I am really surprised that no one posted about this yet.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060104/pl_nm/crime_abramoff_dc


The fact that he made a plea bargain I think means that several people are going down-especially Tom Delay.  I am very curious how many others are involved in this mess.



Cat

you know the old saying in these scandals, follow the money?  Well, if you follow the money this guy threw around, it gets really interesting.  Setting up phoney charities so that the donors could write off their donations, claiming to donate money to other charities that never got donated (but instead ended up funding political junkets).

Even blowhard Chris Matthews is connected to this scumbag (and it shows, he's been downplaying it on his show) 

you know the old saying in these scandals, follow the money?  Well, if you follow the money this guy threw around, it gets really interesting.  Setting up phoney charities so that the donors could write off their donations, claiming to donate money to other charities that never got donated (but instead ended up funding political junkets).

Even blowhard Chris Matthews is connected to this scumbag (and it shows, he's been downplaying it on his show) 



To quote Lewis Carroll, "Curiouser and curiouser".



Cat

If lobbying was pornography, Abramoff pleading guilty would be like the most prolific pornstar announcing he has AIDS.  Now everyone's gotta worry!
Of course, lobbying and porn aren't that far removed in a figurative sense...
::)

Of course, lobbying and porn aren't that far removed in a figurative sense...


yes they are!!!  how dare you!

Porn stars screw each other.  Lobbyists screw everyone else

you know the old saying in these scandals, follow the money?  Well, if you follow the money this guy threw around, it gets really interesting.  Setting up phoney charities so that the donors could write off their donations, claiming to donate money to other charities that never got donated (but instead ended up funding political junkets).

Even blowhard Chris Matthews is connected to this scumbag (and it shows, he's been downplaying it on his show) 


But I like Chris Matthews.  :(

The plot thickens.



http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060104/ts_nm/crime_abramoff_congress_dc


I think this is going to have some major effects in Washington.




Cat

Finally!!!  Many people have been waiting eagerly for years for these scoundrels to face their due judgment.  Hopefully this pathetic Abramoff character will soon be sharing a comfortable jail cell adjacent to that of his buddy Tom DeLay.   

I heard on MSNBC that rather than 20 Congressman, the scandal may implicate up to 60 Congressman.  :o

I can't wait for that canary to start singing, he and his pal Scanlon.  Heads will roll.

Heads will roll.


Bring out the guillotine!  >:(

Any politician who has received money from JACK abramOFF would show good discretion by donating the amount to charity, or at least handing it back to the intermediate party.
One thing to bear in mind, not all politicians who received funds directly or inderectly from JACK abramOFF broke the law.  Most of Abramoff's dealings were legit lobbying.  Only certain quid pro quo deals, and outright bribes, were unlawful or criminal.  I'm not defending this creep.  He's a dirty crook and should be locked up for many years to set an example.
Now, you may counter that lobbying is an inherently dirty business, and I'd agree with you.  There have been calls to outlaw all lobbying, but I think such a blanket prohibition would be found unconstitutional.  Reform of the lobbying process is definitely in order.

I mention legal versus illegal because you are going to hear partisan fingerpointing from idiotic pundits who will say this Democrat and that Democrat dealt with Abramoff and why isn't this or that Democrat under indctment too?  If it looks like the majority of Jack's dirty deals were with Republicans, then spinsters will try to make the investigation look like a partisan witch hunt.  So beware of such distracting tactics.

For instance, one of my favorite Senators, Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) received $45,000 via Abramoff.  However, there is no indication there was any quid pro quo involved.  I hope Harkin will divest himself of this money, and if he doesn't I'm going to write to his office and say he darn well should!
>:(

Any politician who has received money from JACK abramOFF would show good discretion by donating the amount to charity, or at least handing it
For instance, one of my favorite Senators, Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) received $45,000 via Abramoff.  However, there is no indication there was any quid pro quo involved.  I hope Harkin will divest himself of this money, and if he doesn't I'm going to write to his office and say he darn well should!
>:(


Are you sure? Most of the money supposedly donated by Abramoff to Democrats was by organizations Abramoff controlled after the donations were made.  I wouldn't be too hasty to lump him in with Delay and Bush (even though Bush gave back $6K, he was a pioneer donator, meaning he arranged $100K worth of donations to Bush). 

anyone on either side of the aisle that is found to be associated with this sleezeball should resign.  Though I'd prefer the Republicans don't, so they can get voted out in disgrace instead.  If they resign, the person replacing them won't have the same stigma attached to them when it comes time to run for the seat they were appointed.

FYI-C-Span has been showing the congressional hearings. Quite some interesting viewing.




Cat

Lobbying, that is, trying to influence legislation, has got to be a valid part of free speech and the democratic process.  I lobby my congressmen regularly, expressing opinions on various public issues.  As Max said, its the quid pro quo part that's illegal, money and favors for results.

my favorite c-span moment of all time (well, except for when al franken and bill o'reilly tussled on booknotes) is when the woman from republicans for environmental advocacy testified and she and john mccain locked horns. "your answers are so bizarre"!

i love it. i crank it up to 11 every time it comes on the radio. too hot for c-span indeed.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/17/AR2005111701682.html

my favorite c-span moment of all time (well, except for when al franken and bill o'reilly tussled on booknotes) is when the woman from republicans for environmental advocacy testified and she and john mccain locked horns. "your answers are so bizarre"!

i love it. i crank it up to 11 every time it comes on the radio. too hot for c-span indeed.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/17/AR2005111701682.html



I watched that. "He was a friend". "He was a friend". It seems to me that she has "friends" in high places and low-and Jack Abramoff seems to be the lowest.  ::)  I wouldn't be a bit surprised if is going to occupy Martha Stewart's old (temporary) residence-only I think she will be staying a bit longer than Martha did.



Cat

my favorite c-span moment of all time (well, except for when al franken and bill o'reilly tussled on booknotes)

Yeah, I saw that as it happened.  You could see O'Reilly sitting there giving Franken the evil eye and doing a slow burn as though steam was going to shoot out of his ears like in the cartoons!  I thought O'Reilly was going to lunge at him.  Then O'Reilly gets up there and starts his usual lines of BS, and Franken starts sneering, "That's not true, Bill!"  O'Reilly starts screaming, "Shut up, shut up, you had your twenty-five mintues, so just shut up!"
See, Al Franken is like that nerdy kid in high school who you don't want as an enemy because he's way smarter than you and REALLY knows how to hurt your feelings!
;D