Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Emergency Services Medford seeks to ease alcohol ban The hidden costs of GMO labeling Restaurant Inspections Since You Asked: Medford has noisy dogs covered Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergency Services Emergency services Man charged with starting Weed, Calif., fire Fallen White City firefighter to be honored at national service Barn fire may have been human-caused Politics and Elections Cecil, Stricker to face off again in mayor's race Commissioner candidates Talbert, Roberts duel for endorsements Falls: Jackson County sheriff's race isn't over Former sheriff calls Winters' retirement decision 'very wise' Will 'GMO effect' shape election? Education EP school district launches new app Striving to make the grade Fresh produce goes home with Jackson Elementary families State mandates eye exams for kids 7 and younger Eagle Point School District goes silent on gun issue Environment Fear of orphaned cubs nixes new spring bear hunt Josephine County ballot measure would ban commercial and government pesticide use Low water exposes Emigrant Lake's past Wagner Creek work would restore streambank Deer-killing disease won't taint meat for hunters State news Nation - World Obituaries Barbara A. Debevec John C. McDonough Richard Clifford Trullinger Gerald Milton Nelson Derek Edward Fusmer Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Sports Latest Stories Murray, streaking Cowboys drop Seahawks on road Bae wins PGA Tour opener at Silverado 49ers defense presents challenge for Davis Guthrie, Royals return home with 2-0 ALCS lead Grizzlies go 6-0 in Eugene Varsity 541 College Sports Southern Oregon, College of Idaho settle on 1-1 draw Stingy pays off Ducks rise to the occasion Mariota leads No. 12 Oregon’s rout of UCLA Stanford cruises past Washington State Pro Sports Murray, streaking Cowboys drop Seahawks on road Bae wins PGA Tour opener at Silverado 49ers defense presents challenge for Davis Guthrie, Royals return home with 2-0 ALCS lead Bumgarner tames Cardinals, Giants take NLCS lead Community Sports Business Latest Stories Silvio Calabi: Nissan’s Taxi of Tomorrow Ranchers offer livestock exchange Lithia buys Clovis dealership Blog: When Life Gives You Lemons... Medford airport has busiest September ever Real Estate News Lithia buys Clovis dealership Rental vacancies increase Jackson County real estate sales, prices continue rebound Pallet Wine Co. expands in downtown Medford Medford's Pixel Productions moves to new quarters People In Business Transportation Lithia buys Clovis dealership Agriculture Ranchers offer livestock exchange 1-800-Flowers CEO: Labor shortage an issue for Harry & David Pallet Wine Co. expands in downtown Medford Opinion Latest Our View: It's time to legalize marijuana Letters to the Editor, Oct. 12 Infill is the answer to growth issues Dana Milbank: The FEC is a poster child for a broken Washington Charles Krauthammer: The double game our allies play Editorials Our View: It's time to legalize marijuana Another View: Congress must act on firefighting budget Our View: Talbert is the right choice for commissioner Our View: Cheers and Jeers Our View: Measure 86 would allow a prudent investment Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, Oct. 12 Election Letters, Oct.11 Letters to the Editor, Oct. 10 Letters to the Editor, Oct. 9 Letters to the Editor, Oct. 8 Guest Opinions Infill is the answer to growth issues Guest Opinion: Who’s really to blame for 2014 wildfires? Mt. Ashland is responding to community concerns Siskiyou Plus Spring Bear Hunt: What lies beneath? Guest Opinion: Who's to blame for 2014 wildfires? Lifestyle Latest stories Silvio Calabi: Nissan’s Taxi of Tomorrow A poor start can set up a great finish It's easy to fall for Dunsmuir A list to help you get ready for winter Bring On The Stager Food Community blog: Battered, fried bhaji bring street food to the table Community blog: Kicking it off, a game, a season, or a pint (How about all the above?) Apples and pears make great autumn duo Community blog: Cardamom makes proverbial pairing with pears New owners bring new philosophy at 2Hawk Home and Garden A list to help you get ready for winter How to create a fashionable painted floor cloth Dear Monty: 7 prepping tips for home showings Harvest your frost-tender tomatoes for storage Fall is a good time to plant certain perennials Health Community blog: Listen Like You Mean it! Community blog: Listen Like You Mean it! Dr. Murray Feingold: Take precautions to prevent home accidents Health Watch: Make TV time workout time Community blog: Do We Need Steps For Health? Hiking Biking Faith Religion Briefs Religion Briefs Religion briefs First Church of Nazarene plans cleanup Religion briefs Milestones and Achievements Southern Oregon Pride parade celebrates gay marriage ruling New Arrivals Still stifling laughter 40 years after 'Young Frankenstein' New Arrivals Wedding Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories Agave offers tasty tacos Call for musicians Works in progress A stylish take on baroque Southern Oregon Music Festival returns to downtown Medford Theater 'Carnage' is short, smart, darkly funny Randall Theatre presents 'Blithe Spirit' A tribute to a great lyricist 'Mrs. Mannerly' is a matter of manners There's no accounting for poor manners Music Benefit for Nita Day at The Wild Goose Cafe in Ashland Call for musicians A stylish take on baroque Southern Oregon Music Festival returns to downtown Medford Rogue Valley Symphony season debut combines virtuosity, emotion Community Events Works in progress Southern Oregon Pride Festival celebrates diversity Greater Medford Multicultural Fair Volunteers needed for Downtown Art + Sound Medford's Third Fridays Dining Agave offers tasty tacos Asian cuisine for all seasons at Misoya Bistro Spoons 'Get Giddy' at Porters Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines & Special Sections NEWS NOW 'Carnage' is short, smart, darkly funny ... Our View: It's time to legalize marijuana ... Infill is the answer to growth issues ... 'Carnage' is short, smart, darkly funny ... Our View: It's time to legalize marijuana ... Infill is the answer to growth issues ... ANOTHER VIEW Dana Milbank: The GOP's mug-shot primary MailTribune.com Writer Posted Oct. 5, 2014 @ 12:01 am Posted Oct. 5, 2014 @ 12:01 am » Social News Why is the lineup of prospective GOP presidential candidates beginning to look like, well, a lineup? Chris Christie went to campaign last week for Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, putting the New Jersey governor in the company of a man who is in almost as much legal jeopardy as he is. Between them, the two would-be 2016 presidential nominees are the subjects of six investigations. But Texas Gov. Rick Perry, another presidential aspirant, is far ahead of them in the mug-shot primary: He's already under indictment on two felony counts alleging abuse of power. And, speaking of felonies, former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, long considered presidential timber, was just convicted on 11 corruption counts after his salacious trial this summer that disgraced him and his wife. Democrats are trying to tie another prospective presidential candidate, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, to a Republican contributor who was convicted this summer of witness tampering in a campaign-finance case; the governor had been subpoenaed to appear in the case but was never called. Beyond that, the Republican governors of Iowa, Kansas, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Maine, South Carolina and New Mexico are all facing varying degrees of legal liability on matters ranging from influence-peddling to the firing of whistleblowers. Completing the GOP version of a most-wanted list: John Rowland, former Republican governor of Connecticut, who was found guilty last month of conspiracy charges in a campaign-finance case. It was the second time he had been convicted on criminal charges. Lest Democrats celebrate their rivals' legal woes too much, they should recall that federal prosecutors are probing New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo over his shutdown of an anti-corruption commission, and federal prosecutors and Illinois lawmakers are investigating activities of the administration of Gov. Pat Quinn. Republicans point to eight other states where Democratic administrations, or Democratic gubernatorial candidates, have some exposure to lower-profile legal or ethical scrapes. There hasn't been this much corruption around the table at the National Governors Association since Rod Blagojevich dined alone. This doesn't necessarily mean governors, or other politicians, are more corrupt than they used to be; there has always been some sense of entitlement among elected leaders, a belief that the usual rules don't apply to them. Melanie Sloan, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, adds that "unfathomable amounts of money flowing through the system" has increased the opportunity for misconduct, while the proliferation of media and electronic paper trails make it more likely they'll get caught. To Sloan's list, I'd add one more: the criminalization of politics that has become routine since Bill Clinton's impeachment. That case, in which a president was impeached by the House and tried by the Senate for what was essentially a personal indiscretion dressed up as a perjury and obstruction case, created new norms: Politicians decided they could use legal means to settle political disputes. If you can't beat your opponent at the polls, take him out in court. Both sides play this way, but there's some rough justice that Republicans, who popularized this criminalization of politics in the 1990s, now find at least three of their top presidential prospects being hoist with the GOP's own petard. New Jersey's Christie, of course, has Bridgegate and related troubles. The campaign of Wisconsin's Walker is being investigated over allegedly illegal campaign finance coordinated with various conservative groups; a U.S. appeals court panel ruled last month that prosecutors could proceed with the long-stalled investigation. Then there's Perry, who demanded the resignation of the Democratic Travis County district attorney after she was caught driving drunk. When she refused, he vetoed funding for her public-integrity unit, which prosecutes official corruption. Now a grand jury has indicted Perry on charges carrying up to 109 years in prison combined. There's reason to believe all three prospective presidential candidates acted badly. But that's not always illegal. Just last week, the highest criminal court in Texas agreed to throw out money-laundering and conspiracy charges against Tom DeLay, the former House Republican leader. DeLay had abused power in all kinds of ways — his shakedowns of donors and his asking federal authorities to track an airplane carrying Texas Democratic legislators come to mind — but in the eyes of the law he is now without taint. DeLay is now talking about a comeback in Washington, but he should be warned: A clean record may disqualify him from the Republican presidential ballot in 2016. Follow Dana Milbank on Twitter, @Milbank. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Oct. 5, 2014 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2014 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501