Are Democrats Having a Hard Time Doing Business by the Book?

Now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine:

Ethics Cloud

The Associated Press says Democrats are having a hard time doing business by the book. An analysis piece is titled: "Democrats Self-Destructing Over Ethics."

Reporter Larry Margasak writes: "The Obama administration and new Congress are quickly handing over to the Republicans the same 'culture of corruption' issue that Democrats used so effectively against the GOP. Freshman Senator Roland Burris is only the latest embarrassment."

Margasak lists a number of Democrats embroiled in ethical issues -- including House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel, Pennsylvania Congressman John Murtha, and former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich.

He also highlights the tax problems of Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and former Health and Human Services secretary nominee Tom Daschle.

Image Is Everything

The Republican Party is planning a public relations blitz to rebuild its image. Recently-elected Party Chairman Michael Steele tells the Washington Times that he wants to target, " young, Hispanic, black, a cross section... we want to convey that the modern-day GOP looks like the conservative party that stands on principles. But we want to apply them to urban-suburban hip-hop settings."

Steele says the makeover will come through the Internet, radio, television and print media, adding: "We need to up tick our image with everyone, including one-armed midgets."

On the Fritz

President Obama has just announced a troop increase for Afghanistan -- but former South Carolina Democratic Senator Fritz Hollings writes on the Huffington Post Web site: "'Why are we in Afghanistan?' No one has a good answer... why are we killing GI's to spread terrorism?" Adding, "I read an article that it won't be long before charging President George W. Bush with war crimes for killing civilians in Pakistan with drones. Now the same charge could be made against President Obama... we are ruining Pakistan."

Preference Questions

And finally, newly released documents indicate the FBI once investigated whether then-presidential aide Jack Valenti was gay. Valenti went on to notoriety as the flamboyant head of the Motion Picture Association of America.

But the Washington Post reports that in 1964, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover ordered a probe into Valenti's sexual preference. Valenti was a top aide to President Lyndon Johnson, and 45 years ago even allegations of homosexuality could kill a career. No proof was ever found. Valenti and his wife raised three children. He passed away in 2007.

The report also says that then-White House aide Bill Moyers also investigated the sexual preferences of fellow staffers. Moyers went on to fame as a liberal journalist. He says in an e-mail to the Post that his memory is unclear and he may have been looking for details of allegations first made by Hoover.

— FOX News Channel's Zachary Kenworthy contributed to this report.