I was down in Bob Etheridge country yesterday on a rambling drive in the nice weather and ran into several radio reports or Etheridge ads (honestly, I wasn’t listening that closely) that touted the 2nd District Democrat’s good works for his district, all of which included bringing in federal dollars.

Then comes the news today that Harry Reid is helping vulnerable Democrats like Etheridge by throwing money their way to sprinkle around the district. The mainstream media yawns about his, seeing it as politics as usual. But a new breed of people (the media like to call them “tea baggers”) sees it as legal graft, using taxpayers’ money to give to individuals, farmers, non-profits, etc., to gain votes, and they’re fed up with it.

Etheridge’s opponent, Republican Renee Ellmers points to the corruption this kind of accepted activity glosses over:

Bob Etheridge is now running a TV ad where several of his supporters praise him – but what the ad doesn’t explain is at least two of the Etheridge supporters received ‘Stimulus Fund’ checks, thanks to Etheridge.

Mr. Linwood Parker is an example. Mr. Parker is a partner in a development near Four Oaks and back in August Etheridge handed him a $340,000 check – stimulus funds. Now, in return Mr. Parker has endorsed Bob Etheridge in his TV ad, saying, “Congressman Etheridge did not allow politics to stand in the way of job creation.”

Of course, the fact is, Etheridge’s grant to Parker (and Parker’s endorsement) was nothing but politics.

Thousands of heretofore good people in districts throughout the country have been lured into shady activities and pay-for-play smelly deals by members of Congress who have no compunction about waving federal cash in front of a local official or businessman’s nose to extort a political favor. Business as usual? Maybe, but not for long.