Mollohan's coverage on CNN.com

Reading over CNN.com story about Mollohan, I was struck by this paragraph:

While Mollohan's troubles threaten to become a major campaign problem for Democrats, Pelosi, of California, said in a statement that Mollohan decided on his own to step down and that she accepted his decision.

Oh really?  Mollahan's troubles were going to be a MAJOR problem?  For ALL Democrats?

I know it's a small issues, but after reading this quasi-love letter to Rove, it just makes me think, "what are they talking about?"  If ONE Democrat with problems is going to be a major issue for other Democrats, how will the numerous Republicans with legal problems affect all the other Repubs?

•  I wonder how many of the talking heads

  are going to point out that Mollohan gave money to Republicans too?

  by Brownian Motion on Fri Apr 21, 2006 at 02:49:05 PM PDT

•  I just learned about these alleged 'troubles'

  today.  The Associated Press is just hoping to have their own hand in a new storyline to report about.

  by Viktor on Fri Apr 21, 2006 at 02:50:49 PM PDT

•  Because it greys the issue of corruption

  Corruption is a winning issue. To have a hint of corruption in your midst hurts all dems as it effectively takes it off the table as an effective part of a campaign. All any repuke has to do now is point to Mollohan and ask, "Whose Culture of Corruption?"

  The voters are too distracted to see the differences in scope of corruption.  Corruption is Corruption.

  by kubla000 on Fri Apr 21, 2006 at 02:56:07 PM PDT

  •  and which of us

    thought that the republicans couldn't spin back "culture of corruption"??  all politics stinks.  no one is clean of it.  the point is flouting the law, and right now we got the abramoff scandal causing major underpinnings of the republican leadership to collapse (at least internally for the moment, and more openly with things like delay's departure).

    i think it's cnn.com overplaying their hand, but i'm entertained to see them trying to make things "even."  it's just one more way for the republicans to confuse voters, as they ALWAYS do whenever they're on the losing side of an issue.

    by sfluke on Fri Apr 21, 2006 at 03:02:47 PM PDT

  •  The party of Bush....

    ....that's all we need to pin on the Repugs to win the elections.

    by MariaSquared on Fri Apr 21, 2006 at 03:51:58 PM PDT

•  Good thing

  this broke on a Friday.

  by AnthonySF on Fri Apr 21, 2006 at 02:58:29 PM PDT

  •  oh don't worry

    the White House's new political director will make sure people know about it next week.

    by dday on Fri Apr 21, 2006 at 02:59:44 PM PDT

•  i saw that line too...

  ...and thought the exact same thing.  Why is this a "major campaign issue"?  Unlike the expanding corruption scandal of Jack Abramoff?  Unlike the K Street Project?  Unlike the Safavian arrest?  Unlike just about every other Republican scandal?

  I don't get it.

  by sfluke on Fri Apr 21, 2006 at 03:00:38 PM PDT

•  Partisan Hacks

  So Mollohan decided on his own to temporarily step down while this investigation runs its course, and compare that to DeLay who did everything he could to remain in his position of power.

  Another paragraph is interesting in the piece:

  Also, a conservative group filed a complaint with federal prosecutors this year questioning whether Mollohan correctly reported his assets on financial disclosure forms.

  Oh yeah - and "KOS" this poll! Mollohan Poll

  by WV Democrat on Fri Apr 21, 2006 at 03:09:58 PM PDT

•  Mollahan scandals will not hurt Democrats.

  Alan Mollahan is an obscure candidate- I doubt the average voter knows who Mollahan is. He is never shown on C-Span unlike Bob Ney, Duke Cunningham and Tom Delay.

  by quasimoto on Fri Apr 21, 2006 at 03:37:16 PM PDT

•  Mollohan's political incompetence

  pins him as someone that I just couldn't care less if he stays in Congress or not.

  He's a very poor Democrat and evidently not even a decent politician.

  We're better off without him. In fact, I'm all for seeing his brand of Democrat go straight to hell on a massive scale...

  even if we lose November.

  We won't win anyway in  my view until the Hillary Dems are gone. They won't permit a Dem majority that will impeach Bush. That's my belief. They're traitors.

  by The Leaking Bush on Fri Apr 21, 2006 at 03:38:42 PM PDT

  •  He is my Congressman

    And he is a good Congressman.

    Northern West Virginia is better off with him in Congress. The High Tech Consortium in Fairmont is one area that is bringing good jobs to a part of the country that lacks them.

    The FBI Center in Clarksburg has been a boon to the area. It has allowed WVU to have one of, if not the, premier Forensic Identification programs in the country.

    Mollohan has been fighting to save the steel industry in Wheeling and Weirton.

    His seat on the Appropriations Committee is very valuable to our area.

    West Virginia is a conservative state. We are economically liberal, but very socially conservative. People don't move to the area. Not very many leave either.

    We are a fiercely proud people too. The biggest city in the state is Mountaineer Field on a home football game.

    We are also a very proud Democratic state. We have 2 Democratic Senators, 2/3 of our Congressional delegation are Democrats, Democrats hold all but one of the Constitutional offices Democrats hold all but one seat on the Supreme Court of Appeals, we have Democratic majorities in both house of the state legislature, and our Governor is a Democrat. So, if you want to see "his brand of Democrat go straight to hell on a massive scale" then you have just written off an entire state, and really an entire region. Your brand of Democrats would never be more than a regional anomaly.

    Congressman Mollohan is a good Democrat and I will proudly be voting for him.

    by DirkPitt on Fri Apr 21, 2006 at 03:57:01 PM PDT

    •  sorry. but i

      couldn't care less how proud you are.

      that's a character flaw in the non-fundy whackjob world.

      and honeslty, wv has nothing to be proud about. poor people working like slaves... pretty common on this planet; but not something i want more of for my state, or for other states in general.

      no, wv is no model for democratic areas. all you've done is sell out your kids as slaves in the name of religion.

      and i don't care if you think he's a good dem.

      personally, i don't care what any local person wants in their congressman. not at all.

      if locals can't elect non-fundy whackjobs, then they haven't earned the right to elect dems without outsiders influence in a democracy. and they haven't earned the right to decide whether their congressman will be or not be a member of the democratic party.

      christian theocratic voters will be told who their elected officials will be by those of us with the sense required to make that decision.

      and that's how it will be.

      by The Leaking Bush on Fri Apr 21, 2006 at 04:13:24 PM PDT

•  CNN is worse than Fox

  for the main reason that most people don't KNOW that they're as biased as Fox.

  At least Fox has turned into kind of a joke.   People know they're all right-wing spin machine garbage.

  I know a lot of people who really think they're getting the news on CNN

  by theyrereal on Fri Apr 21, 2006 at 05:20:26 PM PDT