There's been a lot of smoke thrown up by Republicans about how Jack Abramoff was really an equal opportunity offender, "giving money to both political parties" as President Bush said. This, in plain English, is utter crap. According to the National Journal's "Hotline," Abramoff:
...was a Bush Pioneer and directly wrote more than 200K in checks from '92 to '05 to Republicans. Abramoff never gave a penny to Democrats or Democratic committees.
Today, EJ Dionne has an editorial in the Washington Post which further makes clear that the Jack Abramoff affair is part of a huge REPUBLICAN scandal. Period. Here's Dionne:
Abramoff, who used to pall around with close Bush allies Grover Norquist and Ralph Reed in the College Republicans and who has been a central figure in the rise of Republican dominance in Washington, is not a lone wolf. He is a particularly egregious example of how the GOP's political-corporate-lobbying complex has overwhelmed the idealistic wing of the Republican Party.Scott McClellan, the White House press secretary, insisted on Wednesday that Bush does not know Abramoff personally. But the record makes clear that Abramoff was a loyal and serious player in Bush's circles.
Intriguingly - and disturbingly for anyone who cares about clearn, non-corrupt government - Abramoff's reach extended into the White House itself. According to Dionne, Abramoff's assistance to Bush ($100,000 for the 2000 campaign, $5,000 for the Florida non-recount "recount" against Gore) did not go unrewarded.
The administration, in turn, was open to Abramoff. As National Journal reported in its April 20, 2002, issue, "Last summer, in an effort to raise the visibility of his Indian clients, Abramoff helped arrange a White House get-together on tax issues with President Bush for top Indian leaders, including Lovelin Poncho, the chairman of the Coushattas," one of the tribes Abramoff represented.When journalists would raise questions about Abramoff's role as a lobbyist-fundraiser just a couple of years ago, Bush's lieutenants played down his influence peddling and proudly claimed Abramoff as one of their own.
Got that? Top Republicans "proudly claimed Abramoff as one of their own." Can that be any clearer? No? Well how about this? According to Dionne, "After the 2000 election, Abramoff was named to the Bush transition team for the Interior Department, which regulates the Indian casinos that paid Abramoff his inflated fees."
Isn't that beautiful? Jack Abramoff a proud Republican and Bush supporter, allowed into the White House for a nice soiree with his Indian gambling buddies? Can you imagine if something like this had been done in the Clinton Adminsitration, by Hillary or Bill or Al Gore? My God, Rush Limbaugh would have burst several blood vessels by now in his excitement at the thought. The sets at Fox News would be covered with spit from all the drooling that would have taken place. But now? Oh no, Republicans say, the Abramoff situation really isn't about Republicans, even though he's a big-time Republican who only gave to Republicans, etc. Nope, it's "equal opportunity" all the way now. Ha ha, very funny these right wingers.
Speaking of right-wingers, let's leave with the following classic comments by another slimy top Bush buddy, Conservative Republican (anti-tax) activist, and lobbyist:
What the Republicans need is 50 Jack Abramoffs Then this becomes a different town.
As Dionne writes, "Norquist got his different town. It's why the place so badly needs cleaning up." You can say that again, EJ.