In 1994, the electorate saw a motivated and impassioned GOP come out of the political wilderness and take control of the House of Representatives from a thoroughly scandal-scarred and idea-bereft Democratic Party. What followed was a slow but steady erosion of standards that may finally have caught up with the Republican Party. Not long ago, Republicans had a field day pointing at President Bill Clinton and the Democratic Party stumbling from one scandal to another. Today, they are rocked by illegality, scandal, charges of racism, and anything else that the Democrats and their happy helpers, the mainstream media, can pin on them.

The bizarre yet mammoth troubles of House member Mark Foley, (R-Fla.) sending sexually inappropriate e-mails to underage male congressional interns was not the first. Preceding Foley’s complete lack of moral judgment were the over-publicized yet real troubles of former House majority Leader Tom DeLay and his dealings with K-Street’s top super lobbyist and now convicted felon, Jack Abramoff. Though DeLay was essentially found innocent of any wrong doing in relation to Abramoff, just the association with him was enough to end his political career. But then, the facts never got in the way of a good story when it comes to election politics.

In March of this year, California Congressman Randy “Duke” Cunningham received eight-plus years in prison for taking bribes from defense contractors. Ohio Representative and GOP leader Bob Ney plead guilty to corruption charges in connection with Abramoff forcing both of them to resign from the House of Representatives. Even tenuous circumstances--and outright fabrications--like the troubles that now dog Senator George Allen, (R-Va.) over the supposed use of racial epithet to describe blacks seem to take on a new meaning when lumped together with all else that ails the GOP.

The Republican response seems to be to run on anti-terrorism. I guess if you are a GOP strategist you must think “It’s all we got!” Though the economy is the best that it’s been since the late nineties, it still remains the most underreported story of the last five years. Low unemployment (4.7%)? Budget deficit lower than expected (111 billion less)? Non-threatening core inflation rates? Who cares? We have the GOP congressman possibly engaged in serious “criminal behavior” with minors. Gas prices plunging nationwide (down 17%)? Hah! Democrats and the media are too busy happily proclaiming that they were right all along last year when the designated the GOP as being wed to a “Culture of Corruption.”

During the last two election cycles, Republicans bucked the odds and added seats in both houses of Congress. Thanks largely to the commitment of President George W. Bush to fight terrorism at home and abroad and keep America safe, the GOP managed to stay out of trouble just long enough to get past those elections. But what will stop a complete slide into minority-status for the GOP now? Don’t count on Bush, whose popularity and poll numbers resemble college football scores than anything worth shouting about. If the Democrats can manage to actually use these GOP missteps intelligently, a change in majority may come to pass next month.

However, that’s a very big “if” when one considers just who comprises the Democratic Party. From the theatrics at the Paul Wellstone memorial, the outspokenness of former Presidents Carter and Clinton, to the made-for-TV assassination of President Bush, the party of FDR can’t seem to roll a rock downhill.

For the GOP though, the nightmare will continue, at least for a few more weeks. But in the end, Republicans have no one to blame but themselves. As this campaign season now goes from bad to worse, the GOP might only be left with the message: “Vote GOP, because the alternative is even worse than we are.”

Vincent Fiore is a freelance political writer who lives in New York City. His work can be seen throughout the Internet, including the American Conservative Union, GOPUSA, Human Events, and theconservativevoice. Vincent is a staff writer for the New Media Alliance and a contributing writer for NewsBusters.org.