Can you smell it now? Good.

Innocent until proven guilty, yada yada. Tom DeLay's indictment is the big news of the moment, but it would be a mistake to get drawn into arguments about whether DeLay is the victim of a partisan prosecutor. The larger story here is the increasingly noxious stench of corruption among Republicans, which isn't just coming from Tom DeLay.

Salon gives a partial list, with a brief squib about each, but its list is short and selective. [link]. Here, as a public service, is a more comprehensive list of significant Republicans indicted or implicated in a scandal where indictments were issued, all since George W. Bush was selected president in 2000:

Chuck McGee: Former Executive Director, New Hampshire Republican Party. Pleaded guilty to hiring GOP phone-banking operation to jam the phones of the Democratic get-out-the-vote phone bank on Election Day 2002. Sentenced to seven months in jail, fined $2,000 and ordered to perform 200 hours of community service. Apparently lacks real remorse, based on his statement at sentencing: “I made a mistake and I'm prepared to pay for that mistake. I look forward to serving my sentence and [I’ll] be back 2006 when I'll help some more good republicans get elected to office and I appreciate the support of my family and friends." [link]

Allen Raymond: Headed the now-defunct company GOP Marketplace. This is the company hired by New Hampshire Republicans to jam Democratic get-out-the-vote phone banks. Pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to make harassing phone calls. Sentenced to five months in jail. [link]

James Tobin: Former New England Political Director for the National Republican Senatorial Committee (headed by Majority Leader Bill Frist), and former 2004 campaign chairman for New England. Indicted in federal court on four felonies accusing him of conspiring with McGee and Raymond to jam Democratic and labor union get-out-the-vote phone banks in November 2002. In August 2005, numerous news outlets revealed that the Republican National Committee, despite announcing a “zero-tolerance policy” for officials found to engage in vote tampering, has paid at least $722,000 for Tobin’s legal defense. [RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman issued the following statement: “The position of the Republican National Committee is simple: We will not tolerate fraud; we will not tolerate intimidation; we will not tolerate suppression. No employee, associate or any person representing the Republican Party who engages in these kinds of acts will remain in that position,” [link]

Shaun Hansen: Former co-owner of a defunct telemarketing firm hired by Allen Raymond to jam Democratic phone banks doing get-out-the-vote calls. Indicted on April 4, 2005. [link]

Lawrence Novak: Former Vice-Chairman of the Massachusetts Republic Party. Arrested September 13, 2005. Allegedly offered to launder drug profits for client awaiting trial on federal trafficking charges. Resigned party position the same day after he was arrested. [link]

Ernie Fletcher: Governor of Kentucky. Democratic Attorney General Gregory Stumbo was conducting an investigation into allegations that the Fletcher administration illegally hired, fired, transferred, promoted and demoted civil service workers on the basis of their political affiliation. As a result of the investigation, a special grand jury indicted nine of Fletcher’s aides on 48 misdemeanor and 22 felony charges. In response, Fletcher summarily pardoned all nine, even before any trial or convictions. But the pardon Fletcher signed didn’t stop there: it also summarily pardoned "any and all persons who have committed, or may be accused of committing, any offense up to and including the date hereof, relating in any way to the current merit system investigation." In announcing the pardons, Fletcher compared the severity of misdemeanor and felony charges to “illegal fishing”. [link] [Note that Fletcher’s pardons may come back to haunt him – because the pardons remove the possibility that the pardoned officials could incriminate themselves, they could be compelled to testify against Fletcher in any investigation of the governor, and would not be able to invoke the Fifth Amendment.]

Darrell Brock: Chairman of the Kentucky GOP. Indicted for his role in the Kentucky merit promotion scandal, and then pardoned by Gov. Fletcher. Although Fletcher later suggested that the Kentucky GOP should dismiss Brock, the party ignored his request, and Brock was allowed to keep his post. [link]

George Ryan: Former Governor of Illinois. Currently on trial in U.S. District Court on charges that he fixed state contracts and real estate leases in exchange for favors, gifts and loans. The federal investigation that led to Ryan’s indictment has garnered 73 convictions, including Ryan's campaign organization. [link]

Scott Fawell: Aide to Gov. George Ryan. Pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud and will likely testify against Ryan. [link]

Bob Taft: Governor of Ohio. Indicted on four criminal misdemeanor charges that he failed to report a series of golf outings, dinners and other gifts. Taft’s indictment is part of a larger investigation into ethics violations that has rocked the state Republican Party. [link]Pleaded no contest and was fined $4,000. [link]

Tom Noe: Ohio GOP official and Bush Pioneer. Currently under investigation for possible fraud in connection with mismanagement of rare-coin investment fund on behalf of the Ohio Bureau of Worker's Compensation between 1998 and 2004. Also investigated for making possibly illegal contributions to the Bush/Cheney campaign, and for laundering money into Republican campaigns. [link]

John Rowland: Former governor of Connecticut. Pleaded guilty to one felony count of conspiracy to steal honest service in connection with $107,000 worth of vacations, work on his cottage and free flights from state contractors and others. [link] Sentenced to one year in prison and four months house arrest. [link]

Edmund Matricardi: Former Republican Party of Virginia Executive Director. Pleaded guilty to one count of felony wire intercept for listening in on a conference call between Democratic legislators and Governor Warner in 2002. Sentenced to three years’ probation and ordered to pay $5,000 fine. [link]

Gary Russell Thomson: Former Chairman, Republican Party of Virginia. Pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor charge of aiding and abetting the unauthorized publication of a wire communication, and was sentenced to two years of supervised probation and a $2,000 fine. [link]

Two others are not what I'd call "significant" Republicans, but just two examples of how the corruption isn't just at the top of the party:

Adam Taff: Two-time Republican Congressional candidate from Kansas. Indicted on August 17, 2005 on charges of converting political campaign contributions for his personal use and wire fraud in a deal to buy a home. [link]

Todd Riffle: Former aide to Governor Christie Todd Whitman (R-NJ). Indicted for unlawfully obtaining and/or disclosing personal information from a motor vehicle record and false-swearing. obtained the driver history abstract of gubantorial primary candidate from the state and signed a document saying he was aware that the abstract contained personal information and could not be used for certain purposes. Supplied the information to the candidate’s opponent in the primary. [link]

There are others, but there's only so much room on my blog.

So here's my question: taken together, my own short list includes the Republican party chairmen and/or their deputies in four states, plus Republican governors in four states, and assorted party hacks, all indicted or close to it. Add in, from Salon's list, Jack Abramoff, Tom DeLay, "Duke" Cunningham, Bill Frist, David Safavian and possibly Scooter Libby and Karl Rove, and you just have to start shaking your head. So when are (1) the Mainstream Media (2) the Democratic Party and (3) Republican moderates all going to wake up and smell the corruption?

Now would be good...