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A Republican Problem? Not So Fast Senator Reid Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid Has Tried to Distanced Himself From Abramoff, While Labeling The Scandal A Republican Problem Reid Called Abramoff A “Republican Scandal.” “So don’t lump me in with Jack Abramoff. This is a Republican scandal. Don’t try to give any of it to me.” (Senator Harry Reid (D-NV), “Fox News Sunday,” December 18, 2005) Reid Says He Has “Not A Thing” To Worry About With Regard To Abramoff. “Reid said at a news conference in Carson City that he has ‘not a thing’ to be worried about as far...

Cantwell's Double Standard CANTWELL SAYS NO TO SPECIAL INTERESTS BUT YES TO ABRAMOFF LADEN CASH??? Maria Cantwell Claims She’s Not Beholden To Special Interests, But Refuses To Return Tainted Special Interest Cash “‘For Far Too Long, The Powerful Special Interests Have Controlled The Agenda In Our Nation’s Capital, Ignoring The People’s Interest,’ Cantwell Said.” (“Wealthy Washington Senate Candidate Refuses PAC Money,” National Journal’s CongressDaily, May 10, 2000) Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) Refuses To Return Campaign Contributions Connected To Admitted Felon Lobbyist Jack Abramoff Maria Cantwell Has No Intention Of Returning Abramoff Tainted Campaign Contributions. “Other Northwest lawmakers also received contributions...

Most Senate Dems Took Abramoff Cash Nearly ninety percent of Senate Democrats took money linked to disgraced "Republican" lobbyist Jack Abramoff, according to a list compiled by the Republican National Committee. Though reporters continue to insist that the Abramoff imbroglio is "a Republican scandal," 2008 Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton took more than $12,000 in tainted cash. Compared to the party's 2004 standard bearer, however, she's a piker. John Kerry raked in nearly $100,000 in Abramoff-linked donations. In fact, 40 of the party's 45 U.S. senators made the Jack Abramoff dishonor roll, including: • Senator Max Baucus (D-MT), who received...

Feingold campaign gives back $1,600 By STEVE SCHULTZE sschultze@journalsentinel.com Posted: Jan. 6, 2006 The campaign of Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) announced Friday it had returned four donations totaling $1,600 that Feingold had received from associates of disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff in 2002-'04. Feingold wanted the money returned to avoid even the appearance of a conflict, said George Aldrich, Feingold's campaign manager. Aldrich said he was unaware of any connection between Abramoff and the donations to Feingold. "That's always been the standard," Aldrich said. "If there's even any hint, we always err on the side of caution." Abramoff pleaded guilty this...

News Washington Bureau Chief1/5/2006 WASHINGTON - Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton will donate to charity $2,000 in contributions from Indian gambling interests once represented by convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff, her campaign said Wednesday as members of the New York congressional delegation reacted to the spreading scandal. Ann Lewis, Senate campaign spokeswoman for the New York Democrat, told The Buffalo News "after examining our records we found two contributions for $1,000 from tribes which have been clients of Jack Abramoff in the past." "To ensure that there is no question of any connection with Mr. Abramoff, Friends of Hillary will contribute the...

While Democrats and the “progressive” left were quick in trying to brand the Abramoff scandal as a “Republican scandal,” the facts indicate that this declaration is just another attempt by political opportunists at misdirection. In fact, Democrats do a great job at feeding off the special interest trough. According to Internal Revenue Service records, and substantiated by the Campaign Finance Analysis Project, forty of the forty-five members of the Democrat Senate Caucus took money from Jack Abramoff, his associates, and their Indian tribe clients. These recipients include: Charles Schumer ($29,550), Harry Reid ($68,941), Patty Murray ($78,991), Mary Landrieu($28,000), John Kerry...

WASHINGTON (AP) - Sen. Russ Feingold's campaign said Friday it was returning campaign contributions from political action committees and individuals associated with the law firm of disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Feingold campaign aide George Aldrich said in a statement that the campaign is returning $1,600 worth of donations from a PAC and two individuals associated with Greenberg Traurig, where Abramoff worked. "We are not aware that any donation to our campaign committee is tied to Mr. Abramoff, but because he worked at the law firm during the time we received contributions from others at Greenberg Traurig, we have decided to...

Hillary Clinton Caught with Abramoff CashUnlike many in her party, 2008 presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton has been silent about the influence peddling scandal erupting around lobbyist Jack Abramoff, whose plea bargain with the Justice Department is said to have more than a few on Capitol Hill quaking in their boots. Now we know why. Turns out, Mrs. Clinton is among the dozens of Democrats who accepted Mr. Abramoff's tainted contributions. Clinton spokeswoman Ann Lewis told The Buffalo News on Thursday that "after examining our records we found two contributions for $1,000 from tribes which have been clients of Jack Abramoff...

So the Democrat Party is running a TV ad claiming Democrats "Didn't know Jack". OH Really? Let's see what a Non Partisan Campaign Watchdog group says. Here is the WHOLE Open Secrets list for those who "Want to be fair". http://www.capitaleye.org/abramoff.asp List of Democrats who got Abramoff's money Democratic Senatorial Campaign Cmte $121,500 Democratic Congressional Campaign Cmte $354,700 Democratic National Cmte $65,720 Patrick J. Kennedy (D-RI) $42,500 Patty Murray (D-Wash) $40,980 Charles B. Rangel (D-NY) $36,000 Harry Reid (D-Nev) $30,500 (By way of comparison here is that "EVIL Republican" Tom Delay-Tom DeLay (R-Texas) $30,500 Byron L. Dorgan (D-ND) $28,000 Tom...

[ Headline only at this point ... Stay Tuned for More Details ... the link takes you to an article already posted on Free Republic about politicians, other than Landrieu, who have benefitted from Abramoff's largesse] LANDRIEU AMONG DEMS WHO TOOK ABRAMOFF MONEY

Ever since the plea bargain with corrupt lobbyist Jack Abramoff was announced, the media and the Democrats have done their best to portray this as a Republican controversy. Abramoff bribed Republican lawmakers like Tom DeLay we're told. This is being used to paint the current House and Senate leadership as corrupt. That may be true, but what's getting swept under the rug is the two big fish in the Democratic party that Abramoff had on his payroll. Who are they? None other than Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid and North Dakota Democrat Byron Dorgan. What are they accused of doing?...

HYPOCRISY n.: AN ACT OR INSTANCE OF SUCH FALSENESS Top Ten Things The Dems Don’t Want You To Know About Their Ties To Jack Abramoff 10. Larry Noble, Executive Director Of The Center For Responsive Politics, A Non-Partisan Government Watchdog Group, Says Democrats Are Just As Caught Up In The Abramoff Scandal. Noble: “I Would Say, Broadly Defined As A Question Of The Tribes’ Buying Influence In Washington, It Includes Democrats.” (Donald Lambro, “Dean Denies Party Ties To Abramoff,” The Washington Times, 1/11/06) 9. 39 Of 44 Senate Democrats, And 1 Of 1 Senate Independents, Have Accepted Contributions From Abramoff...

Dems Unveil Their Ethics Plan One Day After GOP:"The Honest Leadership And Open Government Act Would End Republican Culture Of Corruption By: Closing The Revolving Door Between Lawmakers And Lobbyists By Doubling The Amount Of Time Lawmakers And Staffers Must Wait Before Lobbying Congress; Prohibiting The Receipt Of Gifts, Including Meals, Entertainment And Travel, From Lobbyists;Clamping Down On 'Pay-To-Play' Systems Like The One Set Up By Lobbyists Like Jack Abramoff; AndEnding Efforts Like The 'K Street Project,' Which Republicans Created To Force Corporations And Lobbying Firms To Hire Republicans In Exchange For Political Access." (Democratic National Committee, "Dean Kicks Off...

WASHINGTON, Jan. 26 /U.S. Newswire/ -- "Howard Dean can engage in all the Clintonian word games he wants, but the bottom line is Democrats have been on the receiving end of Abramoff affiliated money," said Tracey Schmitt, Republican National Committee press secretary. "Efforts by Abramoff Democrats to indicate otherwise only reminds Americans that their minority party is overtly hypocritical and will stop at nothing to score cheap political points. Our country expects its leaders to speak the truth, rather than engage in a partisan blame game when it behooves them politically." The DNC's Jack Abramoff Affiliated Money: DNC Has Received...

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean said Sunday that Democrats who took money from Indian tribes represented by Jack Abramoff and who did something on behalf of those tribes have "a big problem." Dean made the statement apparently unaware that Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid has reportedly done exactly that. Under questioning by "Fox News Sunday's" Chris Wallace, Dean claimed that Democrats did no favors for Abramoff's Indian tribe clients: "Nobody got anything out of the Democrats from Jack Abramoff," the top Democrat insisted. "No Democrat delivered anything and there's no accusation and no investigation that any Democrat ever delivered...

For the second time in a week, Katie Couric illustrates the right-wing bias in the media. This AM in her interview with Howard Dean, she adamantly repeated Rove & Co.'s assertion that Democrats as well as Republicans have taken Abramoff money. When Dean protested, she got tense and said it would have to be looked into and shared with all the Today Show viewers. Write to Today and tell them that they need to do that, fairly and objectively, and present the truth on the air, along with her retraction and apology for slandering all the Democrats with charges of...

    NEWS FOR THE WEEK OF JANUARY 23, 2006PDF Version       "Abramoff Assembled A Group Of Lobbyists That Some In The Media Have Dubbed 'Team Abramoff.' ... They Included Ayoob, A Former Aide To Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., Who Is Now The Senate Minority Leader." (Paul Barton, "Lincoln Aide, Others Say $2,000 Isn't Abramoff-Linked," Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 1/6/06)   "Of The Eight Tribes Ayoob Represented When He Was With Greenberg Traurig, Reid Acted In Behalf Of Or Moved Legislation Benefiting Six." (Rebecca Adams, "The Game's The Thing: Reid Has Been A Ready Ally To Abramoff-Linked Interests," Congressional Quarterly...

by Mark Finkelstein January 27, 2006 - 08:22 On yesterday's Today show, Howard Dean did his best angry imitation of Bill Clinton's "I did not have sex" and/or Rafael Palmeiro's "I have never used steroids, period" performances. His voice rising, Dean insisted, over Katie Couric's attempts to claim otherwise, that: "Katie, not one dime of Jack Abramoff money ever went to any Democrat. Not one dime." Faced with such intransigence, Katie politely observed that "we'll have to look into that and clarify that for our viewers." That's apparently just what the Today researchers did overnight, and Matt Lauer, with Tim...

WASHINGTON — The lobbyist imbroglio consuming the nation’s capital has ensnared Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy, a top Democrat, a Vermont Guardian review of campaign records has found. Two widely circulated lists place Leahy and fellow sen. Jim Jeffords on a list of senators who have received campaign contributions from clients or colleagues associated with super-lobbyist Jack Abramoff. The Guardian has found that much of these donations came from clients or associates who were either not being represented by Abramoff at the time or working with him. However, several donations have been confirmed and implicate both senators, according to a Guardian...

While national Democrats are calling the Jack Abramoff lobbying imbroglio a "Republican scandal," top Vermont Democrat, Sen. Pat Leahy, is being labeled an "Abramoff Democrat" by home state critics. The Vermont Guardian has uncovered thousands of dollars in contributions to Leahy by lawfirms linked to Abramoff - though the senator's spokesman says that any suggestion of a relationship to the disgraced Republican is ridiculous. "It’s preposterous to even think that Jack Abramoff would do anything to support a progressive Democratic leader like Patrick Leahy," Ed Pagano, Leahy’s chief of staff, told the paper. However, the Guardian says it has discovered...