The Differences Between Democrats & Republicans

When it appears a Republican may have broken the law, they step down.

Succumbing to scandal, former Majority Leader Tom DeLay said Tuesday he will resign from Congress in the face of a tough re-election race, closing out a career that blended unflinching conservatism with a bare-knuckled political style.

"I have no fear whatsoever about any investigation into me or my personal or professional activities," DeLay said in a statement to constituents. At the same time, he said, "I refuse to allow liberal Democrats an opportunity to steal this seat with a negative, personal campaign."

When it appears a Democrat may have broken the law, it's business as usual.

The F.B.I. accused Representative William J. Jefferson, Democrat of Louisiana, on Sunday of taking hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes from a Kentucky businessman and stashing $90,000 from the scheme in his home freezer in Washington.

The accusations appeared in court documents that were made public only hours after a team of 15 agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation completed an all-night search of Mr. Jefferson's Congressional offices. F.B.I. officials said the raid, which began about 7:15 p.m. Saturday and ended early Sunday afternoon, was the first the agency had ever conducted at a lawmaker's office on Capitol Hill.

When it appears a Republican may have broken the law, they choose not to run again.

Congressional probes of his ties to convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff have put Rep. Bob Ney, R-Ohio, in a corner in the last year, and now Ney is getting out. In an interview and a statement, the lawmaker says he's ending his re-election bid.

"I'm doing this for one reason: my family," Ney tells the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review in today's edition. "My wife and two children have been through enough. I really believe this is the best decision."

When it appears a Democrat may have broken the law, it's business as usual.

Former Democrat house leader, Tip O'Neil, shut down the Abscam investigation on John Murtha. As a reminder, Democrat Congressman John Murtha was caught on video conspiring to accept bribes from Arab Sheikhs, who were actually FBI informants. Bribery candidate John Murtha is vocally anti-war and anti-Arab intervention and running for House Leader.

When it appears a Republican may have broken the law, voters take action.

And 10-term Pennsylvania Rep. Curt Weldon was denied re-election, losing to Democratic challenger Joe Sestak, a retired vice admiral.

Weldon's loss came after a corruption investigation involving him and his daughter.

In October, FBI agents raided the homes of Weldon's daughter, Karen, and a close friend as part of an investigation into whether the congressman improperly had helped foreign defense and energy companies.

The companies paid nearly $1 million to a lobbying company run by Karen Weldon and Weldon's close friend, local Republican Party boss Charles P. Sexton Jr.

When it appear a Democrat may have broken the law, it's business as usual.

Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., who gained notoriety after the FBI found $90,000 in his freezer, was elected Saturday to a ninth term in Congress.

Jefferson defeated Democratic state Rep. Karen Carter in a runoff — even though Carter had secured all the major endorsements and had a better funded campaign, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reported.

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The congressman remains the target of a federal investigation for allegedly taking payoffs. Alleged co-conspirators have pleaded guilty, and Jefferson has said he expects to be indicted.