You got it mostly right. Save the above statement.
It is NOT illegal for lobbyists to make political contributions on behalf of their clients to a Political Action Committee. The mere act of doing that is NOT a bribe.
The nuance here is IF a direct political act follows such a contribution, THEN it is a bribe.
This is very difficult to prove and seldom is. Lobbyists represent special interests. The notion is that those special interests represent people who will benefit if a certain person/political party is in power. Social activists, for example, benefit when Dems are in power. Thus they contribute to political action committees to this end. This is NOT a bribe but merely American politics in action.
The fine line between politics as usual and outright bribery is fuzzy and unclear. It's the nature of the beast.
Take this to the bank, the American people aren't paying that much attention to Abramoff and they will NEVER buy that only one political party is guilty.
Abramoff is an inside-the-beltway flap. Americans are practical and busy carrying this country on their backs. They are not going to get all hysterical over a little political chicanery.
Although, make no mistake, Abramoff is a sleaze of the highest order, the politicos who associated with him should have known better. This guy is knee deep in crap, up to and possibly including complicity in a murder.
And we ALL know why: The clinton administration and their apologists immunized the public against political chicanery hysteria. They thought it was great at the time, now they couldn't get a rise out of the public if they tried!
"This guy is knee deep in crap, up to and possibly including complicity in a murder."
You mean he has worked for Hillary?