EDITORIAL: Sleaze: Political Insiders Fall: Political Insiders Fall
Posted on: Wednesday, 5 April 2006, 09:01 CDT
By The Charleston Gazette, W.Va.
Apr. 5--WITHIN the past week, more powerful Washington Republican insiders headed for prison.
Jack Abramoff -- the millionaire lobbyist and GOP fundraiser who built an influence-peddling empire from his connections to former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay -- drew almost six years in a cell for one of his crooked deals.
Then DeLay's top aide, Tony Rudy, pleaded guilty to laundering GOP political money and promised to testify against others. Three other DeLay aides -- Jim Ellis, John Colyandro and Warren RoBold -- previously were indicted in the Texas corruption probe.
With his barricades collapsing around him, DeLay announced Tuesday he will quit Congress. The fierce champion of the Religious Right -- who led a special congressional crusade for brain-dead Terri Schiavo, and headed the impeachment of President Clinton on sex charges -- is awaiting trial himself.
Although his successor, House Majority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, said DeLay "has served our nation with integrity and honor," other Republicans are tripping over themselves in their scramble to sever connections to him. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., gave away $45,000 she had received through DeLay and Abramoff. Obviously, she's uneasy about DeLay's integrity and honor.
One after another, the demise of important national Republicans is adding up to another significant American scandal. During the Reagan-Bush administration in the 1980s, dozens of high officials were indicted and convicted. Now the pattern is repeating. One Web site is preparing a "Deck of Thugs," a pack of playing cards depicting 52 current party figures who have been exposed. Some of them:
-- Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham, R-Calif., got eight years in prison last month for taking $2.4 million in bribes. -- Former DeLay aide Michael Scanlon pleaded guilty to helping lobbyist Abramoff swindle Indian tribes. -- Vice President Dick Cheney's top assistant, Lewis "Scooter" Libby, is awaiting trial on charges of lying to federal agents. -- David Safayian, the Bush administration's procurement director, is charged with lying about his ties to Abramoff. -- Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., is under investigation because he dumped stock in a family hospital chain just before the share price dropped.
The ugly side of power in Washington is being displayed to Americans.
-----
Copyright (c) 2006, The Charleston Gazette, W.Va.
Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.
For information on republishing this content, contact us at (800) 661-2511 (U.S.), (213) 237-4914 (worldwide), fax (213) 237-6515, or e-mail reprints@krtinfo.com.
Source: The Charleston Gazette
Related Articles
- EE Global 2009: Energy Efficiency Insights from World Leaders, Major Worldwide Study on Efficiency in Buildings Unveiled
- Valero Delays Projects for Major Maintenance Turnarounds and Reduces Spending By Nearly $2 Billion Through 2009, an Industrial Info News Alert
- Cisco Provides Core Network Infrastructure for World's Largest Multinational Military Exercise; IP Leader a Major Supporter of U.S. European Command's Global Interoperability Exercise
- Blunt, DeLay Abramoff Connections Similar
- EDITORIAL: DeLayed Reform: New Majority Leader Must Be Only Part of Solution
- Two Midwesterners Aim to Succeed DeLay
- Blunt, Boehner Campaign to Succeed DeLay
- DeLay relinquishes House majority leader post
- Don't Delay, Iraq Leaders Told
- Bush may delay push for major tax overhaul
 |
 |
User Comments (0)
RSS Feeds