Representative William Jefferson is obviously an embarrassment to the Democrats. Just when their "culture of corruption" complaint against the GOP was showing signs of promise, along comes videotape of him accepting $100k in bribes. So profound is the shock that a split has emerged over how to handle the matter.

In one corner, the New York Times, which made excuses for him based on the good old "poverty made him do it" defense. Not that "Dollar Bill" Jefferson has been poor for a very long time. He grew up poor and black in Louisiana, and in the world of the New York Times that fact grants a perpetual indulgence, or at least constitutes a mitigating factor. Never mind the millions of people who growup poor and never accept a bribe or abuse the public trust.

In the other corner, the hard left magazine, The Nation, edited by wealthy heiress Katrina vanden Heuvel, who was once interviewed by Chris Matthews and could not provide the name of her representative in Congress (hint: it wasn't Jefferson — vanden Heuvel lives in Manhattan). Our friends at Sweetness & Light have discovered The Nation ludicrously claiming "William Jefferson has the profile of a Republican," or, as S&L puts it, he is a "Republican at heart." S&L cites such authorities as the ACLU and and the American Conservative Union to the contrary (both groups have rated Jefferson distinctly non—conservative). But in the world of the Nation, such matters count for little. Bad = Republican. Period.

We can hardly wait for the New York Times to become appraised of the verdict by the Nation. It will have to withdraw its story sympathetically portraying Jefferson's childhood and adopt a sneering attitude toward his background, as is standard operating procedure for conservatives.

Thomas Lifson   5 30 06