LTTE on lumping Abramoff's clients w/ him to make Dems look guilty...

[usregimechange]

Ron Bull (Globe, Feb. 12th) criticized my suggestion that Blunt may be corrupt, in part, by pointing out that many other politicians have received money "connected to Abramoff." This is the same tactic Allen Shirley (Globe, Feb. 12th) recently employed. Yet I never once mentioned anything about politicians receiving money "connected to Abramoff." I did mention that Blunt had received money from Abramoff himself. The primary difference between Abramoff and his hundreds of clients is that Abramoff has pled guilty to crimes including bribing public officials. Yet, there is another difference.

The Republican National Committee and their local affiliates know they would be hard pressed to find a single Democrat that took one dime from Abramoff this century. This is why they lump Abramoff and his clients together hoping to universalize the appearance of corruption and make it ok. The same way drug addicts rationalize their use. Everyone is doing it!

Ron is correct in pointing out that just because a public official took money from a person who has pled guilty to bribing public officials doesn't mean they were bribed themselves. That of course wasn't what I said either. I raised concern not about isolated activities but about a pattern of activities such as accepting money from a crook while doing favors for his clients and having a history of engaging in conflicts of interest in undemocratic and underhanded ways (that would aid benefactors whom employ his family members as lobbyists, etc.).

[baldguy]

1. Native American tribes that hired Abramoff are his VICTIMS.

[usregimechange]

2. Good point.