Anchorage Daily News: Blog hints at Abramoff, Young link

[PhilipShore]

Anchorage Daily News
Blog hints at Abramoff, Young link
February 19, 2006

http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/7463032p-7373236c.html

WASHINGTON -- Back in 1999, Alaska Congressman Don Young led a congressional delegation to the Marshall Islands, a group of atolls in the South Pacific. At the time, a lobbyist named Jack Abramoff represented the local government of the Marshalls.

Now a political Web site has run an article suggesting the trip Young led was all Abramoff's doing.

"And Abramoff delivered," the Web article, by Brooklyn-based writer Paul Kiel concludes on talkingpointsmemo.com.

Young's office says the article is wrong and that the trip was a normal part of his work then as chairman of the House Resources Committee, which has oversight over matters involving the Marshalls and other U.S.-affiliated islands.

[acmejack]

1. Hints? I'd say they downright say so!

I would love to see Don "Here's Your Bridge" Young take it in the shorts. I know it's childish & I'm sorry. Kind of. A little.

[baby_bear]

2. This is rich

<snip>
Abramoff never gave political contributions to Young, but his clients gave the congressman about $20,000, mostly through his Midnight Sun political action committee. Young, in response to a newspaper editorial, called it "reprehensible" to accuse him of accepting contributions in return for his official work.

Kiel slipped this disturbing note into in his blog: Young, according to an unnamed former government official in the Marshalls, addressed the parliament wearing Bermuda shorts.

Don Young in Bermuda shorts? The congressman's office had no comment.

</snip>

The guy has WAY too much power in determining how taxpayer money is spent. I hope this Abramoff issue sticks like Velcro and takes him down a couple notches. Alaskans should replace him in November.

b_b

[harpboy_ak]

3. He dooz it again...

Yep, ol' Dumb Young...

At the end of the story: He had a lobbyist heading his PAC until recently, then named Ermalee Hickel (wife of ExEx-Gov. Walter J.) as chair. But the PAC's "custodian" is a secretary in the lobbyist's office...

I remember when ABC 20/20 did an expose on Tom DeLay & Dumb Young's junket to the Marianas. ABC got cameras inside a sweatshop using mainland Chinese workers who were literally locked into their factory compounds, so they could work under sweatshop conditions for a miserably low wage, but because the factory was located in the US protectorate of the Marianas they could, thanks to special breaks from Congress, label the clothing as "made in USA".

Young and Delay were filmed telling the sweatshop operator that he was a "great entepreneur" and that the sweatshops were terrific economic development.

Young would never have won that seat if Nick Begich's plane hadn't disappeared.

[kwolf68]

4. Young and DeLay

Can you find two more disgusting creatures in the House? If this scandal takes down no more than just those two men, American Democracy will be better for it.