Text 17265, 61 rader
Skriven 2006-01-14 09:54:00 av LEE LOFASO (1:123/140)
     Kommentar till en text av ALAN HESS
Ärende: Dems didn't get Abramoff
================================
Hello Alan,

AH>According to this column, which references Howard Dean's statement, no
AH>Democrats got money directly from Jack Abramoff, though some did get money f
AH>clients of his.  Does that difference matter?  I think most, if not nearly a
AH>voters won't parse the details so finely, but the Dems apparently hope they
AH>will.

Dean was right.  I had also noted the list of Abramoff donations, all
229 of them.  None were made to Democrats.  Absolutely none.  In his
op-ed piece, Page confirms what I had already mentioned in this echo.

AH>By CLARENCE PAGE

AH>January 13, 2006

AH>WASHINGTON -- It is not healthy to blow your favorite evening beverage throu
AH>your nostrils. But that's how surprised I was to hear Democratic National
AH>Committee Chairman Howard Dean deny that any Democrats had taken money from
AH>Jack Abramoff, a formerly well-connected Republican who has pleaded guilty t
AH>federal charges tied to his lobbying operations.

AH>Right-wing bloggers and others pounced on Mr. Dean and flailed away, since a
AH>number of Democratic senators and representatives had already handed over th
AH>Abramoff-associated money to charity. How, then, could Mr. Dean say otherwis

AH>But I checked it out and, guess what? Mr. Dean was right. Although Democrats
AH>and Republicans did, in fact, receive money from Mr. Abramoff's clients, onl
AH>Republicans received personal donations from Mr. Abramoff.

Right on, bro'!  You tell 'em!

AH>An analysis of Federal Election Commission records by the nonpartisan Center
AH>for Responsive Politics, which keeps track of such things, shows that Democr
AH>received about a third of the $4.2 million donated between 1998 and 2005 by
AH>Indian tribes that had hired Mr. Abramoff to represent them in Washington.

None directly from Abramoff.  Absolutely none.  Zilch.  Squat.

AH>The problem with such analyses is that they tell you how much money someone
AH>gave to a political candidate without telling you why the money was given.

Everybody knows that campaign finance reform is a joke.  Especially
those who donate funds, as well as those who receive such funds.
McCain made a name for himself by promoting his own version of campaign
finance reform, and Bush did his best to give him much free publicity
in that regard.  But the fact remains, no real campaign finance reform
has ever been passed in recent memory.

AH>By all indications, donations from the Indian tribes were no less legitimate
AH>than the political donations any individual, organization or industry with a
AH>interest in legislation frequently gives to candidates.

Except that Abramoff is an admitted felon.  ;)

--Lee


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