This is pathetic:

Divided Democrats Aren't Capitalizing on Republican Scandals

Congressional Democrats, divided over changes to lobbying and ethics rules, have been slow to take advantage of the corruption scandals that have engulfed Republicans.

Representative David Obey, a Wisconsin Democrat, said many members of his party oppose tightening lobbying rules at a time when Democrats have a chance to regain a majority in Congress in the November elections.

"I've had a number of people who said, 'Geez, you really want to do this, after the way Republicans have treated us?''' Obey said. "Why would we guarantee them this stuff if we take control?'' ...

Representative Steny Hoyer of Maryland, the No. 2 House Democrat, said he saw little need to change the rules because Republicans, not lax regulations, were to blame for the ethics scandals. "It is not the rules that are the issue, it's the character of the players that is the issue here,'' Hoyer said in an interview. "That is what I want to focus on, the culture of corruption.'' ...

THE ABRAMOFF GUILTY PLEA WAS TWO WEEKS AGO AND YOU PEOPLE ARE STILL ARGUING ABOUT THIS?

Schmucks.

And thanks a lot, David Obey, for telling a reporter flat out, "Hey, a lot of us want to be sleazy when we take power." Nice job of undercutting the message contained in the Democrats' one (failed) attempt to get a catchphrase into the political lexicon, "Republican culture of corruption." Of course, if you continue to have no clear message, on this or anything else, you'll never actually take power, so it's all kind of moot, isn't it?