Newt Gingrich comes out against Abramoff/Congress

[MODU]

One of the reasons why I wish he would run for Prez, or at least be considered for VP:

"Gingrich: Abramoff Scandal Threatens 'Contract' Legacy

Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich asserted Wednesday that the legacy of the "Contract With America" -- the agenda he promoted in 1994 that helped the GOP win both houses of Congress -- is "hanging in the balance" because of the scandal involving former lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

"That's why I'm speaking out so strongly" on the scandal, Gingrich said to reporters after telling the Rotary Club of Washington, D.C., that Abramoff and any other persons convicted of breaking the law in the matter "should definitely go to jail."

Gingrich told reporters that the more he has "heard about the Abramoff scandal, the angrier I've gotten." The former speaker said he found particularly "troubling" the amounts of money being spent on Washington lobbyists, including more than $80 million by a Native American group.

The Republican Party should "face up to its mistakes" in the matter, he added. "To claim that Abramoff is just 'one bad apple' is foolishness. The GOP should not try to defend his actions in the scandal."

(Cont....)

He has some good points in the article, so you might want to read the entire text in the above attached link.

[Virginian87]

I doubt the GOP will listen to him.

[Blue Rectangle]

The "Contract with America" is long dead, and it has nothing to do with Abramoff.

[AuH2O]

Most of the Contract passed in the first hundred days of the 1995 session of Congress. So it's not very accurate to say its "dead."

Gingrich, for his part, wants power just like he did back in the day. If playing "outsider" accomplishes that, so be it.

[MODU]

Part of the spirit of the Contract With America was to rebuild trust in the system.  The Abramoff scandal definitely "kills" that trust.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Wow, the irony.

[J. J.]

Part of the spirit of the Contract With America was to rebuild trust in the system.  The Abramoff scandal definitely "kills" that trust.

Pehaps not, there are several Democratic Senators, Durbin, Reid, and two others that I can't remember, involved with Abramoff.  Reid isn't giving back the money.

[TheresNoMoney]

Pehaps not, there are several Democratic Senators, Durbin, Reid, and two others that I can't remember, involved with Abramoff.  Reid isn't giving back the money.

Durbin and Reid have never even met Abramoff and Abramoff has never given any money to Democrats.

http://www.newsmeat.com/washington_political_donations/Jack_Abramoff.php

[MODU]

Pehaps not, there are several Democratic Senators, Durbin, Reid, and two others that I can't remember, involved with Abramoff.  Reid isn't giving back the money.

Durbin and Reid have never even met Abramoff and Abramoff has never given any money to Democrats.

http://www.newsmeat.com/washington_political_donations/Jack_Abramoff.php

Scoonie, I've already pointed out that your list only reflects GOP donations (as the chart says at the top).  It's not a complete list, so please stop trying to ignore the fact that Abramoff has actually provided funds to Democrats as well as Republicans.

[Blue Rectangle]

Pehaps not, there are several Democratic Senators, Durbin, Reid, and two others that I can't remember, involved with Abramoff.  Reid isn't giving back the money.

Durbin and Reid have never even met Abramoff and Abramoff has never given any money to Democrats.

http://www.newsmeat.com/washington_political_donations/Jack_Abramoff.php

No, but his business partners and clients did give money and perks to Democrats, including the Senate Democratic leadership.  Harkin and Dorgan used Abramoff's sky box for fundraisers.  So what if Abramoff wasn't there at the time.

[Smash255]

Pehaps not, there are several Democratic Senators, Durbin, Reid, and two others that I can't remember, involved with Abramoff.  Reid isn't giving back the money.

Durbin and Reid have never even met Abramoff and Abramoff has never given any money to Democrats.

http://www.newsmeat.com/washington_political_donations/Jack_Abramoff.php

No, but his business partners and clients did give money and perks to Democrats, including the Senate Democratic leadership.  Harkin and Dorgan used Abramoff's sky box for fundraisers.  So what if Abramoff wasn't there at the time.

None of the money coming directly from Abramoff since 1998 have gone to any Democrats.  Abramoff donated over $100,000 to the Bush Cheney re-election campaign, Bush is only donating $6,000.  Now out of some of the tribes, and companies some of the donations have gone to Dems (Dorgan returned his before the plea deal, Reid's still in the air) but even out of the $$$ from the various tribes, & companies brramoff has been associated with has gone to the GOP (roughly 3/4)

[WalterMitty]

newt gingrich=freedom fighter.

[Gabu]

Scoonie, I've already pointed out that your list only reflects GOP donations (as the chart says at the top).  It's not a complete list, so please stop trying to ignore the fact that Abramoff has actually provided funds to Democrats as well as Republicans.

Where does the chart say so at the top?  I don't see anything indicating that that's the "Republicans only" list; it's what you get if you just click on Abramoff's name.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

He again attacked them on Hannity's radio show today.

I think he's quite right.

[MODU]

Scoonie, I've already pointed out that your list only reflects GOP donations (as the chart says at the top).  It's not a complete list, so please stop trying to ignore the fact that Abramoff has actually provided funds to Democrats as well as Republicans.

Where does the chart say so at the top?  I don't see anything indicating that that's the "Republicans only" list; it's what you get if you just click on Abramoff's name.

Jack Abramoff , 47 (bio)
lobbyist, GOP fundraiser; convicted of conspiracy, tax evasion and mail fraud

$172,933   Republican
$88,985   special interest
total:  $261,918     

All that chart is recording is the GOP fund figures, not his total fund figures.

Of course, if you wish to remain in denial, let's just take Reid's involvement with Abramoff for example:

Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid sent a letter to Norton on March 5, 2002, also signed by Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev. The next day, the Coushattas issued a $5,000 check to Reid's tax-exempt political group, the Searchlight Leadership Fund. A second Abramoff tribe sent another $5,000 to Reid's group. Reid ultimately received more than $66,000 in Abramoff-related donations between 2001 and 2004.  DailyKos

Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid will not return campaign contributions he received during the past five years from lobbyists and clients associated with Jack Abramoff, a Reid spokeswoman said Friday.

Reid received $6,500 from Abramoff's associates at the Greenberg Traurig law and lobbying firm from 1999 through 2004, The Washington Post reported Friday.

During the same period, Reid received $40,500 from Indian tribes that were Abramoff clients, the paper reported based on research of federal records.

Reid does not know Abramoff, Reid spokeswoman Tessa Hafen said.

But Abramoff hired Eddie Ayoob, who was Reid's legislative counsel until 2002 and was assistant finance director on Reid's 1998 Senate campaign.

Ayoob held a fund-raising reception for Reid at the offices of Greenberg Traurig, according to The Washington Post.

Hafen said Ayoob has not done any fund-raising for Reid this year. But, she added, "there is no reason to expect that he will not continue to raise money."

Reid declined an interview request Friday. Hafen said he sees no reason to return the money.

"Indian tribes have the same opportunity as anyone else to participate in the political process," Hafen said. "There is no reason to even make that suggestion."     Free Republic/Washington Post

Care to keep claiming that Abramoff hasn't helped the Democrats?

[Gabu]

Scoonie, I've already pointed out that your list only reflects GOP donations (as the chart says at the top).  It's not a complete list, so please stop trying to ignore the fact that Abramoff has actually provided funds to Democrats as well as Republicans.

Where does the chart say so at the top?  I don't see anything indicating that that's the "Republicans only" list; it's what you get if you just click on Abramoff's name.

Jack Abramoff , 47 (bio)
lobbyist, GOP fundraiser; convicted of conspiracy, tax evasion and mail fraud

$172,933   Republican
$88,985   special interest
total:  $261,918     

All that chart is recording is the GOP fund figures, not his total fund figures.

No it isn't.  The "GOP fundraiser" part is describing who he is, and the "Republican" bit just denotes the total amount of money he gave to Republicans.  If you go to, say, Bill Gates, it shows a breakdown of Democratic donations, Republican donations, and special interest donations, exactly as they appear on Abramoff's page.

Of course, you can debate whether or not this should be the case in a listing of donations, but there is no special page per person on that website that displays what the person donated to only a single party.  That site is indeed saying that Abramoff never directly donated anything to a Democrat.

[MODU]

No it isn't.  The "GOP fundraiser" part is describing who he is, and the "Republican" bit just denotes the total amount of money he gave to Republicans.  If you go to, say, Bill Gates, it shows a breakdown of Democratic donations, Republican donations, and special interest donations, exactly as they appear on Abramoff's page.

Of course, you can debate whether or not this should be the case in a listing of donations, but there is no special page per person on that website that displays what the person donated to only a single party.  That site is indeed saying that Abramoff never directly donated anything to a Democrat.

When you consider that we know the Democrats have received funding from Abramoff, the website listing is either only abour Republicans or is incomplete (as you would see from my initial comment). 

[Gabu]

When you consider that we know the Democrats have received funding from Abramoff, the website listing is either only abour Republicans or is incomplete (as you would see from my initial comment). 

The bits you quoted said the following:

"The Coushattas issued a $5,000 check to Reid's tax-exempt political group, the Searchlight Leadership Fund."

"A second Abramoff tribe sent another $5,000 to Reid's group."

"Reid ultimately received more than $66,000 in Abramoff-related donations between 2001 and 2004."

"Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid will not return campaign contributions he received during the past five years from lobbyists and clients associated with Jack Abramoff."

"Reid received $6,500 from Abramoff's associates at the Greenberg Traurig law and lobbying firm from 1999 through 2004, The Washington Post reported Friday."

"During the same period, Reid received $40,500 from Indian tribes that were Abramoff clients, the paper reported based on research of federal records.

"Reid does not know Abramoff, Reid spokeswoman Tessa Hafen said."

Did he receive donations from people who Abramoff knew?  Yes, it would appear so.  Did he ever receive donations directly from Abramoff?  No.

I don't know whether it's disingenous to say that Reid never received a donation from Abramoff - to be honest, I'm not fully aware of the full situation yet - but it seems clear to me that it is nonetheless a true statement.

[TomC]

I actually somewhat like Gingrich, although I think he'd lose a general election. He's smarter and more intellectual than your typical GOP nominee, and I find that refreshing that he's a new ideas kind of guy.

But it'd be too easy in a heavy ad environment to paint him as a consummate  insider; this wouldn't be as true in a primary against sitting US Senators. Conservatives woud trust him more than they do McCain or Giuliani, but I think he could have broader appeal, and get GOP votes outside of the evangelical base, too. He should certainly not be dismissed.

[MODU]

Did he receive donations from people who Abramoff knew?  Yes, it would appear so.  Did he ever receive donations directly from Abramoff?  No.

I don't know whether it's disingenous to say that Reid never received a donation from Abramoff - to be honest, I'm not fully aware of the full situation yet - but it seems clear to me that it is nonetheless a true statement.

The funds don't have to come directly from his pocket to be from him through fundraising.  Like I said in my other threat, everyone involved with this on both sides of the table need to be punished fairly in relation to their involvement with the situation.  If people received funds directly from Abramoff, they will get punished to a higher level than those who received funds indirectly.  Additionally, those who were in on the scam (with that much money flying around from one person, someone on the inside had to know what was going on) should be punished at the highest fair level possible (termination, jail, etc).  We can't crack down on corruption if we constantly just slap people on the wrist.