Newspaper: PA Legislature a 'cesspool of corruption'

The Philadelphia Inquirer doesn't mince words about the latest corruption scandal in Harrisburg, calling the Legislature a "cesspool of corruption" in today's editorial.

From the editorial:

Taken together, these indictments on both sides of the aisle allege that key members of the House leadership over the past decade were corrupt and ripping off taxpayers. The allegations paint a picture of systematic theft of taxpayers' money by both parties to help them win elections and strengthen their grip on power.

It's not just a few bad apples.

It's an indictment of an accepted culture in the legislature, where protecting incumbency matters more than anything. Meanwhile, the taxpaying public that legislators are elected to serve gets the shaft.

It's the same crowd that accepts bundles of money from special interests and thwarts reform at nearly every turn. Maybe 2010 will be the election year when voters finally wise up.

All 203 House seats and 25 Senate seats will be up for reelection next year. If you want more of the same, keep sending the incumbents back to Harrisburg.

Read the full editorial at the newspaper's Web site.