" Potential to be the biggest scandal in Congress in over a century"

[kpete]

Corruption Inquiry Threatens to Ensnare Lawmakers


By PHILIP SHENON
Published: November 20, 2005

WASHINGTON, Nov. 19 - The Justice Department has signaled for the first time in recent weeks that prominent members of Congress could be swept up in the corruption investigation of Jack Abramoff, the former Republican superlobbyist who diverted some of his tens of millions of dollars in fees to provide lavish travel, meals and campaign contributions to the lawmakers whose help he needed most.

The investigation by a federal grand jury, which began more than a year ago, has created alarm on Capitol Hill, especially with the announcement Friday of criminal charges against Michael Scanlon, Mr. Abramoff's former lobbying partner and a former top House aide to Representative Tom DeLay

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/thenewswire/#a010945
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/20/politics/20lobby.html?ex=1290142800&en=b7550c05e3dd13b0&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

[No Exit]

1. Heh heh. Saw the headline and knew it must be about ABRAMOFF!

Abramoff--the big tar baby! :toast:

[Straight Shooter]

2. Tom DeLay. *snicker*

The noose gets tighter and tighter, doesn't it, Mr. Big Stuff?

[Retired AF Dem]

3. We haven't had a congress that represents the voters for decades

they represent people like Abramoff that has money to give them.

[FreedomAngel82]

19. Sad but true

Hopefully this will clean up house. We seriously need to get back to of the people, by the people and for the people.

[HR_Pufnstuf]

33. Solution.

No more career politicians.

[Uben]

4. Get em all

democrats as well as republicans. I hate crooks and those on the take, and we all know there are hordes of them in Washington. I don't care what letter follows their name, if they cheat, take em down! We have to get these lobbyist under control, and it appears we might have just lit the kindling.

[madokie]

6. I don't know the exact quote but Will Rogers

said something to the effect that there should be a politician hanging from every tree from here to washington. I agree.

[mtnester]

32. My personal favorite from Mark Twain

Suppose you were an idiot... And suppose you were a member of Congress... But I repeat myself.

[Botany]

5. No way out for Tom DeLay and company

This stuff will kill em.

I hope my Congress critter Deb Pryce is involved ......
she is one nasty package.

[mtnester]

26. Oh you KNOW Bob Ney is DEEP in this don't you?

And I Agree, Deb Pryce is nasty...mine is do nothing Hobson.

We SO have to clean house here in Ohio, including at the state house level (one word - HOUSEHOLDER) and the rest of the idiots (Petro, Montgomery, DeWine, Blackwell)

Ohio is a blot on our country right now, and we need to fix it (and will)

[WCGreen]

28. Oh she is magnificent in her ineptitude....

[mwb970]

35. It would be great to ditch Pryce at last.

Maybe we could get someone who can think for themselves this time. Pryce's brain seems to be owned entirely by BushCo.

[Sgent]

7. Why isn't

there an independent council on this?

[mzteris]

8. Hastert was mentioned

in one article I read somewhere. Something in connection to the whole gambling thing.

[Toots]

9. And if any Democrats get caught up in the corruption I say good riddance

As a Liberal I don't want to protect a crook just because they have a D after their name like the Republicans are willing to do. Let the chips fall where they may and end this culture of corruption that has dominated the Halls of Congress for a decade or so. I feel fairly confident that the great majority of those involved in crooked affairs are Republicans.

[dennisnyc]

11. TOTALLY right! does anyone have the details on the rumors of an

investigation of Pelosi??? I can't remember where I heard this. Probably a talking head presstitute...
Anything there?

[Don Claybrook]

12. Not Pelosi, but Reid

I can't say one way or another about any possible investigation of Pelosi. But there was a thread here a few days back about the GOP muttering about the possibility of Reid being the recipient of some Abramoff money.

My stance on that is that it would be a real bummer, because I like Harry Reid. But if there is anything to it, it needs to be investigated. We don't JUST need to take back the White House and Congress. The whole apparatus needs to be fixed.

[jbnow]

14. No, the muttering

from repubs is investigating Murtha for hiring or getting contracts to relatives.

I don't know if there was crime but Reid did get money from this group, donations after sending letters asking for a block of new casino. That was posted here but I am too lazy to search.

[dennisnyc]

15. here's a link on a possible Pelosi investigation, from gop.com

and the Washington Times. This story had no legs and i wonder if it's already been totally discredited...

http://www.gop.com/News/Read.aspx?ID=5388

Friday, April 22, 2005
Nancy Pelosi's Ethical Hypocrisy

Pelosi Trip To Puerto Rico Comes Into Question As
Minority Leader Continues Partisan Attacks Against Republicans

Reports Indicate Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) Took Trip With Democrat Ethics Committee Member Who Listed Lobbyist As Paying For Travel:

"House Republicans ... Called On Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi To Provide Documentation To Prove That A Washington Lobbyist Firm Did Not Pay For A Trip She And Other Democrats Took To Puerto Rico In 2001." (Charles Hurt, "Pelosi Pressed For Trip Records," The Washington Times, 4/22/05)

[happydreams]

18. We better hope not. If Democrats get caught up in

it then what are the chances of their colleague's pursuing the matter?

[FreedomAngel82]

21. Exactly

I may disappointed but I can get over it. No one is above the law.

[WCGreen]

30. This type of power goes to the head... Fast....

The weak heads are easily turned, the corputed souls jump at the chance enhance their ego's... And that is what a good lobbyiest does, massage an ego along with that ever important check....

Dem's caught in the web have got to go....

[Wilms]

10. kick n/t

[earth mom]

13. My dad used to always say everyone in DC was a bunch of crooks...

looks like he may have been right. :grr:

[fishwax]

16. sounds like a culture of corruption to me

:shrug:
:evilgrin:

[donheld]

17. Could this ensnare some Dems as well as Reps?

Seems like a wide array of our government is involved in this.

[ramblin_dave]

20. Yes - Lawmakers Acted on Heels of Abramoff Gifts

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051117/ap_on_go_co/tribes_letters___dollars

Many lawmakers, including leaders in both parties, intervened with letters to Interior Secretary Gale Norton within days of receiving money from tribes represented by Abramoff or using the lobbyist's restaurant for fundraising, an Associated Press review of campaign reports, IRS records and congressional correspondence found.

[BR_Parkway]

34. Yes, and if they are in the wrong, they need to go too - it's not a

partisan issue - it's time to clean house and get the corporate money out of politics.

It's We, the People not We, with the Biggest Checkbook

I"m not convinced that we wouldn't be better off to throw them all out and start with a clean slate.

[roguevalley]

22. light a candle for the career lawyers and investigators at the

Justice department that are going to save our country.

[thebigidea]

23. as if the MSM gives a shit. This story has gotten almost no coverage

and when they do, its always through the prism of "oh well both sides do it, so its a wash."

[lonestarnot]

25. Just wait and see what happens if they snatch up a dem.

[HardWorkingDem]

29. Two reasons why.....

it's just too complex for the American people to follow and it's not sexy enough.

BUT, and a big BUT, if it drips enough like Whitewater did, then it might just become a huge tidal wave. But this will need forceful Dems and progressives out there hawking this scandal as rabidly as the Rethugs did Whitewater.

[Jackpine Radical]

24. The worst part about the Dem sellouts is

that they always sell out for so much less than the Puggies. All the corrupt lobbyinsts give 4/5 of the bux to the puggies & then throw another 20% at the Dems in order to taint them too.

[The Whiskey Priest]

27. You got it......Bigger than Watergate or any of the other Repbulican crime

There are bunch of the Rethugs going down.

[MellowOne]

31. Slowly but surely we'll get "em one by one n/t

[Disturbed]

36. This is the stealth Scandal.

It will sneak up on a whole lot of folk.