Back in 2003, I wrote a piece on NRO on Democratic Congressman Jim Moran of Virginia, laying out his history of odd outbursts, controversies, ethics troubles, and his physical altercation with an eight-year-old boy in a parking lot. He faced a decent primary challenge in 2004, but kept his seat. Since then he’s gone on at length at how AIPAC controls America’s foreign policy, and pledged to “earmark the [badword]” out of future appropriations.

The Washington Post’s Marc Fisher wrote back in 2003 that Moran was “not fit for public office.”

Despite a record that recalls John Murtha and Jim Traficant, the editors of the Post endorsed Moran for reelection today.

Experience is also a factor in Virginia’s 8th District, where an energetic newcomer, Republican Mark W. Ellmore, looks to unseat entrenched Democrat James P. Moran in a district that includes Arlington County, Alexandria, Falls Church and parts of Fairfax County. We’ve been critical of Mr. Moran, for sometimes inflexible partisanship and offensive remarks. But Mr. Moran’s ability to secure millions of dollars for infrastructure improvements to help absorb the 20,000 military employees relocating to Fort Belvoir and the surrounding area is an example of why he is popular with his constituents, and why we support his reelection bid. Mr. Ellmore has run a lively campaign, and his background as a banker would bring welcome fiscal knowledge to the House. But his proposals for the district — securing more transportation dollars for Northern Virginia and promoting alternative energy — are vague and not an improvement over Mr. Moran’s.

Got that? He brings home the bacon/pork, so we’ll avert our eyes from all the times he’s embarrassed the district. I understand the need for infrastructure improvements; I live here. But at at what point is federal funding worth the embarrassment, and pretending not to see boorish, crass, obnoxious and arguably anti-Semitic behavior? Just how bad could the new guy be? Just how bad could another Democrat be?

Thus the toothless criticism of the Post. Sooner or later, they’ll forgive anything if you’re a Democrat who can bring home the federal funds.