A decade ago the Democrats were thought to be shady. Now it is the turn of Mr Bush's party

America, United States, Times Online, The Times, Sunday Times: "December 10, 2005 | Republicans sinking in sleaze | By Tim Reid

A DECADE ago Newt Gingrich’s Republican revolutionaries seized control of Congress after 40 years of Democrat rule by promising to end the culture of graft and corruption on Capitol Hill.

Today, after a string of indictments, scandals and a criminal investigation that threatens to implicate dozens of politicians next year, the tables have turned full circle. It is now President Bush’s Republicans who are seen as the party of sleaze. ...

In September Tom DeLay, ... leader of the House of Representatives after being indicted for violating election finance laws. ...

Bill Frist, the Republican leader of the Senate, is also under investigation over insider trading allegations ....

... indictment of Lewis “Scooter” Libby, the former chief of staff to Dick Cheney, the Vice-President, for his role in the Valerie Plame CIA-leak affair....

...new grand jury to investigate further the role of Karl Rove, Mr Bush’s chief political adviser, in the Plame affair. ...

Randy “Duke” Cunningham resigned from the House of Representatives two weeks ago in one of the most spectacular cases of political corruption in recent years. ...

criminal investigation by the Department of Justice into a Republican lobbyist named Jack Abramoff that could lead to the indictment of several politicians — mostly Republican — next year. ...
..
... Michael Scanlon, an Abramoff business partner and former aide to Mr DeLay, pleaded guilty to conspiring to bribe public officials and defraud several Native American tribes. ...