Rohrabacher discusses his Abramoff connection

[question everything]

Friday, January 06, 2006

Rohrabacher discusses his Abramoff connection

South Bay congressman says disgraced lobbyist was more of a friend than ally but plans repayment.
By Nick Green
Daily Breeze

After previously defending longtime friend Jack Abramoff, South Bay Rep. Dana Rohrabacher has now acknowledged the Republican lobbyist broke the law and said he plans to return $3,000 in political contributions received directly from him.

Speaking for the first time since Abramoff pleaded guilty this week to two sets of felony charges, Rohrabacher, R-Huntington Beach, acknowledged Wednesday that the disgraced power broker "made some very serious errors in decision-making and moral decisions." "I think that Jack did break the law," he said. "I'm sorry he's made decisions, wrong decisions, in later years that have now destroyed him. Those were things you certainly can't condone -- people who are being dishonest with their clients."

Rohrabacher said initially he was unaware of the details of Abramoff's crimes, which are at the center of a broad congressional corruption investigation. Before changing his mind after the guilty pleas, Rohrabacher had complained to The Washington Post in an article published just last week that the lobbyist had "been dealt a bad hand and the worst, rawest deal I've ever seen in my life."

(snip)

Still, Rohrabacher went on at least two overseas trips sponsored by Abramoff clients. In the late 1990s, lawmakers that included Rohrabacher and embattled former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay -- who stepped down from the post in September when he was indicted in Texas on charges of conspiracy and money laundering -- visited the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. protectorate. The National Journal, a conservative Washington-based political weekly, labeled Rohrabacher as a "key Abramoff ally in blocking Democratic efforts to impose labor regulations" on the islands. Rohrabacher said that was in line with his anti-regulation political philosophy anyway.

(snip)

"Washington can be intoxicating at times and I think over the years there have been many people who ended up being seduced into very bad decisions by the lure of power and money and Jack obviously made some poor decisions," Rohrabacher said. "He made some mistakes and made some very bad decisions and now he's going to have to pay the price."


Find this article at:
http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/articles/2157752.html

[NanceGreggs]

1. Oh, puleeeze!

"Rohrabacher said initially he was unaware of the details of Abramoff's crimes, which are at the center of a broad congressional corruption investigation ..."

Can we all throw in a couple of bucks and buy these guys some TV sets, radios, maybe a subscription to a newspaper?

He was unaware of the Abramoff details - yeah, and Brownie was unaware there were people stuck at the Convention Centre.

Does EVERYONE in the Republican party spend ALL OF THEIR TIME reading 'The Pet Goat'?

[DS1]

2. It's really grown old

Like Rumsfeld, you'd think he spent his life inside a cave. Didn't see that, didn't hear this, don't know about that. Nobody knows anything in the GOP

[NanceGreggs]

3. Nobody knows anything in the GOP ...

... that sure explains A LOT, doesn't it?

[DS1]

4. Well that's the thing

Of course they know, they just consider themselves above having to answer questions, so they say they don't.

They LIE to the American people! What will we tell the children?

[gratuitous]

5. Manfully conceded, Dana

Yes, it's a pretty safe bet to say that someone broke the law after THEY PLEAD GUILTY TO BREAKING THE LAW, you fucking tool.