London Times: Republicans sinking in sleaze

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Sat, 10 Dec 2005 10:37:54 -0800

[Zepps_News] #London Times: Republicans sinking in sleaze

 

 

 

Republicans Sinking in Sleaze

 

A decade ago the Democrats were thought to be shady. Now it is the

turn of Mr Bush's party

 

Tim Reid, The Times of London Online, December 10, 2005

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,11069-1918775,00.html

 

 

A decade ago Newt Gingrich's Republican revolutionaries seized control

of Congress after 40 years of Democrat rule by promising to end the

culture of graft and corruption on Capitol Hill.

 

Today, after a string of indictments, scandals and a criminal

investigation that threatens to implicate dozens of politicians next

year, the tables have turned full circle. It is now President Bush's

Republicans who are seen as the party of sleaze.

 

Polls suggest that two thirds of Americans believe that corruption is

a serious political problem. That, allied with the growing

unpopularity of the war in Iraq, is raising fears in the White House

of a voter backlash in next year's mid-term congressional elections.

 

Since the summer, leading Republicans have been hit by a steady stream

of scandals.

 

In September Tom DeLay, one of the most powerful politicians in

America, had to step down as leader of the House of Representatives

after being indicted for violating election finance laws. He is

vigorously contesting the charges.

 

Bill Frist, the Republican leader of the Senate, is also under

investigation over insider trading allegations involving the sale of

his stock in a healthcare company. Mr Frist has denied any wrongdoing.

 

How the Bush Administration led the country into the Iraq war, and

Democrat accusations that the White House manipulated prewar

intelligence, then dominated much of October and November after the

indictment of Lewis " Scooter " Libby, the former chief of staff to Dick

Cheney, the Vice-President, for his role in the Valerie Plame CIA-leak

affair. Mr Libby was charged with perjury and obstruction of justice,

and he too has pleaded not guilty.

 

This week Patrick Fitzgerald, the special prosecutor leading the

CIA-leak investigation, convened a new grand jury to investigate

further the role of Karl Rove, Mr Bush's chief political adviser, in

the Plame affair. The move suggests that Mr Fitzgerald may yet bring

charges against Mr Rove.

 

Meanwhile, Randy " Duke " Cunningham resigned from the House of

Representatives two weeks ago in one of the most spectacular cases of

political corruption in recent years.

 

Mr Cunningham, a Republican congressman since 1991 and member of the

House Defence Appropriations committee, admitted accepting $2.4

million (£1.4 million) in bribes from defence contractors, including a

Rolls-Royce and a $7,200 antique Louis-Philippe commode.

 

But of greatest concern to White House strategists is a criminal

investigation by the Department of Justice into a Republican lobbyist

named Jack Abramoff that could lead to the indictment of several

politicians — mostly Republican — next year.

 

Over the past two years other investigations have exposed an intricate

web of contacts between Mr Abramoff, one of the most powerful

Republican lobbyists in Washington, and senior politicians.

 

Mr Abramoff allegedly gave them millions of dollars in donations as

well as gifts, meals at top restaurants and lavish overseas trips,

including golfing holidays at St Andrews. In return he sought

legislative favours on behalf of his clients.

 

Last week Michael Scanlon, an Abramoff business partner and former

aide to Mr DeLay, pleaded guilty to conspiring to bribe public

officials and defraud several Native American tribes. The tribes had

hired Mr Abramoff to lobby politicians to get legislation favouring

their gambling interests.

 

Scanlon is thought to have agreed to provide prosecutors with evidence

that politicians took money in direct exchange for favourable votes.

 

One of the congressmen Scanlon is accused of bribing has been

identified as Bob Ney, a Republican from Ohio. Mr Ney has been

subpoenaed by a grand jury investigating Mr Abramoff, and denies

wrongdoing.

 

It is alleged that, in addition to $14,000 in campaign contributions,

Mr Ney received from Mr Abramoff's Native American clients, he also

got a golfing trip to St Andrews.

 

Among others who went on a St Andrews trip was Mr DeLay, who once

described Mr Abramoff as my " dear friend " . The cost of Mr DeLay's trip

went on the lobbyist's credit card.

 

Another Abramoff friend and former associate who went to St Andrews

was David Safavian. He was forced to resign as the White House's chief

procurement officer in September after being charged with obstructing

the Government's investigation into his dealings with Mr Abramoff.

 

More than 30 members of Congress have been revealed to have taken

legislative action favourable to Mr Abramoff's Native American

gambling clients after receiving money from the lobbyist or the

tribes. Most are Republican, but they include Harry Reid, the

Democrats' Senate leader, and another Democrat senator, Byron Dorgan,

of North Dakota.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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--

" Intelligent Design " is just an effort by Republicans to pass

George W.'s resemblance to a chimpanzee as being nothing but

coincidence

 

Not dead, in jail, or a slave? Thank a liberal!

Pay your taxes so the rich don't have to.

 

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