House Democrats should practice what they preach

When ethics violation allegation were made against Tom DeLay, Democrats were loud and strong about their belief that DeLay should step down from his leadership role while the investigation was in progress. Now that one of their own is under such investigation, they seem less passionate about the concept. The upshot to all this is that the Rep at the center of this is on the Ethics Committee.

Republicans called yesterday for the resignation of the highest-ranking Democrat on the House ethics committee over reports of a federal investigation into purported irregularities in his campaign finances.

Rep. Alan B. Mollohan of West Virginia is under investigation for steering $178 million in federal money to nonprofits in his district run by people who are regular contributors to his political campaigns.

“I believe it would be prudent at this point for Mr. Mollohan to resign from the ethics committee until this investigation is completed,” said Rep. Thomas M. Reynolds, New York Republican and chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee.

The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that investigators are looking into Mr. Mollohan’s campaign finances and whether they have been properly disclosed. Mr. Mollohan also sits on the powerful House Appropriations Committee.

No one’s talking about removing him from all the committees he serves on, yet, and no one’s issued a call for him to resign from the House, as they did with DeLay. It would be prudent for him to step down from the Ethics Committee at least while the investigation is completed. If he doesn’t, and the Democratic leadership in the House doesn’t make him, then we’ll all know where the real partisan character-assassination efforts lie.