The false equivalence.

Ah, the false equivalence, one of Putz's favorite rhetorical devices. Bill Maher has referred to this technique as "it's a wash."

Putz uses it all the time, and did so in 2004.

George W. Bush blew off his guard duty, after dodging combat in Vietnam? Well, wasn't there something fishy about John Kerry's combat medals?

It's a wash!

Tom DeLay, the highest ranking member of congress to be indicted on criminal charges in over a century, and the most powerful Republican on the Hill for the past decade has to resign in disgrace and may go to jail? Well, William Jefferson got caught taking bribes!

It's a wash!

Now this:

WILLIAM JEFFERSON UPDATE:

Democrats voted last night to strip Rep. William J. Jefferson (La.) of a plum committee assignment while he is embroiled in a federal bribery investigation.

The 99 to 58 vote followed weeks of public and private wrangling, as Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) sought to take a strong election-year stance on ethics, while Jefferson's allies -- mainly fellow members of the Congressional Black Caucus -- protested that he was being singled out for unfair treatment.

It's that culture of corruption in Washington.

What's amusing about this is not only does it draw a false equivalence between Jefferson and DeLay/Abramoff (apparently Putz is incapable of understanding the distinction between systemic and individual corruption), but this article reports that the Democrats stripped Jefferson of his committee seat.

I don't remember Republicans stripping DeLay of anything, do you? In fact, as I recall, the GOP threw a banquet for the Hammer.

But hey, it's a wash.