Bell Curve The Law Talking Guy Raised by Republicans U.S. West
Well, he's kind of had it in for me ever since I accidentally ran over his dog. Actually, replace "accidentally" with "repeatedly," and replace "dog" with "son."

Thursday, August 11, 2005

Key Republican Fundraiser Indicted

Hi Folks,

CNN.com is reporting that Texas based GOP fundraiser, Jack Abramoff has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Florida. He is also being investigated by a federal grand jury in Washington. Abramoff is charged with fraud related to some illegal wire transfers. He's also known to have acted as a lobbyist for two Indian tribes taking opposing views on the same casino gambling bill (that's a conflict of interest folks). He's being sued for that.

Abramoff is also suspected to have paid for some overseas junkets by Tom De Lay (R-Texas). De Lay is currently under investigation in Texas for his fund raising activities.

Meanwhile up north in Ohio, an associate of Abramoff, Tom Noe has been at the center of a fraud scandal involving bilking a state pension fund of millions of dollars in a crooked scheme to "invest" in rare coins. Noe raised over $100,000 for Ohio Governor Bob Taft (R) and President Bush (R). When it looked like Noe might have been caught red handed Taft, Bush and other ranking Republicans (including all the GOP candidates for the governorship in Ohio) belatedly returned contributions to Noe. Taft has also drawn fire because a key aide, Brian Hicks, took improperly disclosed vacation trips to Noe's home in Florida. Hicks has since been convicted but still sits on the Ohio State University System Board of Trustees and the state water board.

Now Governor Bob Taft (R-Ohio) may be about to be indicted for not reporting a number of expensive golf trips. Taft violated the same laws that Hicks has been convicted of. Hicks avoided a jail sentence but had to pay a $1000 fine. Taft is not expected to face jail time.

This is what I'm on about. The problem is not George Bush or the religious right alone. The problem is the entire Republican party.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

It is the whole party! But I am afraid that if you scratched the surface of the Democratic party, you'd find something similar.  

// posted by USWest

Anonymous said...

Perhaps. But Democrats who are corrupt deliver useful public goods in return. Republicans who are corrupt distract us from their greed by fanning the flames of war and hate. At the end of the day, if you elected a corrupt Democrat you have something to show for it but if you elected a corrupt Republican, all you get is an orgy of gay bashing and war. I'd say you get a tax cut too but today most people don't make enough to qualify for significant tax cuts.

Compare Governor Taft (hate monger who panders to the religious right) to Mayor Daley of Chicago (which the economist says is the best run city in North America). Both are charged with minor to moderate levels of corruption. But who did more for the citizins of their state/city? 

// posted by Raised By Republicans

Anonymous said...

So your sense of outrage isn't based on morality itself, but on the lack fi a good outcome.It isn't means, but the end that matters to you. Interesting.  

// posted by USWest

Anonymous said...

No, both matter. But if you are wrong on both your worse than the guy who's only wrong on one. 

// posted by Raised By Republicans

Anonymous said...

Gov. Taft (R-OH) was indicted today. Taft already is even less popular than Gov. Schwarzenegger (R-CA). Unfortunately, Taft can't be on the ballot in 2008. But most of his likely GOP candidates to succeed him have also been linked to this web of scandals. 

// posted by Raised By Republicans

Anonymous said...

Taft pled no contest and is now the first Governor of Ohio to be convicted of a crime. He has repeatedly said he won't resign. Frankly, I hope he doesn't. He is already becoming a symbol of Republican arrogance and abuse of power.

The Democratic Mayor of Columbus is running for Governor to replace Taft and he's already making this into an issue. 

// posted by Raised By Republicans