It would seem that the new GOP strategy when it comes to party corruption centers on issuing a swift public condemnation of the guilty (or perceived guilty) individual followed by a swift ouster of the embattled colleague. Of course, this was the way it played it in regards to the action taken against Senator Larry Craig and to a great extent this swift action was a preventive measure to avoid the 2006 calamity.

According to the Politico, while the furor and outrage over the Mark Foley incident definitely played a role in members of the conservative base sitting home, there were other corruption scandals that contributed to massive GOP losses. In Ohio, Rep. Bob Ney's felony conviction greatly damaged the party as did the Rep. Duke Cunningham corruption scandal and criminal conviction in California. And who could forget the ouster of Tom Delay?

For the GOP, it is a smart move to take a zero tolerance policy towards party corruption. Unless the GOP remains proactive in this area and establishes that such behavior will not be tolerated and must stop, the party will be perpetually labeled the party of corruption and will suffer greatly because of it. Or, more accurately, it will continue to suffer greatly.

So who does the GOP trot out to do damage control on the Larry Craig scandal? None other than disgraced former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Texas!

DeLay was confrontational to Matt Lauer Thursday morning, responding to a list of GOP scandals by mentioning several Democrats who ran afoul of the law.

"The double-standard in the media is amazing," DeLay told Lauer. The feeding frenzy, the sharks in the water that's going on right now because of a Republican. Where is the frenzy on Alan Mollohan from West Virginia or William Jefferson from Louisiana?"

"The Hammer" has been a busy guy lately, what with hawking his new book, "No Retreat, No Surrender," and all, but he did make time to prove that, at least for the GOP, the best defense is a good offense.

And it's nice to bring the old guard back into the limelight. Former Sen. Max Cleland fought the good anti-war fight for the Democrats, just as DeLay is showing current Republicans how not to wilt under pressure.

As Lewis Black said: "You just can't keep track of these guys. I haven't come up with a name for the Ports scandal and they start talking about bombing Iran, DeLay quits and the Veep shoots his best friend."

In case you missed it in the dismantling of Boy George's best friend and personal lawyer, two congressmen have resigned from key committees in a bid to save their jobs. Rick Renzi stepped down from the House Intelligence committee and John Doolittle quit the mighty Appropriations Committee. Apparently being best friends with Jack Abramoff isn't as much fun as it used to be.

Homes and offices were searched by the FBI and it led to statements like this from Doolittle:

"I understand how the most recent circumstances may lead some to question my tenure on the Appropriations Committee," the conservative nine-term congressman wrote in a letter to House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio). "Therefore, I feel it may be in the best interest of the House that I take a temporary leave with seniority from this Committee until this matter can be resolved."

This from a nine termer who barely won re-election by some 7,000 votes last year. Might be a special election in his district before next year. And Congressman Renzi?

Details of the raid on Patriot Insurance Agency in Sonoita, Ariz., were not immediately available. Renzi's most recent financial disclosure form lists the business as an asset belonging to his wife, Roberta, and valued at $1 million to $5 million. Little is known about the inquiries into Renzi's activities, but according to media reports the Justice Department has been running a two-track investigation into Renzi regarding a land deal, as well as a piece of legislation he helped steer that may have improperly benefited a major campaign contributor.

Let's be clear. These are just two more Republican Congressmen caught doing what their leaders have been showing them how to do. Take bribes. It's about power, it's about corruption and the Republicans in Congress and the Bush administration are full of it. From Halliburton, through Abramoff, through the oil deals, the tax giveaway to the richest 2%, the pharmaceutical giveaway, the amazing, ever-growing national debt, DeLay, Ney, Cunningham, Cheney, Libby, it just goes on and on. Yes, it all pales next to the Worst War Ever and it's just two more bricks in the wall. And before anyone says both parties are the same it's like comparing a shoplifter with a guy who has held up a dozen banks.

There's no comparison, these Republicans are in a class by themselves.

Hello, conservatives. Tired of MoveOn and DailyKos? Now you have an alternative: Tom DeLay.com.

Yes, the disgraced former House Majority Leader is back in public life. This time, he's a blogger, fighting for conservative goals online, instead of on Capitol Hill.

Though I find him loathsome, I'm glad to see him do this. He's embracing the wave of the future, and providing balance to the blogosphere. Whether his work earns the success Howard Dean enjoyed, or whether it falls into obscurity, the message is the same: Welcome to the Internet, Tom!

Running as a Republican write-in candidate for Tom Delay's seat, Shelley Sekula-Gibbs has a great shot of winning:

The third option on the ballot is "write-in." Voters who make that selection on the electronic voting machines that most will use are directed to an alphabet screen, where they use a wheel to spell out their choice's name a letter at a time.

About two-thirds of voters in the suburban Houston district know how to do that and are aware of a write-in candidacy, the poll shows.

It's a good thing Republicans are smart enough to figure this out. Remember how all those Florida Democrats couldn't figure out a butterfly ballot?

"This is why we have elections and we don't have talking heads decide in May who the winners are going to be," said pollster John Zogby, president of Zogby International, which conducted the poll last week.

"Punditry was coloring the district blue. It's still a Republican district. Even harder than selling a write-in is selling a Democrat in this district."

How much must they dislike the donks in Texas for a write-in candidate to have even a shot at winning?