When ethics were important to the Republican party instead of the party aparatus being used to inforce a right-wing brand of morals on the rest of the population.

It is the proper province of the government to be concerned about seeking legislation codifiying ethics. This process is called "Reform." But when government seeks to impose and enforce morals on the population---run for the hills.

The Jeffersonian concept of "a wall of separation between church and state" is seen by today's compassionate conservative Republicans as an attack on a "Godly America" and the WASP churches for which they think it stands.

Publius