Abramoff: a Republican scandal
If you’ve only followed the lobbying scandal in what passes for our national journals, you might be forgiven for thinking of it a Congressional scandal, or one that may have hit the Republicans, but also the Democrats.
The truth is that this is a 100% Republican bribery scandal. No Democrats are involved. Not one Democrat took money from Abramoff. Not one Democrat took money directly or indirectly from him.
And why would Democrats get any money? He was a Republican lobbyist. Tom Delay called him one of his “closest and dearest friends.” Abramoff was a member of the inner circle of Bush contributors.
Yet, the media (especially including the decayed fools who comment on the Sunday gasbag shows) are working hard to convince you otherwise. One talking point is that “Abramoff’s clients contributed to 80 Democrats.” Sounds bad, but isn’t. Many organizations contribute to both Republicans and Democrats, hedging their bets. Some organizations, including Indian tribes, were big donors to Abramoff but also gave to Democrats. That doesn’t prove that Abramoff directed money to the Democrats, it doesn’t even imply it.
In fact, a recent study sponsored by the American Prospect (a progressive organization) and done by Dwight L. Morris and Associates shows that, if anything, contributions to Democrats decreased after an organization became an Abramoff client. No one has surfaced with any information that a Democrat did what Abramoff told them to do.
And what is Bush doing? Well, apparently there are a number of pictures showing Bush with Abramoff. These photos have ‘disappeared’ – they’ve even been disappeared from the archives of the organization that took them, so reports Josh Marshall of Talking Points Memo.
Of course, the Democrats are corrupt in their own way. But Abramoff is a totally, 100% Republican scandal.
For more information see:
Sourcewatch
Political cortex
American Prospect