Shut up and stand aside!

The American Spectator covers “Freezer Bill” Jefferson’s exploding scandal:

But the best thing about it for Republicans, who numbers-wise have more ethics problems than their opponents, is that the Democrats have come up with a single scandal that not only is outrageous, but also is obvious. Cash bribe, caught on camera, goes directly into lawmaker's possession, which he then stashes with his Breyer's and Ore-Ida's. No need to explain various campaign contributions in exchange for legislative consideration. Not necessary to tie lobbyist wining-and-dining suspected to gain special access. No guilt by association.

No, it's plain as day, just good old-fashioned currency in the palm -- a priceless relic in our almost cashless society. Republicans couldn't have dreamed of a better gift. It's tailor-made for Colbert and Letterman, where the cynical and semi-interested get their political news these days.

This should be good news for the Republicans. Just as the Democrats are gearing up to run this November on the “Culture of Corruption” charge against the GOP along comes Jefferson and lets all the air out of their tires.

But all is not lost for the Jackass Party. No group of people on the planet does a better job of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory than the modern Republican Party:

BUT DEMOCRATS NEED NOT PANIC YET, because just as the Jefferson matter is blowing up big in the media, the inept Republicans want equal time looking bad in the scandal. House members of both parties are indignant that the FBI raided Jefferson's congressional office Saturday night, after he refused to comply with a subpoena for documents issued nine months ago. No less powerful GOP individuals than House Speaker Dennis Hastert and Majority Leader John Boehner jumped out front to complain that the FBI search violated the separation of powers between the executive branch and the legislative branch.

"I think those materials ought to be returned," said Hastert.

Forgetting that the FBI obtained a search warrant from the judicial branch -- the check on government that also happens to evaluate the likelihood of a crime -- Republicans again demonstrated their ITB (Inside the Beltway) myopia by whining about the unfairness of it all. Considering their own troubles, they may as well have posted a flashing neon sign in the Capitol halls begging, "Search my office! Search my office!"

As we've seen time and again, politicians forget that Americans view this behavior in light of what would happen to them in a similar situation. Could Everyday Joe get away with taking $100,000 cash for placing his own gain ahead of his employers'? When caught in the act on videotape by law enforcement, could he expect to evade a search warrant by invoking some special privilege?

Fortunately for the Democrats their Jefferson-induced distress is probably only temporary, since the Republicans aren't smart enough to shut up and get out of the way.

Ain’t that the truth?

All that the bizarre actions of Hastert and his colleagues is doing is making the average American wonder what the Republicans have stashed in their offices.

The entire “separation of powers” argument is an obvious smokescreen. Intelligent people (and by that I mean folks with an IQ in the double digits) know that smokescreens are intended to hide something. Only the congressional Republican leadership would be stupid enough to lay one down to hide . . . nothing.

Conservatives in this country need to get down on their knees and thank God that the Democrats are not only evil, but evil in the most transparently obvious way. Because that is the only thing that can keep Republicans in power this November.