The Republican Casinos for Bribes scandal

[Walt Starr]

I often refer back to the scandal that brought down Illinois Governor George Ryan and the entire Illinois GOP, and today I was struck with the fact that both the "Licenses for Bribes" scandal and the Abramoff scandal are incredibly similar in their complexity.

So why did the "Licenses for Bribes" scandal end up resonating with the Illinois general public?

First of all, one to the truckers who obtained a license in the scandal when he was in no way qualified for an over the road truck driver class A license crashed into a family vehicle and ended up killing an entire family.

Second, it got the catchy name in the press.

What the Democrats need now is a focal point for who the scandal hurt, probably a small Native American tribe that spent thousands, if not millions, to lobby, but were bilked out of the livelihood they were trying to obtain for the tribe.

I think we have a name for it in my subject line.

[Perky]

1. THis could wind up being a wedge issue

Splintering the Religious right who does not want Gambling in their back yards,

[Lerkfish]

2. weird. I misread that as "Casinos for BriDes scandal"

sorry about that! made me open the thread expecting something completely different!

anyways, to the actual OP:

I think what HAS to happen is interviewing the actual tribe leaders about how they were betrayed.
I have NEVER seen that happen yet, I must have missed it.
We need to show VICTIMS.

[John Q. Citizen]

3. The victims got a guilty plea from Abramoff. We the public at large

are the victims of the corruption of congress.

[Walt Starr]

4. But there are others that suffered directly from the scandal

namely, several Native American tribes who were bilked out of money by Abramoff.

[Lerkfish]

5. agreed, I'm just saying no one has interviewed them, to my knowledge.

the indians I mean, which is creepy like how no poor blacks were interviewed on Katrina, but we got endless stories of rich white property owners and their struggles to rebuild.

:shrug:

[Bobbieo]

6. Indians and Abramoff

The tribe in question that was scammed on both ends by Abramoff are the Tiguas from the El Paso area. I have been writing about them since last fall on my Native Unity blogspot and they were interviewed on the CBS Evening News last Friday.

This is the tribe Abramoff successfully lobbied against to take away their casino for the Christian Right, then approached them for funds to get their casino back. This is also the group he was referring to when he called them "idiots, monkeys and troglodytes" in a published memo.

Nice fella!!!!!

[Lerkfish]

7. good! I'm glad someone is giving them access to media, but I think there

should be a lot more!