Brian, power corrupts, and it corrupts members of both parties. That one party is more corrupt than the other is a vexed issue. Before Bill Clinton there was Warren G. Harding. However, Republicans tend to be much more tough on fellow Republicans when they find out. That’s why Nixon had to resign and Bill Clinton survived impeachment.

Clear evidence of bribery emerged early this year when $90,000 in marked bills were found in Rep. Jefferson’s freezer. Minority Leader Pelosi immediately removed Rep. Jefferson from Ways And Means so that he would have no committee assignments at all. She cannot remove him from Congress or force him to resign without a 2/3 vote which won’t be easy until he’s indicted.

Ultimately Pelosi seems to think she has to offer Jefferson one minor committee but she has enough margin in the House that she should send him to go join the Republicans if he wants assignments. They don’t seem to want to enforce ethics rules.

I don’t know that I would go that far. William Jefferson’s acceptance of brides has been known for some time (near Katrina I believe) and I don’t recall Democrats pushing for his resignation while they were the minority party (this seemed to have come out in close conjunction with the introduction by Dem Leaders and pundits of the battlecry “culture of corruption!” about Duke Cunningham and Tom Delay).

I would argue that Pelosi realizes the “culture of corruption” battlecry would apppear very hypocritical if they let Jefferson remain on a powerful committee like the Ways and Means. (Although if Pelosi and other Democrats cared about corruption as much you seem to believe, they would pressure Jefferson to resign from Congress — not just keeping him out of committees.)