Republicans say Sansom indictment is our fault - we just don't understand

Yesterday I wrote about the indictment of Republican former Speaker of the Florida House, Ray Sansom and how newer, greener Republican Legislators are already following his example.  

Today, two leading Republicans offered comments about the scandal in their house. Did they express regret? Outrage at the culture of corruption in their party? Optimism for a better, more ethical future?

Um, no.

Representatives David Rivera (Miami) and Kevin Ambler (Tampa) blamed us – Florida’s citizens and taxpayers who patriotically serve on grand juries – for not understanding the way they do things in Tallahassee.

As quoted in the Miami Herald, Ambler says, "This is how every Legislature in the country is operating. This is how Congress operates.'' Translation: We do this all the time and it’s so common we assume everyone else is doing it to. Nothing to see here. Move along.

Also confirming that corruption is business as usual in the Republican Florida Legislature, Rep. Rivera added, "If those grand jurors served in the Legislature for two years they would have come to a much different conclusion…” Translation: if they really understood they way we operate up here, they would not have problem with what we do. It’s typical.

Ambler and Rivera would have us believe that it is routine to funnel millions of dollars in unrequested public funds to your buddies who make major campaign donations, take an unadvertised high-paying job, forge documents, mislead the public, lie to investigators, step down in disgrace and get indicted.

Upon further review, maybe they are right. That does sound like a typical day at the office in the Republican controlled House.

What’s really upsetting is that neither Rivera nor Ambler is an average Republican – they both preside over major committees in the Florida House which dispense billions of our dollars. Both are seeking promotion to the Florida Senate in 2010.  

Corruption and insider deals are not standard operating procedure. Or at least they should not be. And if leading Republicans like Ambler and Rivera can’t see that, they’re not fit to work at Waffle House let alone our House.