Reporters are drooling over what they expect to be a huge Republican scandal, and indeed it may be, as Mr. Abramoff was a robust lobbyist, and no doubt interacted with quite a few Republicans, including Tom DeLay. After Mr. Abramoff's confession, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi called the Republican-led Congress the "most corrupt in history."
And, if you get all your information about Jack Abramoff from the mainstream media, you might expect this to be an entirely Republican affair. But Ms. Pelosi neglected to mention that the most prominent player in Abramoff's web of influence is reportedly none other than the Senate Democrat Leader, Harry Reid, who received more than $40,000. Other Prominent Democrats include Tom Daschle (more than $40,000), Richard Gephart ($32,500), Patrick Kennedy ($141,000).
From Free Republic:
National Democrat Party Affiliated Committees Received Over $1.2 Million From
Indian Tribe Clients And Lobbying Associates Of Jack Abramoff. (Campaign Finance Analysis Project Website, www.campaignfinanceanalysisproject.com, Accessed December 7, 2005; Political Money Line Website, www.tray.com, Accessed December 7, 2005; Internal Revenue Service Website, www.irs.gov, Accessed April 21, 2005)
- The Democrat Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) Received Over $430,000
- The Democrat Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) Received Over $629,000
- The Democrat National Committee (DNC) Received Over $177,000
Incumbent Senate Democrat-Affiliated Campaign And Leadership Committees Received Over $729,000 From Indian Tribe Clients And Lobbying Associates Of Jack Abramoff*.
Campaign Finance Analysis Project Website, www.campaignfinanceanalysisproject.com, Accessed December 7, 2005; Political Money Line Website, www.tray.com, Accessed December 7, 2005; Internal Revenue Service Website, www.irs.gov, Accessed April 21, 2005)
40 Of The 45 Members Of The Senate Democrat Caucus:
- Senator Max Baucus (D-MT) Received At Least $22,500
- Senator Evan Bayh (D-IN) Received At Least $6,500
- Senator Joseph Biden (D-DE) Received At Least $1,250
- Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) Received At Least $2,000
- Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) Received At Least $20,250
- Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) Received At Least $21,765
- Senator Tom Carper (D-DE) Received At Least $7,500
- Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) Received At Least $12,950
- Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND) Received At Least $8,000
- Senator Jon Corzine (D-NJ) Received At Least $7,500
- Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) Received At Least $14,792
- Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND) Received At Least $79,300
- Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) Received At Least $14,000
- Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) Received At Least $2,000
- Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) Received At Least $1,250
- Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) Received At Least $45,750
- Senator Daniel Inouye (D-HI) Received At Least $9,000
- Senator Jim Jeffords (I-VT) Received At Least $2,000
- Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD) Received At Least $14,250
- Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) Received At Least $3,300
- Senator John Kerry (D-MA) Received At Least $98,550
- Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) Received At Least $28,000
- Senator Pat Leahy (D-VT) Received At Least $4,000
- Senator Carl Levin (D-MI) Received At Least $6,000
- Senator Joe Lieberman (D-CT) Received At Least $29,830
- Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) Received At Least $14,891
- Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) Received At Least $10,550
- Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) Received At Least $78,991
- Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) Received At Least $20,168
- Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE) Received At Least $5,200
- Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) Received At Least $7,500
- Senator Mark Pryor (D-AR) Received At Least $2,300
- Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) Received At Least $3,500
- Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) Received At Least $68,941
- Senator John Rockefeller (D-WV) Received At Least $4,000
- Senator Ken Salazar (D-CO) Received At Least $4,500
- Senator Paul Sarbanes (D-MD) Received At Least $4,300
- Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) Received At Least $29,550
- Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) Received At Least $6,250
- Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) Received At Least $6,250
So far, several Democrats have denied any wrongdoing, and perhaps they have done nothing wrong. But it is perhaps also true that the Republicans have done nothing wrong, either. We'll just have to wait and watch. It would be unfair and unwise to charge wrongdoing against anyone, and that’s advice Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats can well benefit from.
Technorati Tags: Politics, Democrats, Congress, National Security, Jack Abramoff, Corruption
2 comments:
Republicans are all greedy, crooks and Democrats are all sweet, innocent flowers. Surely your information cannot be accurate.
Sorry about that, I think I was channeling Al Franken for a moment.
I think the truth that will come out of this whole thing is that almost all politicians are corrupt.
My jaw dropped after I saw who the post was from and then read the first paragraph!
I have every confidence that politicians of both parties will be found to have taken money from Abramoff, as I and others have shown, and that actual corruption will be found in both parties.
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