Abramoff's contributions seemed so paltry, how cld pols be bought off for

[Nia Zuri]

so little money? Many of the contributions to pols were below $10k...some were as high as $100k.In the scheme of things this is a pittances especially relative to the influence that was bought. In many instances the influence that was bought was worth millions. Am I missing something? Was the real money given under the table? Am I just really naive?

[Dongfang Hong]

1. To take $10k to write "Yes" instead of "No" on one piece of paper

that will in no way affect you in any manner? You can't see how any representative would go for that?

[seeminer21]

2. Greedy

B*stards

[txindy]

3. Millions under the table. Elaborate trips.

What you see on the record is not where the corruption lies. That's the 'Hey, look over there!' legal distraction. The criminality lies in the bribes and, more than likely, the blackmail.

[havocmom]

6. Weren't there well paying jobs given to aids and family members

of several pols? Sort of glimpses of goodies to come in exchange for favors now?

[txindy]

7. Yes, indeed. It also put their people in positions of influence.

I'm particularly fond of the payments for access to Junior, though. Like Jack charging the country of Gabon $9million for a meeting with the pResident. As if Gabon couldn't use that $9million on its own people. :mad:

[IkeWarnedUs]

4. I think there is more money than we see now

I know what you mean. The list of contribution amounts isn't very impressive. But I think that only includes direct cash to campaign funds. I don't think it includes the trips, gifts and freebies. I understand a lot of this is spelled out in the plea deal, which I don't think is public yet. For example, yesterday on Hardball a guy talking about the plea deal said Abramoff gave Dennis Hastert $20 million to pass around and use as he needed to influence people.

[ProfessorGAC]

9. That's What I Think Too

What we've seen so far is the money that has to be reported. Who knows how much "under the table" stuff went on?
The Professor

[rkc3]

5. Doesn't the bigger issue involve fraud and money laundering?

Not that he gave money to repubs.

[LizW]

8. Isn't a lot of this stuff done for cover?

Spreading the money around keeps everyone in line. People are less eager to take down a guy who has tentacles everywhere.

It is also my experience that a lot of politicians are very cheap. They'll sell out for a pittance.

[displacedtexan]

10. Watch for stories about "The Wives Club."

Fired Up! America predicts that kickbacks to wives and family members (jobs, cash) will be a big part of the Abramoff scandal.

BTW, I'm working on all the blog angles for this Friday's DU Blog Box column (o the homepage): lots of good links and great blog posts.

[CornField]

11. Believe it or not, I don't think 10K is a paltry sum

I have friends who work their asses off and don't make much more than that in a year.

Matter-of-fact, this is one of the mind-boggling things about all this for me: the way vast amounts of money were tossed about as if they were nothing. $2.25 million for bail... $23 million in fake wire transfer (I know you can't do one of those at my local Post Office or Quik Trip!)... $300,000+ in invoices from 2000 which have never been paid... and on and on and on.

How many American families could have clean drinking water, roofs over their heads and food on the table with that kind of money? How many leeves could be made stronger? How many mine shafts could we secure? How many soon-to-be mothers could have pre-natal care? Think how much good could have been done with all of this.

Instead, it was only used to make the fat and rich fatter and richer. Whoo-Pee! May they all rot in federal prisons.