Ring worms

The "passion for the inner ring" turns bold Washington outsiders into corrupt insiders | Marvin Olasky

THE CLASSIC POEM SPEAKS OF CHILDREN NESTLED in beds on Christmas Eve, but this year sugarplums began dancing in GOP heads following Kentucky and Mississippi gubernatorial victories. "Don't blow it," the whispering began. "If only we're careful, we can win big in 2004."

This is all a far cry from 1994, when Republicans took chances and indeed won big. The GOP won by standing for something—but now, almost a decade after the Gingrich/Armey Contract with America helped Republicans grab control of Congress from the Dems after spending 40 years in political wilderness, little seems to have changed in Washington.

I spoke last week with Tom Coburn, the Oklahoma obstetrician elected to the House in 1994 who kept his promise to leave after three terms. "Compare campaign promises with what people actually do," he said. Many roll into Washington speaking of change and end up log-rolling for loose dollars.