The Abramoff Scandal,It’s the Republicans, stupid.

[cal04]

The Abramoff Scandal (R., Beltway)
It’s the Republicans, stupid.
Republicans are looking for "their" John McCain. The popular Arizona maverick is already a Republican, of course. But the GOP needs a McCain in the "Keating Five" sense. Back in 1990, Senate Democrats roped McCain into the scandal over savings and loan kingpin Charles Keating on tenuous grounds, just so not all the senators involved would be Democrats.

The GOP now craves such bipartisan cover in the Jack Abramoff scandal. Republicans trumpet every Democratic connection to Abramoff in the hope that something resonates. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.), took more than $60,000 from Abramoff clients! North Dakota Democratic Sen. Byron Dorgan used Abramoff's skybox! It is true that any Washington influence peddler is going to spread cash and favors as widely as possible, and 210 members of Congress have received Abramoff-connected dollars. But this is, in its essence, a Republican scandal, and any attempt to portray it otherwise is a misdirection.

Abramoff is a Republican who worked closely with two of the country's most prominent conservative activists, Grover Norquist and Ralph Reed. Top aides to the most important Republican in Congress, Tom DeLay (R., Tex.) were party to his sleazy schemes. The only people referred to directly in Abramoff's recent plea agreement are a Republican congressmen and two former Republican congressional aides. The GOP members can make a case that the scandal reflects more the way Washington works than the unique perfidy of their party, but even this is self-defeating, since Republicans run Washington.

Republicans must take the scandal seriously and work to clean up in its wake. The first step was the permanent ouster of Tom DeLay as House Republican majority leader, a recognition that he is unfit to lead as long as he is underneath the Abramoff cloud. The behavior of the right in this matter contrasts sharply with the left's lickspittle loyalty to Bill Clinton, whose maintenance in power many liberals put above any of their principles. Next, Republicans will have to show they can again embrace the spirit of reform that swept them to power in 1994.

http://www.nationalreview.com/lowry/lowry200601100816.asp

[Ksec]

1. And its from the national review...

Good God, whats happening over there? Imagine, a conservative rag telling something close to the truth. Its unprecedented , I tell ya...

And itll be good to see Grover Norquist finally get his wish. He'll be completely tax free in the joint.

[ladjf]

7. Maybe he'll feel like a "neutered dog".

I'm referring to a comment made by him a couple of years ago that the Democrats were like neutered dogs and that are going to have to get used to being the permanent minority with no power.

[glitch]

2. Conservatives have a lot of nerve bringing up lickspittle

after their fearless leader's performance is the 2004 presidential debates.

[KittyWampus]

3. OMG! You really do have me laughing out loud.

:rofl:

that was disgusting BTW

:puke:

[glitch]

4. Sorry for reminding you. Some things are best forgotten. If only we could

but at least we can laugh sometimes!

[Ksec]

5. On further review I withdraw my

statement about them telling something related to the truth.

Its the same old garbage. Nail Dems on Abramoffs "clients" giving them donations. Clients giving donations is not Abramoff. We all know the facts here. And the fact that lowry says a "complete ouster of delay" Excuse me whacko. delay stepped down because he knew there was no other way out. The rethugs had 0 to do with it. (other than 2 who may have politely suggested he may have to think about it) They defended his crimes on every step of the way. They defend all their criminals. Just look how they coddle the war criminal.

[MissMarple]

6. They "enrich small groups"....small groups like Halliburton

and the entire energy industry? Those small groups? :eyes:

"The other problem is that Washington makes obscure decisions that enrich small groups of people. Most everyone in Washington supports making these decisions because it increases his or her power. But if Congress really wants to lessen the malign influence of lobbyists, it should reform the inherently corruptible process whereby the Interior Department recognizes new Native American tribes so they can mint money by opening casinos, and end the practice of "earmarking" federal dollars for local and special-interest projects. It's no accident that Abramoff saw the business potential in both of these processes."