By Ben Waxman
Philadelphia Daily News, 9/21/07
PENNSYLVANIA'S political culture tends to be somewhat behind the times.
So it's not surprising to see that state Republicans have failed to learn the lesson of the recent resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. Elected officials, particularly those responsible for overseeing law enforcement, shouldn't use government for partisan political purposes.
Gonzales got into trouble for politicizing the Justice Department. He allegedly fired several U.S. attorneys who failed to prosecute enough Democratic elected officials. For Gonzales, investigating Democrats was a top law-enforcement priority - and he eventually resigned after he was accused of lying to Congress.
Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett, a Republican, seems poised to repeat Gonzales' mistakes - he's recently launched a politically motivated investigation of state House Democrats.
It appears that several state employees in Harrisburg were rewarded with bonuses for doing partisan political work. It's not clear if it was illegal, but it certainly shouldn't have occurred. However, this type of behavior is widespread in Harrisburg - and Corbett is only investigating Democrats.
Like Gonzales, Corbett is using the attorney general's office to help the GOP. He's investigating House Democrats because Republicans are frustrated that Gov. Rendell and his allies have been able to push several popular initiatives through the legislature, like increased funding for mass transit and education. Corbett's investigation is seemingly designed to weaken Democrats as the legislature gets back into session.
His timing is somewhat curious. Corbett has pretty much been a bust as attorney general. A former corporate lobbyist, he hasn't really done anything besides champion the "do not call" lists and appear in a few radio ads about illegal gun purchases.
His uncontroversial positions fit the typical profile of an ambitious and cautious politician. That's why it seems strange that he is picking a high-profile fight with Democrats.
The real reason for this investigation is that Corbett wants to run for governor. What better way to win a Republican primary than to publicly undermine the Democrats? Corbett is playing politics, pure and simple. It's an abuse of the public trust and undermines the very spirit of the office.
EVERY HOUR that Corbett spends investigating Democrats is an hour he won't not spend on issues that actually matter to the vast majority of Pennsylvanians.
Enforcing the new minimum-wage law or prosecuting corporate polluters would be better uses of the power and resources of the attorney general's office. Corbett's priority deems to be to attack Democrats, not solve the serious problems facing the state.
Of course, Democrats shouldn't get a pass. Political corruption is a serious issue and shouldn't be tolerated on either side of the aisle. But if Corbett really wants to clean up the state capital, he should include Republicans in his investigations.
Corbett is making a calculated move designed to curry favor with the Republican establishment in Harrisburg. But the attorney general's office shouldn't be used as a weapon against Democrats. Instead, he should be trying to tackle the issues that ordinary Pennsylvanian's care about. Ultimately, his willingness to put partisan politics above the interests of the state shows he's unfit to be governor. *
Ben Waxman is a frequent contributor.