I suppose we should thank God that Tom DeLay was so successful in taking over K Street and denying Democrats the fruits of the lobbyists’ dirty money. It looks like some of their more egregious scams are about to come to light and there will be much frog-marching and rejoicing. And, so far, it looks like the Democrats have avoided being caught up in the snare.
Prosecutors have already told one lawmaker, Rep. Robert W. Ney (R-Ohio), and his former chief of staff that they are preparing a possible bribery case against them, according to two sources knowledgeable about the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The 35 to 40 investigators and prosecutors on the Abramoff case are focused on at least half a dozen members of Congress, lawyers and others close to the probe said. The investigators are looking at payments made by Abramoff and his colleagues to the wives of some lawmakers and at actions taken by senior Capitol Hill aides, some of whom went to work for Abramoff at the law firm Greenberg Traurig LLP, lawyers and others familiar with the probe said.
Former House majority leader Tom DeLay (R), now facing separate campaign finance charges in his home state of Texas, is one of the members under scrutiny, the sources said. Sen. Conrad Burns (R-Mont.), Rep. John T. Doolittle (R-Calif.) and other members of Congress involved with Indian affairs, one of Abramoff’s key areas of interest, are also said to be among them.
Prosecutions and plea deals have become more likely, the lawyers said, now that Abramoff’s former partner — public relations executive Michael Scanlon — has agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy and to testify about gifts that he and his K Street colleagues showered on lawmakers, allegedly in exchange for official favors.
An attorney for DeLay, whose wife worked for a lobbying firm that received client referrals from Abramoff, said there was no connection between her work and congressional business. A spokesman for Doolittle, whose wife received payments from Abramoff’s lobbying firm, also said there was no connection with her husband’s position. Burns’s office has said his actions were consistent with his support for improving conditions for Indian tribes…
This scandal pretty much has it all. Murder, bribery, gambling, the Mob, paying off people’s wives, junkets, venality… all it needs is some high price call girls or a pederasty ring. At some point good old fashioned middle American rock-solid Republicans are going to wonder why all the people going to jail are white Republicans pretending to represent Christian values.
Right?
If Fox News doesn’t cover it they might not notice.
This scandal pretty much has it all.
No kidding.
I hope a powerhouse team makes a movie about that murder. That’d be something.
It also pisses me off so much that they ripped off the tribes. Treated them like piggy banks. Bastards.
Same shit, different century. This part of the story is getting lost in the Abrahmoff indictment. I understand it to a degree. It’s been good just to see the dirty shits all twisted up for a change, but real damage has been done to these tribes/nations. Somehow though I suspect they will survive. They epitomize survival.
As usual, what happens will depend on how the GOP flameout is used politically. Blogs and the few journalists still left in the US of A can make a difference, but the pivot point will be whether the Dems forget “collegiality” and related bullshit and come out fighting to the death. So far we hear encouraging murmers from the donkey side, but can’t count on them continuing if the polls start to reverse again.
What can we do to push Bush/GOP corruption, cronyism, and incompetence into the national consciousness (such as it is)? We can go all out to challenge “moderate’ “niceguy” Dems in every primary. They need to get the lesson that the strategy of not making anybody mad will get enough of us mad to shove them out of their cushy jobs. We need to reject, for once and for all, the “moderate” argument that it’s more important to elect DINOs than run truly liberal, honest candidates.
By all indications, Election 2006 will give us a cushion where we can experiment with running real Dems for Congress without risking leaving it in GOP hands. It’s an opportunity we can’t afford to miss by listening to marketing “strategists” or by trying to play the “electability” game. The contest begins right now, while the primaries can still be influenced.
oh, well. You can bet there’s going to be finger pointing. It only remains to be seen as to who gets to be “The Scapegoat.”
Know what pisses me off? The taxpayers are the ones who will be footing the bill for the legal counsel.
Everytime Doolittle’s name comes up in connection with this, my heart skips a beat. Can’t wait for further details to emerge!
Speaking of “good old fashioned middle American rock-solid Republicans,” have you heard of former liberal-moderate (R) congressman Pete McCloskey’s Revolt of the Elders Coalition?
. . .
But as we began to look more carefully at the legislation and tactics employed by DeLay and his close allies in the House leadership, it became clear that not only had they set aside the covenants of the Contract with America that had brought the Republicans a House majority in 1994, but they also were deliberately abandoning traditional Republican principles dating back to Teddy Roosevelt and held by recent leaders as diverse as Barry Goldwater, Elliot Richardson and George H.W. Bush. These include fiscal responsibility with the goal of balanced budgets, progressive taxation, environmental protection, freedom of individual choices, limited powers of the federal government, paper-verification of voting results, judicial independence, prohibition of torture of prisoners and separation of church and state.
. . .
Equally outrageous was the position of DeLay in urging “punishment” of judges who declined to review the Terry Schiavo decision, while at the same time his close allies, our own Northern California congressmen John Doolittle and Richard Pombo, were sponsoring a bill to allow the Congress to overrule decisions of the Supreme Court on constitutional issues. We hold the view that the constitutional checks and balances we have enjoyed since Chief Justice Marshall ruled in Marbury v. Madison have served us well.
Finally, our concern has continued to grow over the close relationship between indicted Indian gaming lobbyist Jack Abramoff and his claimed best friends, DeLay and Doolittle. Both have received substantial money from Abramoff, as has Doolittle’s wife. Doolittle has contributed $10,000 to DeLay’s legal defense fund and Richard Pombo has been named by one Washington watchdog organization as being one of “the 13 most corrupt members of Congress.”
Not sure how much traction they’re getting, but it sure is fun to see the sniping.
At some point good old fashioned middle American rock-solid Republicans are going to wonder why all the people going to jail are white Republicans pretending to represent Christian values.
They won’t be wondering at all because the talking heads and print pundits will be telling them “it’s a liberal conspiracy” and the “Democrats are just as bad.” Haven’t you noticed how much Repubs revel in feeling victimized and persecuted? Maybe if someone tosses in “call girls and a pederasty ring” they might, just might, begin to access the hyprocriscy. Otherwise, I don’t think there’s hope.
I agree. If these perps are not “forgiven” by the likes of Falwell, Dobson and Robertson, of course, Bush is waiting in the wings with his clemencies and/or pardons.
There will be nothing new under the sun.
.
Thu Nov 24th, 2005 at 04:35:42 AM PST
More to follow below the fold »»
“Treason doth never prosper: what’s the reason?
For if it prosper, none dare call it treason.”
▼▼▼ READ MY DIARY
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/007101.php
apparantley, abramoff & co sent reid’s pac a donation, but it’s probably meaningless.
I mentioned this here several days ago and it spurred a comment about protecting Reid and other Democrats. I think my original comment was to the effect of preparing to defend or deal with these attacks. The ‘everybody does it’ excuse will be well worn soon enough. The money sent on behalf of one of the Tribes didn’t influence Reid, according to a Tribe spokesman….he said Harry wasn’t very helpfull in promoting gambling.
When I about all the trouble that the Republicans are getting themselves in, I just want to sing that “yes, there is a Santa Claus.”
My big hope is that the Dems come out clean in this and really go on the offensive.
Scanlon tells all on Abramoff Burns Delay Doolittle & Ney.
My bet is these guys will soon be out of business.
Scanlon and Safavian rolling over on (your list plus) Rove, Norquist and the rest of original College Rethuglicans is the one I’m making popcorn for.
better hoard the popcorn. I’m thinking there’ll a rationing.
I’ve been so ready for this house of cards to tumble.
Help yourself to the popcorn. I converted an old cold-war era bomb shelter into a food storage unit.