at least they love democracy

Matt Tiabbi has a rollicking article on abramoff in RollingStone

First a fact:

"Abramoff's CFA experience was extensive enough, however, to make him a character in the Iran-Contra scandal. His ostensible role was to raise support for the Contras through the CFA. "Abramoff was a bit player in Iran-Contra," says Jack Blum, a Washington lawyer who served as a special counsel to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee during the Iran-Contra investigation. "That's where he learned that the money wasn't in the ideological skulduggery world. It was in the go-buy-the-government world." But, Blum adds, Abramoff's experiences with various conservative foundations and nonprofits during this period proved valuable later on. "This is when he made all his connections," he says. "It was through them that he learned that it was much more lucrative to work in the commercial end of politics.""

irancontra. who knew?


and some commentary (the thesis of Tiabbi's piece is that these guys are smart/stupid):

Is this smart? Sure, if you're fucking ten years old. If your idea of smart is turning an IMF loan into Redskins tickets, then, yeah, this is smart. But another way to look at it is that these assholes got themselves Redskins tickets by giving $18 billion to one of the most corrupt governments on Earth. I'd call that buying at a premium.

[...]

Everyone sold themselves on the cheap. They apparently got Rep. Bob Ney (R-Ohio), and many others in the House, to lie back and open their legs all the way for a few thousand dollars in campaign contributions. In the Third World, corrupt politicians at least get something for selling out the people -- boats, mansions, villas in the south of France. If you offered the lowest, most drunken ex-mobster in the Russian Duma $5,000, $10,000, $15,000 in soft money for his vote, he would laugh in your face; he might even be insulted enough to shoot you. But Jack Abramoff apparently got any number of congressmen to play ball for the same kind of money.

They targeted Congress, the courts, the integrity of elections, and the free press, and in every corner they found willing partners who could be had for a few bucks and a package of golf tees. That doesn't mean Jack Abramoff was so very smart. No, what that says is that America is no longer trying very hard. And when Jack Abramoff hears his sentence, ours will certainly be made plain soon after. Jack Abramoff was the Patient Zero of Washington corruption. He's the girl at school that everyone got a piece of, including two janitors in their forties. It strains all credulity to think that he's been talking to the Department of Justice for months and yet prosecutors still have to "encircle" a lone congressman, Bob Ney, as has been reported. If Ney is the big target the government made a deal with Abramoff for, we'll know we've been had again.

sounds like he is riffing off me:

"the other amazing thing about corruption in america is that its so fucking cheap! when you read the indictments, its like $10,000 here and $5000 there.
[...]
in some weird universe, thats kinda the saddest thing. its so fucking cheap! congresscritters have an average wealth of $20 million or more - yet they sell their souls for $10k - sometimes for $10k donated in their name to some other group! corrupt officials in places like india and africa must think this is hysterical!

abramoff, for all his largesse, spent 'nearly $3million' (although its not clear what that number ex/includes) - and he donated to 171 (or something) congresscritters! if abramoff can do so much damage with just a few sprinkles of cash, imagine what a murdoch (for example) can do with lots more than $3m in 'soft' money. or GE or any of the others.

... that this sort of money in america can buy you significant slices of 'democracy'. its quite remarkable. and really fucking cheap.

at least they love democracy"

it still astonishes me.