MOYERS ON AMERICA: CAPITOL CRIMES - the Abramoff/ Delay connection

[JohnWxy]

Watched this last night. Really good. Goes into the depth of the corruption. Dissects Delays money laundering to fund the Republican take-over of the Texas Legislature. None of this will ever be discussed on MSM in anywhere near this depth.

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/moyersonamerica/capitol/index.html




"Capitol Crimes"

"It's a dizzying scope of perfidy and politics that boggles the imagination, and although Jack Abramoff and Tom DeLay have been brought down, the system remains as vulnerable as ever," says Bill Moyers. "The scale of corruption still coming to light dwarfs anything since Watergate. In one sense it's the age-old tale of greed, but greed encouraged now by the way our system works. Deep in the plea agreements of Jack Abramoff and his cronies is the admission that they conspired to use campaign contributions to bribe politicians; campaign finance is at the core of the corruption. They took great pains to cover their tracks, and they might have pulled it off except for a handful of honest people, and the work of some enterprising print reporters, Senate investigators, and the ethics team at the department of justice. Following the money in this story leads through a bizarre maze of cocktail parties, golf courses, private jets, four-star restaurants, sweatshops - and the aura of chandeliered rooms frequented by the high and mighty of Washington."

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/moyersonamerica/capitol/abramoff.html

"The Abramoff trail also leads to the Marianas, a US territory in the Pacific that Congress exempted from the U.S. minimum wage and immigration laws. The islands are home to Chinese-owned factories, where low-wage workers were imported from China and the Philippines and forced into slave labor conditions, living in squalid shacks behind barbed wire, to produce "Made in the USA" goods. As pressure built in the mid-1990s for a bill to impose U.S. laws on the islands, Abramoff was pitching his client-the government of the Marianas-as a regulation-free paradise and taking lawmakers, including Former Speaker of the House Tom DeLay (R-TX), there on luxury junkets. "Capitol Crimes" lays out how Abramoff's influence with DeLay kept reform legislation from ever being debated on the floor of the House. Former Senator Frank Murkowski (R-AK), who sponsored legislation after seeing the appalling working conditions in the Marianas first hand, asks: "How could we have, in the United States, working conditions like this under the U.S. flag?"

[Mabus]

1. That was a great show

We watched it last night. Not a lot of new information but it will certainly open some people's eyes. I've recommended watching it to a few friends.

[Suich]

2. Excellent program!

I'm amazed that these guys say they're Christians with a straight face, especially DeLay.

:hi:

[JohnWxy]

9. Yeah. I don't know if Delay is a psychotic or just the most evil creep

the Republicans have managed to scrape up (and that's saying a lot!).

[JohnWxy]

10. also, the discussion at the end with orenstein and auathor of

"What's the Matter with Kansas" was really good. Orenstein, a traditional conservative was very critical of the current situation.

the guy (name slips my mind) who wrote "What's the Matter with Kansas", made, I thought a good point that these guys who are so contemptuous of government profit from a growing distrust and cynicism about government which they help create. It enables them to move in and make matters worse. i was glad to hear somebody say that.

It pisses me off to hear people say "oh they're all like that." --wait a minute, The Dems, like any organization of people, have some who are less committed to the goals and ideals of the organization(They are people, not angels). There are some who, gien the chance, will line there pockets. But at least the Dems DO HAVE IDEALS and want to accomplish something through public service. But most Republicans speak of ideals only to get into power. For most of them the only objective they have is to sabotage the Government and sell influence to the highest bidder. For Dems, when corruption does occur it's kindof a cottage industry (that goof ball from Louisiana with money in his freezer). The Republicans are a completely different matter. they have developed it into a business. It's what they are there for - influence and the money it gets them. Clinton may have rented out the Lincoln bedroom, the Republicans are selling the entire Government.

[Name removed]

11. Deleted message

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[sallyseven]

3. Too bad this isn't on the MSM

it would open many eyes. I watched it last night we have a really awful bunch of people around the WH.

[JohnWxy]

13. IT'S ASTOUNDING THAT THIS HASN'T BEEN GIVEN COVERAGE by

the Corporate MSM - given the magnitude of the Abramoff- Delay operation. - but then, maybe not so astounding. they're just public relations bureaus for the Repubs now. That's why people are leaving MSM for the web. So they can find out what's really going on.

Meanwhile CBS puts Katy Couric on as evening news anchor.

The MSM types won't get off their knees for the Repubs.

[napi21]

4. I watched it, and it us excellant!!!!! it does reair several times.

Check the PBS web site to see when itairs again in your area!

Moyer details just how the Party of corruption worked. The RW Christians will be very ashamd of the People they supported because of how they were used!!!!!

[acmejack]

6. Look at the times it reairs here!!!

Moyers on America

Capitol Crimes

A look at the Jack Abramoff scandal.

Friday, October 06, 12:00 AM
KLRUG


Moyers on America

Capitol Crimes

A look at the Jack Abramoff scandal.

Friday, October 06, 3:00 AM
KLRUG


Moyers on America

Capitol Crimes

A look at the Jack Abramoff scandal.

Saturday, October 07, 2:00 AM
KLRU - Channel 18


Moyers on America

Capitol Crimes

A look at the Jack Abramoff scandal.

Saturday, October 07, 2:00 AM
KLRUDT


Moyers on America

Capitol Crimes

Debut: Bill Moyers examines issues in the news.

Monday, October 09, 3:00 AM
KLRU-2


Moyers on America

Capitol Crimes

A look at the Jack Abramoff scandal.

Monday, October 09, 3:00 AM
KLRUG

[Suich]

7. It only reairs once here!

2am on October 8!

I guess I'll be taping it...:)

[cosmicdot]

14. it can be viewed online at the pbs link, too

I'm watching it now. Having dialup, I usually have download delays.

Upon clicking the link to watch it online, one can choose to use either Real Player or Windows Media Player. I chose the latter, and it's been smooth sailing so far.

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/moyersonamerica/capitol/index.html

:thumbsup:

[texpatriot2004]

5. K & R nm

[mom cat]

8. Moyers is one of the greats!

[JohnWxy]

12. Maybe he will show some fake journalists how it's done.

[HootieMcBoob]

15. k&R

:kick:

[historian]

16. YOU ARE RIGHT

It was a wonderful program unfortunately though it played on pbs (I believe) which the average repuke doesnt watch. We have reached a point in this country where the essential laws no longer count - its us dems vs repukes and to hell with all else. sad

[Dover]

17. A very informative piece, as usual, by Moyers. The corruption runs deep

in D.C. on both sides of the aisle. But the GOP's contempt for the institution of government and it's pro-corporate agenda is insideous like some corrosive cancer that has attached itself to our ship's hull and is eating away it's infrastructure, laws, etc.
Like the melting of the polar icecaps, it's progressing at alarming speed.

And as the gentleman who writes for Roll Call said at the end of the show, this is ultimately their purpose..to destroy government as we've known it and move toward corporate governance (which is fascist). And all this corruption happening at the worst possible time with our country and the planet at a critical crossroads and in dire need of leadership. That is why I think that activists should refocus their efforts and direct their energies toward the covert corporate backers of this destruction, rather than on their frontmen in the White House.

But beware any 'saviors' which appear to offer salvation. We are vulnerable to that old con game as well.

[Imagevision]

18. Step right up, We Got Delay,We got Abramoff,We Got Reed, We got Scanlon

yesiree, get your checkbook r-e-a-d-y!!

[keopeli]

19. Grover Norquist got off scott free!

This is truly unbelievable.

His Committee for a Republican Majority put Abramoff in touch with Tom Delay and the Indian Casinos via Ralph Reed.

How has he escaped prosecution?

He seemed like the smartest among the group. Maybe he took pains early on to cover his ass.

So, he'll probably be around for a good long time.

Goodie.

[glitch]

20. It ain't over yet.

Keep a good thought.