The Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index coming out one day before the U.S. congressional elections; coincidence? I think not.

I will bet you an ice cream cone that the American public will be rating the U.S. at its highest corruption levels ever.

And even if James Baker is right, that the inquiries into corruption at Halliburton and others have never turned up anything substantive, the perception of corruption remains.

This perception has been brought to you by: Abramoff, Bob Ney, William J. Jefferson and friends.