The Whir of the Political Casino

NY Times ^ | 6/29/06 | NYT Editorial Board

[Oshkalaboomboom]

The grinning, spectral presence of Jack Abramoff, the corrupt superlobbyist, is the last image any Republican candidate needs wafting about this campaign year. But there Mr. Abramoff stands in a photograph from his infamous 2002 golf junket to St. Andrews, Scotland, beaming next to Ralph Reed, the former director of the Christian Coalition who is running hard now for lieutenant governor of Georgia.

"This is a piece of business I should have declined," Mr. Reed declared last week, following a Senate report that he had enjoyed $5.3 million in lobbying fees plus globe-trotting treats from Mr. Abramoff, whose influence-peddling mill bilked $80 million from Indian casino tribes.

Anxiety is general in Washington and beyond as Mr. Abramoff delays going to prison to cooperate with federal prosecutors on the trail of corrupt politicians. Mr. Reed appears at less risk than Representative Bob Ney, the Ohio Republican whose favors for Abramoff tribal clients are the focus of criminal investigators. But Mr. Reed, who is trying to claim vindication in the Senate report, should know that there is a higher standard of behavior than simply not being indicted.

Mr. Reed was described as having used his contacts with conservative Christian groups to drum up anti-gambling fervor so that Mr. Abramoff's tribal clients would be spared competition for their own casinos. That was the world of high-stakes lobbying he had asked Mr. Abramoff to introduce him to in 1998, when he e-mailed, "I need to start humping in corporate accounts!"

Mr. Reed said he had assurances he would not be paid with gambling profits, and indeed Mr. Abramoff was concerned that his associate's choirboy image not seem "kind of like hypocritical," according to one tribal witness. So the money was simply laundered through third parties — nonprofit charities and advocacy groups.

[Oshkalaboomboom]

Pretty funny for the Rats at the Slimes to mention that the standard for behavior should be something more than not being indicted. That seems to be their standard when it comes to releasing state secrets.

[Jameison]

"The grinning, spectral presence of Jack Abramoff, the corrupt superlobbyist, is the last image any Republican candidate needs wafting about this campaign year."

Hey Slimes, your pathetic attempt to distract attention from the firestorm over your treasonous passing of vital state secrets to Al Quaeda is not working.
That "culture of corruption" spiel against Republicans died with the RAT William "$90,000 in Fridge" Jefferson.
This is like BJ Klinton bombing the aspirin factory in the Sudan to distract attention from his Lewsinky embarrassment.
Didn't work either.

[DustyMoment]

The Slimes are going full speed ahead, trying to distract people from the fact that their exposure of the secret terrorist money tracking program put us at greater risk.

It's bad when they have to dredge up Jack Abramof to distract people. If this doesn't work, I expect to see them dredging up Randy Cunningham, Tom DeLay, Abu Ghraib and Richard Nixon to try to create an issue that distracts their subscribers from the paper's breath-taking arrogance and disregard of America's safety and security.