Posted on 03/08/2006 10:47:53 PM PST by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff said in the latest issue of Vanity Fair magazine that he worked closely with many top Republicans, despite their claims to the contrary.
"Any important Republican who comes out and says they didn't know me is almost certainly lying," he said in the magazine's April edition, released to reporters on Wednesday.
Abramoff pleaded guilty to fraud charges in January and is cooperating with prosecutors in a corruption probe that could implicate lawmakers and officials across Washington.
In his plea, he admitted that he showered golf trips, sports tickets and other gifts on lawmakers in return for actions that would help his clients.
In the article, Abramoff complains that many of those who used to work closely with him now claim that they never knew him.
"You're really no one in this town until you haven't met me," he said.
E-mail and other subpoenaed records will eventually prove that he worked closely with them, he said.
The magazine features photographs of Abramoff with former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former President Ronald Reagan, whom he met when he was president of the College Republicans.
Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman ate dinner at Abramoff's house and forced a Democratic appointee out of the State Department for him, Vanity Fair said.
Committee spokeswoman Tracey Schmitt said: "Jack Abramoff is someone that the chairman has known in various capacities during his time in Washington."
Abramoff said he did not spend much time lobbying DeLay because he knew that the Texas Republican would support his issues, but they talked about other subjects.
GOLF AND THE BIBLE
"We would sit and talk about the Bible. We would sit and talk about opera. We would sit and talk about golf. I mean, we talked about philosophy and politics," Abramoff said.
Abramoff also said Montana Republican Sen. Conrad Burns (news, bio, voting record) was especially cooperative.
"Every appropriation we wanted we got," he said. "Our staffs were as close as they could be."
Spokesmen for Burns and DeLay were not immediately available for comment.
The Abramoff scandal has prompted lawmakers to tighten lobbying regulations and return or donate to charity than $1 million in campaign contributions.
Lawmakers from both parties received campaign cash from Abramoff or his clients, although Abramoff only worked directly with Republicans.
"The exposure of my lobbying practice, the absurd amount of media coverage, and the focus, for the first time, on this sausage-making factory that we call Washington will ultimately help reform the system, or at least so I hope," he said.
Jack says they all do know 'Jack' and thus prove they have also learned quickly how to pretend to know diddly about 'jack' just as readily.
And Vanity Fair would never knowingly print a lie about the Republicans...would they?
The Rats are buying rope again. How are they going to seperate Abramoff contributions to Republicans (bad) and his $$ going to Reid? Oh, I gett it, the MSM just won`t talk about old Dingy
There's something about that name Jack Abramhoff-- it's like I feel dirty just saying it.
Nice of abramoff to give demonrats a pass (or was it vanity fairy that gave them the pass???).
Earlier tonight I heard that McCain claims he'd never heard of Abramoff before his name came out in the papers a couple months ago.
I literally rolled on the floor laughing.
And when are the Repubs going to take the Abramoff stuffing out of the Dems. . .anytime soon? (Would the media report it?)
. . .too bad the 'reforms' referenced by Jack as a consolation, will not include our MSM. . .
*I* don't know Jack Abramoff.
Hey, I met Robert Wise and had a conversation with him. Does that mean I played one of the Von Trapp kids in "The Sound of Music" ? According to Jack, I guess it does.
See, now, you shouldn't make fun of senile citizens.
Well now we got Dubai 24/7 when we found out Harry Reid knew Jack in a major way. Wonder what'll happen now that Abramoff's back in the news.
Not all lobbyists nor lobbying contact are dirty and corrupt. I give to politicians that support what I want supported. I have no influence over them and they are not supporting those issues because of my contribution, we hust agree. A contribution and an action that follows don't necessarily equal a quid pro quo.
A Washington lobbyist, Jack Abramoff, agreed in a plea bargain to name members of Congress that he claims to have bribed.
This looming scandal has tripled calls to the Capital pharmacy for anti-depressants and dragged the whole murky lobby industry out into the open.
Information so far reported indicates that Abramoff gave money to a large number of Congressman in both houses and on both sides of the aisle.
Accepting money from a lobbyist is legal. Accepting money from a lobbyist with the understanding that some service will be performed in return can be illegal. It is a narrow distinction bordering a wide gray area.
Whether Abramoff was just trying to promote good government or whether he and some of the recipients of his largess are guilty of bribery is a question to be pursued by the Justice Department.
The term “to lobby” arose from the custom in 19th century England of using the lobbies or corridors of legislative halls as places where legislators on their way to vote could be button-holed by supplicants and prevailed upon to vote a certain way.
The job of the modern lobbyist is to use his influence to gain special privileges or money, or both, for the groups that employ them.
Lobbyists far outnumber legislators in Washington (the drug industry alone has 625 lobbyists). Lobbyists are hired by cities, states, large corporations, industry and trade associations, unions, political, religious and cultural organizations, and every other type of special interest group and social cause from the preservation of zither tuners to telepathic research on Patagonian cockroaches.
Even federal agencies use lobbyists (called Congressional Liaisons) to sway Congress. In addition there is an army of agents touting almost every nation and spot on Earth.
It sometimes seems that just about everyone is represented in Washington by lobbyists except the average American.
To be fair, not all lobbying is questionable. Lobbyists can provide technical data, testify before congressional hearings, give legislators valuable first-hand information and help to draft potential legislation. All of this is upheld by the U. S. Constitution.
The problem arises when the main persuasive force is money. Whether money is contributed to a campaign war chest, slipped under the table in the form of cash or, as we have so often seen, given as favors, entertainment, travel, or gifts, bribery may be the only word that accurately describes much of what appears to be a general practice.
After about the fifth or sixth year of life most of us learn that when something is given, something is expected in return. This is especially true in politics.
For example, if the Milk Lobby makes a large donation to the campaign fund of a congressman from a coal-mining state, gives him a Rollex watch and hires his color-blind wife as a fashion consultant, his vote for subsidies to dairy farmers is expected to follow.
The Abramoff affair brings out how widespread lobbying is and how potentially destructive it can be to the democratic process when legislation is driven by money.
The worrying question among Washington pundits is what impact this scandal might have on the November mid-term elections. Although people should be outraged, it probably won’t have much of an affect.
First, it’s a long time, politically, until November. The revelation that palms are greased in power centers to get special consideration is nothing new. Unless something more shocking turns up this example of “the way everybody does business in Washington” won’t remain very long in the public’s memory.
Second, this is mostly an inside-the-beltway bipartisan scandal. Republicans and Democrats accepted money from Abramoff and other lobbyists. Like the check-bouncing scandal of a few years ago when congressmen from both parties cashed worthless checks at the Capital bank, it will die of benign neglect. And then too, probably no one really wants to stop the golden flow from the lobby faucet.
It’s doubtful if the scandal will help the Democrats’ culture of corruption charge against Republicans. After the Clinton era this is carrying the “Pot Calling the Kettle Black” to high art.
Lobby reform will probably follow but like most reform it will change little if the underlying causes are left intact. The money will still be there to influence, and government will still intrude into every aspect of society.
Two of the most important steps needed to reduce the influence of lobbyists are not likely to be taken.
One is for the size and reach of government to be reigned in. As long as Washington wields so much power it will continue to act like a magnet to attract those seeking special treatment.
The other step needed is to impose term limits to cut back on the enormous clout accumulated by politicians who spend a near lifetime in office.
I’m not holding my breath. Unfortunately, as John Lehman, former Secretary of the Navy once said, “Power corrupts, but absolute power is really neat.”
Right. . .
Idiot, moronic Republicans need to quit running away from this guy. It's what makes people thinks they have something to hide. Abramoff was dirty, but it doesn't mean they're guilty of fraud just because they associated with him or agreed with him on some issues.
Republicans are definately the stupid party and deserve to lost the House. Do they think the MSM is going to cut them even the slightest bit of slack?
That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Well .. if just "knowing 'Jack'" is a crime - then the whole congress needs to go home.
But .. Abramoff was registered as a REPUBLICAN and why do people find it so hard to see why other repubs would be talking with him or working with him.
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