Leave it to the tabloid Philadelphia Daily News to focus on an obscure angle to the "Bonusgate" indictments. The headline in today's Daily News screams "Bonus Babe" with a photo of a beauty pageant contestant who allegedly was paid for a no-show job in Harrisburg. The subhead: "Grand Jury: Top Aide's Lover Did Little In Her $29G State Job - And Got A $7G Bump."
Who can resist a story like that? Even if you don't have any interest in politics, I'm sure the "Bonus Baby" story was the top read in the paper today.
Read the DLN coverage of the scandal at its Web site.
The Philadelphia Inquirer also highlighted the "sex" angle of the corruption probe in a story by Angela Couloumbis and Mario F. Cattabiani, "Court documents detail alleged Pa. job-for-sex deal"
For a more serious take on the scandal, read John Baer's column, "We've only just begin," in today's Daily News.
Baer writes:
Overwhelming evidence of entrenched, calculated practices to steal tax dollars for personal and political gain implies even wider institutional corruption.
The fact that those charged so far are House Democrats might raise eyebrows in an election year.
But they handed out more in secret bonuses - $1.3 million - than any of the four caucuses, so they go first.
And does any sensate person believe only Democrats are capable of criminality?
That so many stole so much for so long, in bonuses and more, millions of dollars over multiple years (THAT WE KNOW OF!), for political campaigns suggests broad knowledge of such practice and probable Republican emulation.
Expect more charges against those of both parties.
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