Corruption Isn't Partisan

I am sure many of you are all now familiar with Sen. Ted Stevens' conviction on seven counts of corruption. While this may ring with the likes of Tom Delay, Jack Abramoff and the rest of the Republican "cronies," we should remember that Democrats alike, even the most liberal, are not immune from this. In my home state of Massachusetts, the FBI arrested one of the most liberal state senators, Dianne Wilkerson. She was also the only black senator and for the most part did a lot of good for her community (some would argue so did Stevens for his state). When working on Patrick's campaign for governor, I remember her at rallies and her ability to mobilize disenchanted minority voters. Wilkerson did a lot of good for the commonwealth and her community, but she appears to be just as corrupt as the "cronies" we had sworn off. It's a sobering truth that maybe hard to swallow, especially if you follow this state's politics. But it's a reminder to us all that corruption isn't partisan and can affect even the most seemingly noble leaders. At this point I can only hope that voters are not put off by any of the corruption scandals and are still willing to participate and believe their are good people. While the pill maybe hard to swallow if you're a fan of Stevens or Wilkerson, Republican or Democrat, it's a reminder that your side isn't necessarily more noble than the other. And that's the truth.