Somehow, a “narrative” of scandal will be a problem in November for …Republicans?

Occasionally, you almost have to tip your hat to the utter shamelessness of the Left.

Almost.

Recently, NY Republican Michael Rep. Michael Grimm was indicted for tax fraud, and while CNN wondered aloud if this would adversely affect the Repubs in the upcoming election, ABC’s headline said that the GOP was “stuck” with Grimm. Neither report was flattering, yet neither was all that awful, either.

However, appearing on MSNBC, the Washington Post‘s Dana Milbank took both lines of thinking somewhat …further:

“…But even beyond his seat, you now have the Congressman who’s out because he bought cocaine. Here in Washington, you’ve got the kissing Congressman. You’ve got this now. It begins to develop a sort of narrative that may make it trouble for some of his Republican colleagues. 

So this is the sort of question other Republican candidates are going to be asked. Do they support Michael Grimm and the sorts of things he’s accused of doing? That’s how it can have that sort of echo effect far beyond New York…”

These days, I don’t expect actual journalistic integrity from the Press. I’d like it, yeah, but I don’t expect it. But even by my overly jaded allowance, this is ridiculous.

First of all, no one knows (not me, nor Dana Milbank) as to whether Grimm is guilty of anything yet. If he’s innocent, awesome. If he’s guilty, then good riddance.

But Milbank ALSO says the National Media will begin peppering random GOP candidates around the country with queries about if they “support” such behavior, even as a “narrative” takes shape. And let’s be honest: that sounded less like a prediction and more like a suggestion, or a request, …or a promise.

That’s the part of this that’s truly mendacious, bordering on reprehensible.

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We all are deluged weekly with stories of political corruption; actual corruption, mind you, and not a married guy kissing an aide or someone else scoring cocaine for their habit. I’m hardly condoning either action, but certainly Dana Milbank’s feelings about illegal drugs and/or extra-marital dalliances aren’t a secret, so his inclusion of those topics seems a tad hypocritical.

But his spinning of Grimm’s indictment into a potential hurdle for other Republicans is, frankly, whatever comes after ‘disingenuous‘ in the Dictionary. Especially when someone considers the Democrat party’s own peccadillo Horn ‘O Plenty.

For the sake of argument, let’s ignore the big obvious ones: Fast And Furious, the AP phone records, Benghazi, and the IRS targeting of Tea Party groups. Ignore Lois Lerner, Sebelius, Holder and Obama.

Just for now, ignore ’em all.

So, are there any other folks out there who’ve had convictions, or indictments, or are currently being investigated and might cause Democrats just a teensy problem come election day?

Charlotte, NC mayor Patrick Cannon – “…arrested on public corruption charges March 26 and resigned from office later that day. He is accused of taking almost $50,000 in bribes, including cash, a Las Vegas trip and use of a luxury South Park apartment. An FBI affidavit filed when Cannon was arrested says the mayor also solicited an additional $1.25 million bribe during a Feb. 21 meeting in his office at the Government Center…”

Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr – “…sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison Wednesday for illegally spending $750,000 in campaign funds on personal items…”

New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin – Convicted of accepting “…hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes and truckloads of free granite for his family business in exchange for promoting the interests of local businessman Frank Fradella. He also was charged with accepting thousands of dollars in payoffs from another businessman, Rodney Williams, for his help in securing city contracts…”

Indiana Democratic party Chairman Butch Morgan Jr. & Board of Elections worker Dustin Blythe – “…guilty of felony conspiracy counts to commit petition fraud and forgery…”, and “…guilty of felony forgery counts and falsely making a petition…”, respectively. 

Louisiana Congressman William J. Jefferson – “…sentenced to 13 years in prison Friday for accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes, the longest prison term ever handed down to a member of Congress convicted of corruption charges. …”

Yes, I know that Jefferson’s was from back in 2009. But read that again: “the longest prison term ever” for a member of Congress guilty of corruption. Do you recall the Media idly musing over how the Dems would suffer an “echo effect” in the next election after a “sort of narrative” had taken hold as a result of his record-setting conviction?

Ha-ha-ha-ha!!!! Yeah, that’s hysterical.

What’s more, if he were a Republican, we’d STILL be hearing about him. As it stands, I’ll bet you less than 5% of the population knows who Jefferson is, or has a clue as to what he did.

Okay, back to our list of Democrats who’ve run afoul of the law:

Tony Mack, mayor of Trenton, NJ – “…found guilty of extortion, bribery and fraud…” 

Federal District Court judge G. Thomas Porteous, Jr. – “…impeached by the House in March on four articles stemming from charges that he received cash and favors from lawyers who had dealings in his court, used a false name to elude creditors and intentionally misled the Senate during his confirmation proceedings. The behavior amounted to a “pattern of conduct incompatible with the trust and confidence placed in him,” according to the articles against him…” 

California state Senator Leland Yee – Indicted on charges that he “…accepted checks and bags of cash from undercover operatives to pay off his campaign debts and help fund his now-derailed bid to become secretary of state. Yee also is alleged to have tried to orchestrate an international arms deal with an undercover agent, promising to arrange shipments of high-powered weaponry from rebel groups in the Philippines for money…”

San Diego mayor Bob Filner – “…convicted of felony false imprisonment for restraining a woman against her will at a fund-raiser on March 6 and applying additional force when she resisted. His attorney, Jerry Coughlan, has said it was a headlock…”

Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick – Convicted of a “…corruption scandal so vast that prosecutors say it helped accelerate Detroit’s march toward bankruptcy. Mr. Kilpatrick, 43, was convicted in March of two dozen counts that included charges of racketeering and extortion, adding his name to a list of at least 18 city officials who have been convicted of corruption during his tenure…” 

Isn’t it funny how we don’t hear Dana Milbank proposing that his journalist brethren ask various Democrats if they support so-and-so and the illegal sorts of things so-and-so was accused/indicted/convicted of doing?

This kid was just told how much Dana Milbank is paid to do his “job”…

One last point: this isn’t to try to paint our current political scene as lily-white for one side and purest evil on the other. Power corrupts, everywhere.

But for a journalist to present one politician’s indictment as an inbound albatross for “other Republican candidates” while utterly ignoring far, far worse problems for the other party, well, I’d simply say that says more about that journalist, and perhaps the National Media itself, than it does about one politician or his party.

See, Dana? We can play that game, too.