Voters ignore ethics issue as McCloskey challenges Pombo in CA 11th

WP: Ethics Issue May Not Rouse 11th District
Challenger of House Republican From California Perceives Indifference Among Voters
By Jonathan Weisman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, June 4, 2006; Page A06

Enraged by what he saw as corruption in his own party, a 78-year-old legend of Republican politics emerged from retirement this year to challenge House Resources Committee Chairman Richard W. Pombo for California's 11th Congressional District seat.

But as former congressman Pete McCloskey traverses Pombo's district hammering the incumbent for ties to former lobbyist Jack Abramoff and indicted former House majority leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.), one response has been dominant, he conceded: shrugs of indifference.

With California's Tuesday primary approaching, McCloskey's experience may have broader significance for the larger contests in November. The "culture of corruption" theme featured so prominently in Democratic campaign literature may not be so potent, after all.

"When I talk about ethics, the response quite often is, 'Yeah, he's a crook, but he's our crook, and isn't everybody a crook out there?' " McCloskey said in an interview last week. "I'm not sure it makes much of a dent on anyone in San Joaquin Valley who's worried about water, the traffic and air that has become some of the worst in California."

Pombo has never been charged with any wrongdoing. For Democrats looking to seize control of the House this fall, McCloskey's showing this Tuesday may be instructive, and he is not likely to draw much blood. That could mean that an entrenched, well-funded incumbent is not likely to be unseated on nebulous ethics accusations alone, suggested Amy Walter, a House political analyst at the nonpartisan Cook Political Report. Instead, challengers will have to wage a multi-pronged attack that includes, but is not limited to, ethics issues....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/03/AR2006060300538.html?sub=AR

they are looking for Independents that are against it .

Jesus rose from the dead to run as a (D).