Media Swallows More Right-Wing Swill. Burps Happily

The Right is doing it's usual shell game, and, as usual. the media is being snookered.  Rupert Murdoch's and Sun Mung Moon's varied propaganda squads are out there with their fog machines.  They are screaming that the Abramoff scandal is a bipartisan scandal. (This is certainly a case where Grover Norquist's definition of bipartisanship as a synonym for date rape is apt.) Anything they can do to blur reality is essential at this time.

That former inmate of Danbury Federal Prison,the Rev Moon owns the Washington TimesThis esteemed member of the media reported today that Senator Reid is in the top tier of suspected criminals being investigated by Patrick Fitzgerald. No evidence is offered. Reid denies any contact from the prosecutor's office. No doubt, the story is totally fabricated.  Nothing new here, but we do have to think of why.

The WaTimes' piece gives them the opportunity to once again headline the fact that there are Democrats who received money from Indian tribes.  They imply that this alone is sufficient to make them equal scoundrels in the scandal. No indication of involvement by Abramoff in the donation required.

But please note that  Bush is only giving moneyto charity that had been given to him directly by Abramoff. He has no problem keeping the 100+ thousand that was raised by Abramoff personally. But Democrats are suspect if they have received money from any Indian tribe that Abramoff worked with at any time. Similarly, Romney of the Republican Governors Assn is going to return, at his leisure, money he received from a P.R. firm completely owned by Abramoff's confessed partner in crime, Scanlon. He will not return all the money at once, a he plans to use some in the 2006 election. This is seen as commendable ethical behavior for Republicans.

But if the press has been so fooled as to buy this argument that any lawmaker who ever received money from someone who was a client of Abramoff is suspect, then they have to look at all Abramoff's and Scanlon's clients. This could get interesting.

You remember corruption ridden TYCO. Abramoff was their guy in DC. He was hired to protect their status as a Bermuda based corporation, and thus not responsible for many millions in U.S. taxes. He did a good job.  TYCO has an in-house PAC that is called Mallinckrodt, Inc. In the 2004 election cycle, 80% of it's donations went to Republicans. Another of Abramoff's clients, UNISYS, gave at least $12,000 to Republicans.  As you are no doubt aware, Jack has a longstanding lobbying deal with Saipan Garment Manufacturers Association. I'm going to make you guess whether they donated to Bush or Kerry in '04.  Abramoff's assistant, Scanlon, was part of these schemes.  Amongst other companies whose interests he promoted on the Hill is Brown-Forman Inc. In 2004 their PAC gave $123,861 to Republicans.*

Some of the dollar amounts are small; some are huge. A lot of Abramoff's clients also gave money to Democrats.  But there is no question that their clients gave millions to the Republicans in 2004.  If the bar that defines a suspect has been lowered to a level that only requires having been represented by Abramoff, and not his direct involvement, then the least that the press can do is examine all contributions to both parties given by anyone these Republican crooks ever shilled for.

( A partial list of Scanlon/Abramoff Clients: Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana  Islands, Pitney Bowes, Microsoft, BNSF Railway Co., National Association of Homebuilders, ELottery Inc., Omeros Corp,  Primedia,  Guam International Airport Authority,  General Council for Islamic Banks,  Flight Int'l, and of course several Indian tribes.)

(*All figures here come from examining client lists, at the US Lobby Registration & Reporting Disclosure Page {http://sopr.senate.gov/) and information at Open Secrets.)

Comments

[ThatGayConservative]

You can huff, puff, bloviate, obfuscate and quote Howard Dean all you want, but the best that you can hope for is that the DOJ doesn't find the contributions illegal.

Ever wonder why Dorgan and other "Democrats" gave away their donations, but Reid refuses?

[bbbustard]

I agree with you that my writing needs help. But once again you don't actually respond to any points.
I don't know why Reid kept his money and Dorgan gave his back - please let me know the reason.

[ThatGayConservative]

You're the "all knowing" leftist. You tell me.

After all, based on your arguement (Read: Rugurgitated Deanisms) there's nothing for Dorgan or any other liberal to worry about. He made a $67,000 donation to the indians.