Houston Chronicle editorial re: Scanlon; Nick Lampson calls on

[nickyt]

DeLay to "repudiate":

Nov. 11, 2005, 7:39PM
WTIH FRIENDS LIKE THESE ...
E-mail unearthed in Abramoff investigation reveals the contempt in which lobbyists held the Christian conservatives they wooed as allies

Two federal investigations of the activities of Washington, D.C., lobbyist Jack Abram-off provide a window into the mindset of the cynical group of influence peddlers that received $45 million from Indian tribes to further their gambling interests.

Judging by the sentiments of Mike Scanlon, a former spokesman for U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Sugar Land, and Abramoff's secret partner, conservative Christians provided an essential and unwitting tool in the lobbyists' fight in Louisiana on behalf of the Coushatta tribe against rival gambling operations. Scanlon composed a memo in October 2001 that he sent to Coushatta lawyer Kathy VanHoof and Abramoff describing the role religious radio could play in the effort:

"Simply put," Scanlon wrote, "we want to bring out the wackos to vote against something and make sure the rest of the public lets the whole thing slip past them. The wackos get their information from the Christian right, Christian radio, mail, the Internet and telephone trees."

<snip>

The irony of Scanlon's strategy was that he used covert money contributed by one gambling interest to mobilize religious voters to vote against other gambling operations. This manipulation was politics at its ugliest and most deceitful and was laced with the lobbyist's contempt for the very people he was wooing.

Responsible religious leaders should look closely at the FBI and Senate investigations of Abramoff as they unfold. It will help them to keep from becoming the pawns of cynical political operators. Meanwhile, congressional leaders who have put the machinations of such lobbyists above the public interest should feel their shame.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/3455736.html

LETTER FROM NICK LAMPSON:
November 17, 2005
Congressman Tom DeLay
7002 Riverbrook Drive, Suite 200
Sugar Land, TX 77479

Dear Congressman DeLay:

I encourage you to immediately repudiate the comments of your friend and ally Michael Scanlon, who wrote an email recently uncovered by the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs referring to Christian voters as "wackos." This cynical intolerance toward Christians and other people of faith is inexcusable.

It has been reported that Michael Scanlon and his partner Jack Abramoff, whom you have called one of your closest friends, used their connection with your congressional office to secure the Indian tribe on the receiving end of this email as clients.

This email indicates that lobbyists often associated with your political organization in Washington, DC were deliberately trying to trick religious voters into backing gambling interests that go against their values and beliefs. A Houston Chronicle editorial this weekend perhaps said it best:

"The irony of Scanlon's strategy was that he used covert money contributed by one gambling interest to mobilize religious voters to vote against other gambling operations. This manipulation was politics at its ugliest and most deceitful and was laced with the lobbyist's contempt for the very people he was wooing."

I am attaching the entire email message by Mr. Scanlon. I look forward to your prompt repudiation of its content, purpose and cynical attitude of treating people of faith as pawns in a political gain.

Sincerely,

Nick Lampson

http://www.lampson.com/news?id=0026

Mr. Lampson was a Congressman (D) in Dist. 22, TX, from 1996 - 2004. He is apparently running again.
Glad to see the Houston Chronicle ran an editorial on this - word's gettin' out!

[acmejack]

1. "He is apparently running again."

Apparently? How about definitely? http://www.lampson.com/

[lastliberalintexas]

2. Lampson is a pretty good guy

He's a little too conservative for me, but then Patrick Leahy can be a little too conservative for me at times. :)

Anyway, Lampson was Beaumont's Congresscritter until the Delay re-redistricting fiasco, so it would certainly be poetic justice if he could be the one to unseat him. He's a pretty solid person, native Texan, and has the gravitas to beat Delay with some good funding. And if Delay's lagal troubles continue, the "good" people of Sugarland might decide they've finally had enough and vote for the conservative (ie, not too threatening) Dem.