those living in glass houses . . .

. . . should not throw stones.

rumors are flying around the Internet that Rep. Alan Mollohan, the lead Democrat on the House Ethics Committee, is going to step aside from that post.

In case you missed it, for the last two years, seemingly at the behest of House Minority Leader Pelosi, has refused to allow the Ethics Committee to formally organize or investigate any ethics complaints. Many believed this was because the Democrats wanted to level the culture of corruption charges against Republicans without having any of the charges actually investigated. This looked pretty good for them when Tom DeLay was indicted and Duke Cunningham was convicted, both Republicans.

Recently, it has become increasingly clear that Democrat William Jefferson of Louisiana will be indicted after a former staffer turned lobbyist was indicted and has seemingly linked Jefferson to the same crime.

Now allegations have come out that Mollohan has seen his personal wealth increase by nearly 6000% in the last 7 years as well as questions about directing millions of dollars to interests controlled by close associates via his seat on the Appropriations Committee, including a former staffer.

So, now it appears that it was a mutually beneficial arrangement for Mollohan not to allow the Ethics Committee to be functional. It helped his standing with his party leaders, and it protected his backside.

This is the same audacity that lead our Rep. Dave Obey to proclaim recently that his all-expenses-paid trips around the world the last few years were "free from special interest influence." We put that little claim to rest yesterday.

It is also how Rep. Obey can self-righteously claim that he wants special interest money out of politics while taking 73% of his campaign contributions from DC-based special interests and lobbyists in the first quarter of this year as well as 91% of his contributions from outside Wisconsin.

Dave Obey and his cronies in the Democrat party in Washington have charged "Culture of Corruption" while engaging in their own "Culture of Hypocrisy."

Let's get behind a Republican in the 7th district this fall so that we'll have a Representative who we won't have to guess which side of their mouth they're talking out of.