I'm pretty sure that there are a number of democrats that are associated with this as well as republicans. I would have to say bipartisan corruption.... Where was all this interest in the "culture of corruption" catch phrase back in the Clinton administration when Johnny Chung was making campaign contributions on the part of China? Or when Ron Brown was reclassifying top secret equipmetn as civilian and selling out our national secrets to make a buck? Or when the CEO of Loral was making multi million dollar campaign contributions to the democrats while his company was selling satellite technology toeh communist Chinese government? I could go on... Not trying to dismiss the fact that having corrupt politicians is a fact the we must deal with and correct but lets not get all diluted by the media and think that it is all one sided here. Most of them, regardless of political affiliation, have their fingers in the cookie jar.
perhaps there are a number of democrats in this. but in this current abramoff/republican leadership corruption scandal there simply aren't that many democrats. not one democrat got money from abramoff in the recent years. you can't make it a bipartisan issue if 90% of the offenders are republican. you can't. as far as the catch phrase goes...its obviously a political ploy. if there can be a 'culture of life' than why not a culture of corruption? im sure most democrats aren't against life itself. ima living human being. i believe i am as much apart of the culture of life as anybody. they are cute cliches which have worked for republicans forever. so dammit i want it to work for democrats too.
Looks like the spin machine has caught another one. There is no evidence, NONE that democrats are associated with any of this. Of course the republicans would have you believe otherwise. Apparently they've succeeded. And I'm sorry, but the statute of limitations for using Clinton for an excuse was over when Jr was re-elected.
Chung and another guy pleaded guilty to fund-raising violations. Even though the right whipped themselves into a frenzy over this, there was no quid pro quo and in fact, the Clinton campaign didn't know that the $30,000 or so Chung gave them came from a Chinese army guy... who originally gave Chung $300,000, of which Chung spent most on personal stuff. A far cry (and substantially less sums) from the systematic GOP corruption we see uncovered almost daily. Also, see the below column... I'm not trying to excuse Chung or the sloppiness of Clinton's operation, but nothing in any of the Clinton "scandals" approaches what we are seeing today. Even if you believe every sorddid GOP smear about Whitewater or rapes or whatever, it was not systematic... it didn't threaten the structure of our Govt. or the checks and balances built into the system by our founding fathers.
So far there have been zero democrats in league wtih Abramoff. The GOP has tried to claim that there have been, but no proof has been offered up. I was originally sure there were also, but later reserved my judgement once it was pointed out that NO DEMOCRATS TOOK MONEY FROM ABRAMOFF, and there has been zero proof of it. Corruption probably is bi-partisan, but not in this case.
McClellan on Abramoff The Washingtonian has seen five photos of the President with Abramoff or his family. One photo shows the President and Abramoff shaking hands at a meeting in the Old Executive Office Building, where a bearded-Abramoff introduced Bush to several of the lobbyist’s native-American clients. Sources say the photographs are being kept safe. Abramoff would tell prosecutors, if asked, that not only did he know the President, but the President knew the names of Abramoff’s children and asked about them during their meetings. At one such photo session, Bush discussed the fact that both he and Abramoff were fathers of twins. http://www.washingtonian.com/capital_comment/2006/PowerPlayers/02.html
Sadly they don't seem that mad at all. It seems like the press is doing most of the uncovering, with the odd Democrat chriping up every now and then. That's why I still keep wondering if some of them are going to turn out to be involved in something similar at some point.
I'll reserve final judgement until everything clears up. However, coining the term "Culture of Corruption" may come back to bite the Democrats once it's revealed that many of them were also involved in Abramoff-like activities. I think it's also telling that many of you are using the phrase "No Democrats have been connected to Abramoff." Maybe, maybe not. Let us remember that he's not the ONLY lobbyist that does this. As someone who believes in lower spending from the government, I'm glad to see this is happening to some of the biggest spenders in Congress.
Yeah, Democrats have totally missed the heart of the matter. The funny thing is, if they conceeded one small nugget of their own gravy train, the American public would jump on that as a challenge to end the quagmire of special intrest reform. It looks like they're too selfish to realize that.
Matthews Slobbers All Over Tom DeLay Chris Matthews has a hard-hitting interview coming up with Tom Delay. During last night’s Hardball, there was a preview. Watch it: http://streaming.americanprogress.org/ThinkProgress/2006/delay_modest.320.240.mov.html ----- MATTHEWS: OK, I’ve got to ask you a cosmic question. DELAY: OK MATTHEWS: Tom DeLay, you are not in this buisness for the money. You live modestly You commute back and forth from Washington to Houston, Texas. Why? What drives you every day? How Tom DeLay actually lives: As Tom DeLay became a king of campaign fund-raising, he lived like one, too. He visited cliff-top Caribbean resorts, golf courses designed by PGA champions and four-star restaurants, all courtesy of donors who bankrolled his political money empire. Over the past six years, the former House majority leader and his associates have visited places of luxury most Americans have never seen, often getting there aboard corporate jets arranged by lobbyists and other special interests. Public documents reviewed by the Associated Press tell the story: At least 48 visits to golf clubs and resorts; 100 flights aboard company planes; 200 stays at hotels, many world-class; and 500 meals at restaurants, some averaging nearly $200 for a dinner for two. DeLay’s answer: DELAY: What I believe in. The constitution of the United States. Ronald Reagan got me involved in this. I fight every day for what I believe in. Strong national security. Protecting the American family. Values. I just, I want to see this country led in a different direction than I found it when I got into politics 20 some years ago. http://thinkprogress.org/2006/01/24/matthews-slobbers-on-delay/
They're some of those basic questions young children learn to ask in civics class. Who represents me in Congress? And when do they go on trial? Yes, it's just a sign of the times. But these are the questions one wants to know the answer to. So today we're rolling out a new feature, the TPM Grand Ole Docket. The number of individuals reportedly under investigation in the Abramoff and other public corruption scandals is getting pretty large. But this isn't a list of just anyone who's been tagged in a news report. We're being a good deal more strict. We're including 1) people who have pled guilty to federal corruption or corruption related charges, 2) those who have been indicted for such charges and 3) those who have been identified as unindicted cocospirators in public legal filings. By our count there 21 such people. Certainly more to follow. But 21 so far. These are, in other words, all the folks in the Capitol Hill corruption mess who prosecutors have publicly identified as participants in criminal activity. As usual, we'll be updating the Docket as the story unfolds. And we'll be relying on you to send us updates, corrections or additions as you find them. -- Josh Marshall http://talkingpointsmemo.com/grandolddocket.php
Another Brownie? Doesn't really fit in the Abramoff thread, but it is yet more evidence of systematic corruption of the public trust. Besides, If we started a new thread for everything that this administration is messing up, D&D would be bigger than GARM in a few days.
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Feb-03-Fri-2006/news/5696811.html (from drudgereport.com) another weak attempt to tie harry reid into the abramoff scandal. yes, he began receiving contributions from indian tribes after abramoff, but that has nothing to do with abramoff and there isnt anything to prove otherwise. "An analysis by the Center for Responsive Politics, a campaign watchdog group, shows that Indian gaming tribes as a general proposition increased their political donations substantially since the late 1990s, spreading money wider and deeper among members of Congress." In the 1998 election cycle, tribes donated $1.5 million. In the 2004 cycle donations had increased to $7.2 million, the center found. Gaming tribes "didn't break $2 million until 2000, and then it started going up," said center spokesman Massie Ritsch. "How much was due to Abramoff's influence, I don't know, He did not represent all the tribes." that being said, if reid did anything illegal he should be held accountable and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
8 years Thats one... Former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham was sentenced Friday to eight years and four months in federal prison for collecting $2.4 million in homes, yachts, antique furnishings and other bribes on a scale unparalleled in the history of Congress. It was the longest term ever meted out to a congressman. He was immediately taken into custody. http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/03/03/cunningham.sentence.ap/index.html
Second Scandal Prosecutor to be Promoted -- Abramoff/Wade Prosecutor Moves On By Paul Kiel March 13, 2006, 2:11 PM If you're a DOJ lawyer looking for a promotion these days, seems one of the best things to do is be in the midst of a major corruption investigation. The prosecutor who has headed the office at the center of a number of high-profile GOP corruption investigations - Jack Abramoff, David Safavian, Michael Scanlon, and Mitchell Wade - is moving on. He's been there since May of 2004. Kenneth Wainstein, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, has been tapped to be Assistant Attorney General for National Security. You might remember that another key prosecutor in the Abramoff case, Noel Hillman of the Justice Department's Public Integrity Sector, was recently nominated to a federal judgeship in New Jersey, sparking calls for a special prosecutor. I wouldn't be surprised if that effort was renewed. http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/000088.php
