Start Over

• June 21, 2006, Midnight

It was dispiriting enough that Senate and House Republicans passed weak lobbying reform bills this spring. Since then, embarrassing revelations have surfaced on the Democratic side and the GOP won the race to succeed imprisoned ex-Rep. Duke Cunningham (R) in his California district. If Republicans decide that the ethical heat is off, what emerges from a House-Senate conference — if anything ever does — is likely to be downright pathetic.