Speaking of parties, yesterday, my Dad and I stopped by a bar on the way home, since he had noticed my uncle was there on his way up to get me.  It only dawned on me, as I was drinking my beer, that it was my first time drinking at a bar.  In the U.S., anyway.  I’d already been to a couple in Greece.  But, I digress.

Now, as promised several days ago, I’m going to discuss how the Democrats and Republicans handle scandal.  As I see it, anyway…

*P.S., like my new post image?

Now, I know that some people from both sides are not going like what I say here.  I think that both parties like to look out for their fellows, at least until something becomes public, anyway.  Take the Page scandal.  We know that former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert knew something about it months to years before it became public and did nothing.  Then most recently there’s Larry Craig  On the other side of the aisle there was Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky, Whitewater, and the controversial pardons.

So, contrary to what some of both’s party’s supporters might believe, they both have scandals.  Oh, yes, it is true.  My concern is that both parties don’t man up to what they’ve done until it’s exposed.  Why would they?  Things are going pretty peachy until some dang reporter or whistleblower messes things up, right?  After all, if it hadn’t been for Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, Nixon might not have resigned.

It’s my belief that the parties are so interested in keeping seats, that they’re willing to look the other way on some scandals.  Once they’re announced, however, I think the parties know the seat is probably transferring (if the scandal is bad enough), so they’ll pounce.  I also think that they hope by denouncing the activity, that they might just be able to retain the seat.  Look at Larry Craig: everybody and their brother is walking, if not running, away from him.  More and more Republicans are distancing themselves from the President.

I think the major problem lately is the hypocrisy some of these scandals have shown.  Larry Craig, Mark Foley, Ted Haggard, all members of the party of family values, showing themselves in not so much of a family-friendly light.  But, I’m not deluded in thinking that the Democrats are free from hypocrisy.  Jack Abramoff bribing Republicans hasn’t been the only lobbying scandal in the last ten years.  I also know that there are gay Republicans.  They have their own organization that works for other Republican principles whilst promoting gay rights.

However, these are some of the same people who’ve voted against gay rights, coming out and committing acts which they are publicly against.  That’s some major hypocrisy right there.  I don’t I’ve yet seen a Democrat preach civil rights, then vote against it (I’m sure someone will probably look to correct me on this).

Yet, I’m forced to conclude that both parties commit scandals, and cover them up until that cover is blown.  This is why I’m an Independent, because both parties commit scandal, and because I think the two parties have had too much time in their duopoly.

Rant done.