Glenn Greenwald examines the evidence and finds that Rahm Emanuel lied when he told George Stephanoupolous that he was not aware of the Mark Foley emails before they ABC News’ Brian Ross broke the story, making him “guilty of exactly what he was accusing the GOP House Leadership of. And his hypocritical, pious lectures about the ‘warning signs’ which GOP Leaders had were dishonest at their core.” That’s exactly right, although he’s also right that this does not mitigate the malfeasance on part of Hastert and company.
While Greenwald’s candor on that score is refreshing, what comes next is slightly amusing:
It’s possible that the Democratic takeover of Congress can result in genuine and meaningful — and desperately-needed — change for our country. But it’s also possible that it could result in nothing notable, that it will produce only the most marginal and politically risk-free actions, all justified by the need not to do anything too “extreme” due to a fear of harming their 2008 electoral prospects.
The latter is more than “possible;” it is virtually assured. Neither party has a monopoly on virtue. Indeed, most Members of Congress are honorable people genuinely trying to serve the public. The incentive structure, especially in the House with its biannual elections, though, is for the majority party to maximize fundraising and minimize risk. That’s not going to change just because the leadership changed hands.
