Last year, Democrats became convinced that they would win big in 2006 by campaigning on the so-called Republican "culture of corruption." Well, it appears now that the Democrats are abandoning that strategy.

With Republicans seeking to define Democrats by their votes on such hot-button issues as gay marriage, the estate tax and flag burning, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is arguing that Democrats need to tell voters about themselves before Republicans succeed in doing it for them.

The time to criticize the Republicans’ “culture of corruption,” a Democratic refrain for nearly a year, is at an end, Pelosi said; Democrats need to begin promoting their own vision of America.

“Now it’s time to talk about us. Enough of the Republicans. It’s time for us to talk about what are the priorities we’d like to see addressed, if we have the opportunity,” Pelosi said in an interview with The Hill on Wednesday.

The concept of not letting Republicans define the Democrats is nothing new. In fact, that was a big lesson they learned from the 2004 election. What is more likely the reason for the Democrats abandoning their "culture of corruption" mantra is the fact that it backfired on them. The Jack Abramoff scandal tainted both parties, and recently ethical troubles of Democrats have started getting more play in the media. Rep. Alan Mollohan had to step down from his post on the ethics committee, and House Democrats have just voted to strip Rep. William Jefferson of his assignment on the Ways and Means Committee.

Now if the Democrats decide to "define themselves," what will they define themselves as? They are divided on Iraq, and most of the issues they trumpet are not winners at the ballot box. I think the Democrats, who have recently acted confident of victory in November, are privately starting to worry about their chances.

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