Democrats assail Republicans on ethics

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Democrats accused Republicans on
Saturday of using “doublespeak” and abusing their power in
order to help special interest groups.

With Republicans burdened by the Jack Abramoff lobbying
scandal, Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada said in
the weekly Democratic radio address that years of controlling
both the White House and Congress had corrupted the Republican
Party.

“There is a price to pay for this Republican abuse of power
and it can be seen in the present state of our union,” Reid
said. “Special interests and the well-connected have been
rewarded by Republicans while everyone else has been left
behind.”

The scandal theme is likely to play a role in the run-up to
the November congressional elections. Abramoff entered guilty
pleas in a wide-ranging bribery investigation that has prompted
calls by both parties for reform.

The scandal has implicated at least one member of Congress,
Republican Rep. Bob Ney of Ohio, and some former aides to Rep.
Tom DeLay, a Texas Republican who stepped down as majority
leader.

Reid accused Republicans of using “doublespeak” to sell
their agenda.

“When they wanted to let energy companies release more
pollution into the air, they called it the ‘Clear Skies
Initiative,”‘ he said. “When they wanted to let loggers cut
down more trees and weaken environmental laws, they called it
the ‘Healthy Forests Initiative.’

“My favorite Republican doublespeak is when they wanted to
give tax breaks to their special interest friends even though
it meant adding more than $50 billion to our deficit, they
called their effort the ‘Deficit Reduction Act,”‘ he said.

Reid’s harsh criticism followed an apology he made this
week to Republicans senators for a news release outlining
reports of ethical problems, singling out individual senators.

Reid apologized for the tone of the document released by
his office, saying it went too far.