Ethics Reform, Schmethics Reform...

The House of Representatives has delayed a vote on the new ethics process involving outside ethics experts. The delay, of course, was due to a revolt among rank-and-file members, both Republican and Democrat, obsessed with the idea that someone from the outside world might sit in judgment on them. Remember, this is the same House of Representatives that made sure to make ethics rules changes passed in 2007 "rules of the House" rather than laws. That prevents the Justice Department from enforcing those "rules," leaving Congress itself in the catbird seat.

The New York Times has a good strategy for pressuring a vote on this: just keep saying the name "Jack Abramoff" over and over. Works for me.

Meantime, AP has a nice summary piece on the first forays of Rep. William Jefferson into Africa with then-President Bill Clinton, the trip that started Jefferson down the road to his upcoming corruption trial. It's evidence of a new Washington truism: "Corruptions always start small in Washington."