More Corrupt? Less? Equal?

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Some poll results from Newsweek:

The good news for the Republicans is that Americans don’t see the GOP-controlled Congress or the Bush White House as any more corrupt than most congresses or administrations: 56 percent say the GOP-controlled Congress will turn out to be about the same as the previous Democratic-controlled Congress, 23 percent say it will be more corrupt, 15 percent says less. And 56 percent say the ethical conduct of members of Congress has “stayed the same” in recent years, 34 percent say it has declined and 7 percent say it has improved.

Guess more people need to read Sam Rosenfeld’s American Prospect piece on comparative ethics, and Louise Slaughter’s report on House rules, and Nick Confessore’s piece on how the GOP subsumed K Street, and Susan Milligan’s threepart series in the Boston Globe on how the GOP runs a “spoils system” in the House. It’s not just anyone’s imagination; these folks really are more abusive and unethical than previous Congresses.

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