criminal activity. It is his role as a journalist that is in question.
However, since he has insisted on down-playing the notion that the Abramoff scandal is a Republican scandal, it certainly is helpful to me to find out that he not only attended, but apparently helped with the event that was to benefit Abramoff's 'charity'. This so-called charity has now been established as a fake. No money raised went to the purpose it was raised for, but rather went to Abramoff's pet projects.
Imo, if Chris Matthews was a real journalist, he would have been investigating these people and should certainly have had questions about Jack Abramoff, even bloggers did back then, along with Norquist, Reed et al, but instead, he's blinded by 'access' to their world, and if anything, has been trying his best to defend or diminish the impact of their criminal activity on the lives of the American people.
Even some Republicans have said they had 'concerns' about the neocons, Abramoff and others. Apparently crack journalist, Chris Matthews had none. He worked hard to get the Swifties airtime during the election also, and never had a good word to say about Kerry, as I recall. This man is compromised at the very least. I would have more respect for him if he simply admitted to his partisanship. I really do hate to be taken for a fool. The people deserve the truth.
Since it was generally known in DC that this was Abramoff's own charity, which he set up, and since Chris Matthews helped set up the event, I assume Chris Matthews did know that the event was being sponsored by Abramoff, a top, Republican lobbyist.
Here's a short list of who was there ~ all this does is confirm for me, that Chris is way more comfortable in the company of neocons and rightwingers than he ever was with Democrats. That's fine, except he has never stated his preference, although to most of us, try though he might to hide it, it has been obvious since before the election.
Then we go back to March 5, 2003 and find out that Chris Matthews helped put on an event benefiting the very same "Capital Athletic Foundation":
It's called the Interactive Spy Game Gala. Scheduled for March 26 at the International Spy Museum in Washington, the event's purpose is to raise about $300,000 for the Capital Athletic Foundation....
Fox News Channel's Tony Snow is master of ceremonies, and Fox's Brit Hume and MSNBC's Chris Matthews are aboard. Opera great Placido Domingo is an event committee member. But, this being Washington, the event will be mostly populated by powerful lawmakers, including Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Texas; Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa.; and Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif.http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/1/4/1137/26232