Another ethics case plunges Democrats in deep water

"Formal ethics charges against 10-term Rep. Maxine Waters of California were filed Monday, just days after the House Ethics Committee, in a separate investigation, charged New York Rep. Charlie Rangel with 13 ethics violations.

The charges against Waters — and her immediate vow to follow Rangel's lead and challenge the findings — only confirmed the stark political reality that has emerged for Democrats over the past week.

'Democrats are facing the loss of control of the House, just owing to the economy,' says Darrell West of the liberal-leaning Brookings Institution. 'Adding the ethics problems on top of that is pouring gasoline on the fire.'"

- For Democrats, Ethics Cases Add to Woes by Liz Halloran, NPR

Days after New York House of Representative Charlie Rangel was charged with 13 ethics violations, California Rep. Maxine Waters was accused of breaking House rules by using her status to get federal bailout money for a bank that has connections with her husband. Charges for Rangel include tax violations in his Dominican Republic villa and agreeing to do official favors for his benefit. The similarity? They're both Democrats. Rangel realizes that he's losing the trust and confidence of fellow Reps and even President Obama; many advise him to resign with some dignity, which he should wisely consider. However, Waters stands firm in her innocence. Nevertheless, the Democrats are already struggling to remain in power at the House, and these ethics cases might plunge them into deep waters.
Of course I don't know whether they're innocent or not, nor is it the focus in this blog post. The question I'm asking is whether this ethics cases will result in the Democrats losing some seats in the November election. The Democrats hold 255 seats in the House, 77 more members than Republican's 178. At least 65 House seats, according to NPR, may change hands in the upcoming elections. The Democrats hold most of those 65 seats. Both political parties have suffered from political scandals and embarrassment, costing them the House Majority in many cases. Rep. Speaker (D) Nancy Pelosi is undaunted, or at least gave that appearance. She said that she was confident she will remain in power of the House of Rep. I hope the voters aren't swayed from what two people have done, even if they're considered the "top members." Yet, I do believe that many will keep the ethics cases in the back of their minds for elections. Chances are, history will repeat itself, and the Democrats may lose control partially because of the scandals.


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