Unless system's fixed, corruption's here to stay
By Paul O'Connor
Winston-Salem Journal
RALEIGH - The political world is enjoying an abundance of schadenfreude this year. Both in North Carolina and Washington, politicians are taking great joy in the woes of their partisan opponents.
In Washington, national Democrats are gleeful about the scandals surrounding the soon-to-be ex-congressman, Tom DeLay of Texas. In Raleigh, state Republicans are delighted by the troubles of Democratic House Speaker Jim Black.
Each will talk about corruption as if it is an exclusive malady of the other party and will promise to come into the respective capital and "clean up the mess."
Here's an observation formulated over nearly 30 years of covering politics. Neither party is any more corrupt than the other, nor any more virtuous. Changing the guard in Raleigh or Washington won't fix much. The systems under which Congress and the General Assembly operate are rotten. It is the systems that need fixing.
Winston-Salem Journal
RALEIGH - The political world is enjoying an abundance of schadenfreude this year. Both in North Carolina and Washington, politicians are taking great joy in the woes of their partisan opponents.
In Washington, national Democrats are gleeful about the scandals surrounding the soon-to-be ex-congressman, Tom DeLay of Texas. In Raleigh, state Republicans are delighted by the troubles of Democratic House Speaker Jim Black.
Each will talk about corruption as if it is an exclusive malady of the other party and will promise to come into the respective capital and "clean up the mess."
Here's an observation formulated over nearly 30 years of covering politics. Neither party is any more corrupt than the other, nor any more virtuous. Changing the guard in Raleigh or Washington won't fix much. The systems under which Congress and the General Assembly operate are rotten. It is the systems that need fixing.
posted by Andy W. Rogers | 3:14 PM
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