Specter of Corruption

Say it with me, Shakers: There is simply not a scrap of integrity to be found among the GOP. Not the tiniest, miniscule, infinitesimal wee remnant of honor among this collection of thieves.

Senator Arlen Specter defended himself and a member of his staff on Thursday after the disclosure that clients of a lobbyist married to the staff member had received money through the senator's actions.

Vicki Siegel Herson, who until recently was Mr. Specter's legislative assistant on the Appropriations Committee, is married to Michael Herson, a top executive of the lobbying firm American Defense International.

Mr. Specter, a Pennsylvania Republican, and his staff confirmed that six of Mr. Herson's clients received a total of about $50 million over the last four years through items Mr. Specter inserted into military appropriations bills in a process known as "earmarking."

…Mr. Specter said he would conduct a further inquiry into the possibility that Ms. Siegel might have knowingly played a role in allocating federal money to one of her husband's clients.

"That would be a blatant conflict of interest," Mr. Specter said. "I don't think that happened, but I am going to go back and take a look at the specifics of it."

By the end of the day, a spokesman for Mr. Specter said he had decided "voluntarily" to refer the case to the Senate Ethics Committee as well.

Yeesh. If it’s not attributable to a blatant conflict of interest, it sure is quite a coinkydink.

But wait for it—the Karl Rove-Approved Stamp of Denial and Obfuscation:

Mr. Specter said that "I think I knew" that Ms. Siegel's husband was a lobbyist, but that he had met him only a few times and might not recognize him "in a crowded room."

…"The allocations in issue went to Pennsylvania companies for items which were important to national defense," Mr. Specter said in a statement.

Don’t know him…wasn’t me…9/11!

Is anyone else beginning to seriously entertain the notion that the entire GOP has been secretly replaced with Stepford-style Congressbots?