GOP links tribe funds to Dem sens.

[Rose Siding]

Senate Republicans have received new evidence that Michigan Sens. Carl Levin (D) and Debbie Stabenow (D) worked closely with embattled Sen. Conrad Burns (R-Mont.) to win federal funds for an Indian-tribe client of indicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
....
The log stated that Levin and Stabenow inquired “about the status of the Tribal School Construction Demonstration Program administered by as it applies to a recent decision by the Acting Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs affecting the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe of Michigan.”
....
“Senator Stabenow has always been open about the fact that she, along with Senator Levin and Congressman Camp, have sent letters and advocated on behalf of their Michigan constituents,” she said.

Aides to Stabenow and Levin had acknowledged the January letter, but the letter they sent to the department after it ruled against Saginaw Chippewa has not previously been reported.

Levin and Stabenow have largely avoided criticism of their work on behalf of the tribe because it hails from their home state, which is easier to defend than work for an out-of-state gambling interest.....

Stabenow received more than $6,000 from Abramoff clients. Burns, who accepted nearly $50,000, ranks fifth on the Center for Responsive Politics list of individuals who received the most money from Abramoff clients. Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.), Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) and GOP Reps. J.D. Hayworth (Ariz.) and John Doolittle (R-Calif) rank ahead of Burns.

http://www.hillnews.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/042606/news4.html

Wow. Democrats worked to fund a school for the Saginaw. In their own state even though the tribe had swung its traditional support to their opponents. Scandalous.

[DoYouEverWonder]

1. Haven't Dems always worked to help tribes?

Is there supposed to be something wrong with helping any particular interest group? I'd rather give the money to the Indians then to give it Big Oil.

[warrens]

5. The whole issue is that until Abramowitz, virtually all money went to dems

It was the out-and-out bribery of Repukes that is the issue. Dems have always backed Native rights, and consequently got most of the campaign donations. This was pure pay-for-play.

[Demit]

2. LOL! Well of course! That $6000 was just too much of a temptation

Anybody would crumple and become corrupt when faced with THAT much money >snark<

[bain_sidhe]

3. How much money did they get BEFORE those tribes

became "Abramoff clients"? This is a rhetorical question in Stabenow's case, since the Saginaw Chippewa were Abramoff clients before Stabenow became a senator (I think). But still, evidence on other Democratic congresscritters who received money from "Abramoff clients" shows that those people actually received *more* (either as a percentage of total giving, or in hard numbers) from the tribes *before* they became "Abramoff clients."

This MSM practice of naming everybody who ever hired Abramoff as "Abramoff clients" -- thereby leaving the impression that the recipient is part of the "scandal" -- has got to be challenged more forcefully. The question at issue with "Abramoff clients" is whether the funds they're talking about were *directed* to that congresscritter by Abramoff.

[jsamuel]

4. man, they really think we are stupid, don't they

[rodeodance]

6. well... loke what we have --a repug wh, house and senate and sc. Stupid?

[CGrantt57]

7. No, they know most people are stupid...

They're just testing the limits.

[DELUSIONAL]

8. "we" aren't stupid -- but the GOP base is really really stupid

and they are playing to their dumb ass base.

[bunkerbuster1]

14. No, just FauxNooze viewers

At this point, it's all about keeping the faithful huddled together, in the dark and covered in shit.

[TankLV]

9. The REPUKES are LYING again, as usual.

I don't believe ANYTHING that comes from their filty lying pie holes!

We shouldn't either.

This is a REPUKE ONLY scandal!

NO DEMOCRATS are involved!

No matter how much these repukes wish it so.

[AX10]

10. Democrats have always backed Natives rights.

There is no reason such a senior Democrats as Carl Levin would do anything wrong such as this.
The Democrats are clean.

[KansDem]

11. This is a smoke screen. It still doesn't say Abramoff gave $$$ to Dems...

"Abramoff's clients" is NOT the same as Abramoff.

The GOP must be really desperate to try this kind of spin...

[superconnected]

12. I'm shocked!

They didn't blame Clinton.

[Ignacio Upton]

13. Not to change the subject, but

I wish that we would deal with the potential problem of Hillary receiving donations from an Asian sweatshop family with ties to Abramoff, who unlike the tribes are ethically-challenged in their own right:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=1000726&mesg_id=1000726

As for this new "revelation" it's a big pile of bullshit.

[anotherdrew]

15. hello? media? It's not about Abramoff's clients it about abramoff damn it!

I'm so god damn sick of this assinine reporting.

[stillcool]

16. Republicans 'receive' news?

how many times are they going to pitch this shit? It's getting old, having to dodge, bobble, weave, and wade through the mountains of horse-shit 'our government' puts out. How's that plan to limit lobbyists influence going?