DC DUers: Abramoff to speak at Press Club tonight (free tickets from Public Citizen)

[Leopolds Ghost]

I got this in the e-mail today, DC DUers may be interested in attending.

Public Citizen --------------------

If you’re in the D.C. area, here’s another chance to hear from notorious and felonious ex-lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who spoke at Public Citizen’s headquarters last month.

At 7:00 p.m. tonight, Abramoff and Public Citizen will be participating in a panel discussion titled “What Will it Take to Change the Influence of Money in Politics?” at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

We just worked out a deal with the Press Club to make this event free for Public Citizen activists and supporters.

But space is limited, so act fast!

1. Email us to get your promotional code: <[email protected]>

with subject "Abramoff at Press Club promo code"

2. Reserve your tickets from the Press Club.

Since being released from prison, Abramoff has written a book, Capitol Punishment: The Hard Truth About Washington Corruption From America’s Most Notorious Lobbyist, and spoken out about the corruption inherent in his former profession.

The panel will include Abramoff, Lisa Gilbert (deputy director of Public Citizen’s Congress Watch division) and Nick Penniman (president of United Republic). The discussion will be moderated by Bloomberg News reporter Jonathan Salant.

Remember to email us to get your promotional code.

His role in what he himself has called “legalized bribery” notwithstanding, Abramoff is an engaging speaker, so it should be an interesting discussion.

Onward,

Glenn Simpson
Public Citizen’s Online Action Team

Public Citizen • www.citizen.org

[Matariki]

1. His recent speaking out on the topic is as interesting as it is hard to trust

[Enrique]

2. he's still the guy that called his clients "troglodytes, monkeys and morons"

my own company has a Native American casino as a client and we are very grateful to them. They were just in the office about a month ago and the idea of any of our people having an attitude like that is just inconceivable to me. Abramoff and Ralph Reed are simply inferior human beings to normal people.

[Leopolds Ghost]

3. Did anyone from DU attend?

I heard there were a few Occupy supporters in the audience, and one member of the Blackfoot Confederation stood up and delivered a speech denouncing Abramoff for his past behavior and asking why, in the course of his "redemption tour", he declines to name names and offer specifics about, e.g. the Watergate prostitution ring that led to the suspicious deaths of three people.

Someone I talked to once suggested that Abramoff's rhetoric sounds like an AA meeting and that his conversion to a crusader for getting money out of politics is part of his AA treatment to atone for past sins. If so, then he's probably sincere but ultimately it's to make himself feel better.

Interestingly, Abramoff and Public Citizen both apparently feel that the 99% rhetoric is accurate -- that 75% of both liberals and conservatives feel the system is corrupt, want money out of politics and oppose Citizens United (according to poll data.) By this score, the only thing separating the Tea Party from the Occupy movement is who they blame for the crisis and what they think should be done about it.