Watergate, 21st Century Style
The Boston Globe reports that for at least a year, from Spring 2002 to Spring 2003, the Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee spied on the confidential computer files of the Democrats on the committee. The Republicans were able to read every email between Democratic senators and between the Democrats and their staff. Confidential memos by Democratic senators and staff formed the basis of a Feb. 2003 column by Robert Novak, who, of course, won't reveal his sources.
Since this went on for at least a year, every Republican senator must have been aware of the spying. Unlike Watergate, this time the Republican (electronic) burglars were successful in their espionage mission. The Democrats didn't realize what was happening until they saw their private memos in a Novak column. However, since this time the Republicans control every branch of government, the chance that this will become a scandal of Watergate proportions is slim.
The other difference is that Watergate was marked by Republican insiders who came forward to tell the truth. Are there any Republicans still in Washington in 2004 with such integrity?
