill" Jefferson (D-Refrigerator).

Sometimes, however, ethics scandals are just a bunch of trumped-up hooey designed to generate headlines no matter what the personal cost, and that's exactly what we see unfolding today. The protestors, bloggers, and GOP aides trying to smear Senators Chris Dodd and Kent Conrad right now should be ashamed. Dodd and Conrad are two of the most honorable people in Washington, DC, and I do not for an instant believe either one knowingly or purposefully did anything wrong. This is especially true of Conrad, who has been a model of honesty in the way he has handled this scandal.

There's more...

Cross-posted from The Wayward Episcopalian.

Honor and ethics are very important to me. As I wrote on my personal blog earlier this week, the Gospel shows us that few things are more immoral than the abuse of power. When corruption scandals beset DC, I am usually very swift to condemn the accused, even if they are members of my own party - case in point, while in New Orleans, I volunteered for Karen Carter's 2006 midterm campaign to unseat Rep. William "Dollar Bill" Jefferson (D-Refrigerator).

Sometimes, however, ethics scandals are just a bunch of trumped-up hooey designed to generate headlines no matter what the personal cost, and that's exactly what we see unfolding today. The protestors, bloggers, and GOP aides trying to smear Senators Chris Dodd and Kent Conrad right now should be ashamed. Dodd and Conrad are two of the most honorable people in Washington, DC, and I do not for an instant believe either one knowingly or purposefully did anything wrong. This is especially true of Conrad, who has been a model of honesty in the way he has handled this scandal.

There's more...

Barack's VP advisor needs to go.

Two degrees of separation: The Wall Street Journal reports that a very special friend of Sen. Barack Obama is also a very special friend of embattled Countrywide Financial co-founder Angelo Mozilo.

The Journal reports that James Johnson --  a high-ranking advisor to Obama -- was part of an elite group -- "friends of Angelo" -- who got more than $7 million in special loans from Countrywide. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/laland/2 008/06/obamas-countryw.html

June 4 (Bloomberg) -- Barack Obama, in his first day as the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, named Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg, Jim Johnson and Eric Holder to lead the search for a running mate.

All three have strong ties to Washington. Kennedy Schlossberg is the daughter of former President John F. Kennedy. Johnson served as chief executive officer of the government- chartered mortgage-finance company Fannie Mae, and Holder worked as a deputy U.S. attorney general under President Bill Clinton. http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=2 0601087&sid=aKgnDWlDajR4&refer=h ome

There's more...