Ethics in Congress: Hodes vs. Shea-Porter

Last Tuesday, the U.S. House voted on a resolution from anti-earmarks crusader Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., to launch an ethics investigation of Rep. John Murtha, D-Penn., and others potentially involved in steering federal contracts to Murtha’s nephew.

In a House led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who promised “the most ethical Congress in history,” the resolution should have received unanimous support.

Democrats tabled it. An aide to Speaker Pelosi e-mailed Democratic members to urge them not to support the resolution because it would make Democrats look bad. All but 29 Democrats voted against the resolution.

Rep. Carol Shea-Porter, a big fan of Murtha and Pelosi, voted against the investigation. Rep. Paul Hodes, to his credit, voted for it.

Republican ethics scandals helped bring this Democratic majority to power. But it is clear that the “culture of corruption” in Washington knows no party. Hodes seems to get that. Shea-Porter, not so much.

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