By Michael B. Gelsinger, Buffalo News, March 8, 2008

8 Mar 2008 // The March 3 edition of The News published a column by Douglas Turner titled "Cycle of corruption continues in Congress." His take on the report by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington was puzzling. He spotlighted Sens. Harry Reid (D), Joseph Biden (D) and Barbara Boxer (D), while dropping the names of Sens. Hillary Clinton (D), Barack Obama (D), John McCain (R) and Richard Lugar (R).

The CREW report is balanced, implicating both elephants and donkeys. Why did Turner omit the large number of Republican senators implicated in the report, several of whom are the worst offenders? Is he implying that their corruption is beyond reproach? Or perhaps that his readers already know how corrupt the Republicans are? Or is he revealing his own kind of corruption by his selective revelations? Ethics reform in Congress is desperately needed, but perhaps reform is needed by certain News writers as well -- Turner, for instance.