Just follow the money

That is the most memorable line from "All the President's Men" (and if you've never watched it, you should.) It's the advice given to Bob Woodward so that he can tie corruption back to Richard Nixon.

These days, we have Spitzer and Blago and Stevens. It seems every week there's a new political scandal. All big stories, all big headlines.

You know what? You can break a story like this yourself, even in the smallest markets. If you can't find a crooked politician where you work, you're not trying.

Ah, but you're saying, "But Grape, I'm not an investigative reporter. I don't have time to spend days on this." Well, reporting is a full time job. You're never off the clock. Eyes and ears should always be alert looking for stories.

Following the money can often be easy. To start, get the campaign disclosure reports of the people in office. Then just look for connections between big donors and contracts handed out by the politician.

Anytime a politician spends money, you have an opportunity. Follow the trail. Find out who is getting the contract, then look for a previous relationship.

Most politicians are far too arrogant and see themselves as bulletproof. If you want a good story for your resume tape, expose one who is crooked. And you'll be doing the community a valuable service.