Bush and his Republican followers want to spread democracy around the world. What brand of democracy? A quick look at why Tom DeLay, former Republican house Leader, quit politics shows a brand that is rotten to the core.

The Justice Department later issued a statement from Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher. “The American public loses when officials and lobbyists conspire to buy and sell influence in such a corrupt and brazen manner,” Fisher said. “By his admission in open court today, Mr. Rudy paints a picture of Washington which the American public and law enforcement will simply not tolerate.”

Rudy’s statement admits to a far-reaching criminal enterprise operating out of DeLay’s office, an enterprise that helped sway legislation, influence public policy and enrich its main players.

The court documents say that Rudy “routinely performed official acts for or at the behest of Abramoff.” Rudy admitted that, while on DeLay’s staff in the summer of 2000, he helped scuttle an anti-gambling bill opposed by an Abramoff client, eLottery Inc. As The Washington Post reported in October, Abramoff then arranged for eLottery to pay a foundation to hire Lisa Rudy’s consulting firm. In all, the court papers say, Abramoff and his clients funneled about $86,000 to the firm while Rudy worked for DeLay.

The Abramoff scandal goes much deeper. More people will be implicated, charged and convicted. The Republicans have shown that adage to be true that states “power corrupts.” Sadly, they undermine democracy on a global scale if this is the example they provide for those nations struggling to raise themselves from dictatorship. If things are seen to be business as usual under a different name, corruption will not be beaten by elections, only whitewashed.