35,000 % can anyone out there grasp a gain of 35,000%? its like........what?
MSN Money - CNBC News - Jobs' gain on Pixar: 35,000: "Jobs' return so far on Pixar is an astonishing 35,000% since he bought the computer graphics division of Lucasfilm, Ltd. for $10 million in 1986. That translates into an average annual return of 1,750% or a 34% compounded annual return. The gain on the Standard & Poor's 500 Index since the beginning of 1986 is just 500%. (Lucasfilm is the production company of Star Wars creator George Lucas.)"

Golf is Bad: Lesson from the laybramoff scandal
Golf - Political Scandals - Jack Abramoff - New York Times: "But now, as the Abramoff ordeal in Washington unfolds, golf is acquiring the whiff of scandal, its exclusive fairways and cozy clubhouses redolent of an improper commerce between money and influence. "
Golf is bad. The ominous warning can almost be heard echoing across the greens of the political establishment, where the game is not only a cherished pastime but has increasingly become a critical cog in the wheels of campaign financing and lobbying. Lavish political fund-raisers are built around golf tournaments. Fact-finding Congressional trips are tailored to cross paths with golf resorts. Candidates and their supporters spend tens of thousands of dollars on golfing costs each campaign cycle - more and more each year, it turns out - as part of the cost of doing political business.

Trust and Truth...according to Rove:
"we have to continue to show we deserve the trust of our fellow Americans." only Rove could so completely ignore a major corruption scandal in his own party.

The Fix - Chris Cillizza's Politics Blog - (washingtonpost.com): "'As the governing party in America, Republicans cannot grow tired or timid. We have been the opportunity to govern; we have to continue to show we deserve the trust of our fellow Americans.'"

Reality, realism, truth-
my so far favorite quote on the issue of author James Frey 'embellishing' his 'memoir.
this is a quote by "Porterhouse" from a column by Jabari Asim in the Wa. Post- do go and read the whole piece- it sets thing in perspective
The True Fictions in Frey's Memoirs: "'They don't bother me,' he replied. 'Ours is a culture of deception. The Pilgrims deceived the Indians and it just went from there. Politicians lie on a daily basis. Corporations doctor their books to boost profits. And writers? What else can you expect? I always think of Janet Malcolm's definition of a journalist: 'He is a kind of confidence man, preying on people's vanity, ignorance, or loneliness, gaining their trust and betraying them without remorse.' Readers get victimized all the time.'"

The great thing about the Abramoff DeLay Scandal is the way it is bringing liberals and conservatives together in condemnation of corruption, and in excavating the history of washington corruption. Here is David Broder in the Post on Lyndon Johnson: Its a Texas thing.
DeLay's Texas Model: "If Tom DeLay was blind to the perils of mixing money and politics, business and government, he was true to the tradition of his state, where the long-dominant Democratic Party plumbed all possible permutations of that intimate connection.
To take but one example, consider the phone conversation between Lyndon B. Johnson and George Brown, chairman of the board of Brown & Root, the construction giant, on Jan. 2, 1964, soon after Johnson became president, as quoted in 'Taking Charge: The Johnson White House Tapes, 1963-1964.'
As Michael Beschloss, the editor of the volume, summarized the conversation, 'Brown, one of Johnson's earliest financial backers, . . . has asked him on behalf of another old supporter, Gus Wortham, a Houston insurance tycoon, and John Jones, president of the Houston Chronicle, to ask Robert Kennedy's antitrust officials to suspend antitrust restrictions against a merger they are seeking between two Houston banks. As a master horse-trader, Johnson . . . wants a written promise from Jones that the Chronicle will support him as long as he is president.'
Brown tells Johnson that Albert Thomas, the Houston congressman who is also working on the merger, thinks that the deal the president wants is 'too much of a cash-and-carry thing . . . too much of a trade. . . . It'd hurt you as well as them.'
But Johnson won't be deterred. 'If they don't want to tell me that they're my friends in writing. . . . I'm not going to do it as long as their attitude's that way. You get me that letter,' Johnson orders, ' . . . and I'll have them sit down with the Controller of the Currency and we'll override the whole goddamned outfit. And they'll do it, to hold their own jobs.'
That is how business was done. Johnson himself inh"

Corruption Capers Continue
from the rolling Stone, via think progress via ....
Rolling Stone : Culture of Corruption, Indeed: "What does a disgraced former House majority leader do when forced to abandon all hopes of reclaiming his post? If you're Tom DeLay you take the House Appropriations Committee slot vacated by criminally corrupt congressman Randy 'Duke' Cunningham.
As the folks at ThinkProgress remind us, Cunningham's top 'co-conspirator' -- military contractor Brent Wilkes -- is also tight with DeLay. Very tight.
From the San Diego Tribune:
Wilkes... kept his donations flowing, targeting people with clout over the Pentagon budget [including] $30,000 to Tom DeLay, who flew on Wilkes' jet several times and has been a frequent golfing buddy.
Over the past three years, Wilkes' lobbying group in Washington -- Group W Advisors -- also paid about $630,000 in lobbying fees to Alexander Strategy Group, a firm headed by DeLay's former chief of staff Ed Buckham and staffed with former DeLay employees. The firm has a well-publicized reputation in Washington as a conduit to DeLay's office.
'The Alexander lobbyist's sales pitch was, 'Either you hire me or DeLay is going to screw you,''an anonymous source identified as a top Republican lobbyist told the Congressional Quarterly weekly last month. 'It was not really a soft sell.' "

Conservative double dealing? Tucker Carlson ought to be an un-biased authority:
What really smells about Abramoff scandal - The Situation with Tucker Carlson - MSNBC.com: "So it was with not all that much surprise that I read Lou Sheldon's name again recently, in a story about disgraced lobbyist and admitted felon Jack Abramoff. According to the Washington Post, Sheldon allegedly took money from an Abramoff client called eLottery and in return pressured members of Congress to defeat an anti-gambling bill. Sheldon was joined in this by former Christian Coalition head Ralph Reed, another longtime Abramoff friend.
The usual good government types will point to the Abramoff scandal as yet another reason we need tougher campaign finance laws and more stringent ethics rules in Washington. Maybe they're right. But there's a deeper kind of corruption here.
Why were supposedly honest ideological conservatives like Sheldon and Reed and anti-tax activist Grover Norquist involved with Jack Abramoff in the first place? Keep in mind that Abramoff's business wasn't just gambling, which by itself should have been enough to scare off professional moralizers like Sheldon. Jack Abramoff was a lobbyist for Indian gambling. Over the years Abramoff and his now-indicted partner took more than $80 million from a half a dozen tribes in return for their efforts to keep Indian gambling revenues tax free.
Step back and think about this for a second. Indian tribes get a special pass from the federal government to run a high-margin monopoly simply because they are Indian tribes, which is to say, simply because of their ethnicity. This is the worst, least fair form of affirmative action, and it should be anathema to conservatives. Conservatives are supposed to support the idea of a meritocracy, a country where hard work not heredity is the key to success and everyone is equal before the law. Conservatives should despise Indian gambling on principal.
And some still do. But others "

from Political Cortex, an interesting site which has just come to my attention-
on one of my favorite subjects, gambling.
Political Cortex: "Lucky Louie" Sheldon implicated in Gambling Scandal [Updated]: "Reading through the profiles of the various players, one gets a picture of the way that Reed and Sheldon were part of the comlicated scheme in which gambling and anti-gambling interests were played off each other -- while GOP consultants with close ties to then-House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) made lots of money.
[Update]: Here is the original Washington Post report, with more details of Abramoff's relationship with Sheldon. "

Corruption to follow Corruption?
here is a new blog that showed up on google with the low-down on blunt and Boehner, vying to suceed DeLay.

Cortex quoted CBS from 2003

GOP Whip Tried To Aid Tobacco Pals
(CBS) House Majority Whip Roy Blunt is coming under fire for trying to help tobacco giant Philip Morris USA in last November's homeland security bill.

Blunt's ties to the company include large campaign donations from the company - $150,000 since 2001 to committees affiliated with Blunt. His son, Andrew, also works as a lobbyist for Philip Morris back in his home state of Missouri.

The Washington Post reports that just days after he was named to the House's third-highest leadership post, Blunt - who has close personal and political ties to Phillip Morris - tried to slip a pro-tobacco provision into the bill creating the new Department of Homeland Security.

Which all goes to show that even though these episodes were all reported, everyone knew, no-one seemed to care, until the Abramoff scandal broke, and more important, until the big A pled guilty- then DeLay's defenders suddenly had to stop hiding behind the "vendetta" excuse. Interesntingly, conservative blogs are still touting the idea that its not about Republicans, its all politicians.
Political Cortex: Perpetuating Corruption: Tom DeLay's Replacements: "And yet, one of the top contenders is Rep. Roy Blunt of Missouri, one of the most corrupt members of Congress. The other is at best only soft on corruption and at worst, based on the REPUBLICAN view of the Abramoff scandal (not our own), the other, Rep. John Boehner of Ohio, is among the most corrupt Congressmen around. In their blind quest for power, Republicans just don't get it. Americans don't like corruption. "

Casey in the Chron Considers Pols Corruption of Charities
politicians set up charitable foundations, and encourage donars to give generously. One of the advantages of making charitable contributions to a politician's charity is that disclosure is not required, at least in political databases. Another is that the size of the contribution is not limited, enabling donors to stand apart from the crowd.
Chron.com | Charitable corruption: "Even when a charity is legitimate, we ordinary taxpayers have to wonder whether donors are buying tax breaks and other favors unavailable to us. Now that DeLay has lost his leadership post, we may acquire some evidence. If corporate and lobby donations remain at their extraordinary level, we'll know donors were motivated by charitable instincts, not political calculations.
Consider some of the major donors to DeLay's personal charities, according to the New York Times: ExxonMobil and AT&T at $50,000 each; Corrections Corp., which runs federal prisons, $100,000; the Bill & Melinda Gates (as in Microsoft) Foundation, $100,000; and the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, $250,000.
These are only a few. One of the advantages of making charitable contributions to a politician's charity is that disclosure is not required, at least in political databases. Another is that the size of the contribution is not limited, enabling donors to stand apart from the crowd.
Funding charities by selling political clout is unseemly enough, but recent revelations from Abramoff and related investigations offer darker plots."

Brief Peek Back to Bubble World:
while we have all been absorbed in courrpution and fraud, real estate bubbles around the world have been .....what?
well, here is one bubble that burst-
A Home Boom Busts - Los Angeles Times:By Don Lee, Times Staff Writer " American homeowners wondering what follows a housing bubble can look to China's largest city.
For the first time, homeowners here are learning what it means to have an upside-down mortgage — when the value of a home falls below the amount of debt on the property. Recent home buyers are suing to get their money back. Banks are fretting about a wave of default loans.
About 1 million homes in Shanghai alone — about half the number of housing starts for the entire United States in 2004 — are under construction.

"They'll remain empty for years," Xie said, adding that a jolting comedown also was in store for other Chinese cities with building booms — including Beijing, Chongqing and Chengdu — though other analysts say the problem is largely confined to Shanghai.

"Shanghai's housing bust comes after a doubling of prices in the previous three years, a run-up fueled by massive speculation. Investors from Hong Kong, Taiwan and elsewhere were buying as fast as buildings were going up. At least 30% to 40% of homes sold were bought by speculators, says Zhang Zhijie, a real estate analyst at Soufun.com Academy, a research group in Shanghai."
"Ordinary people had no option but to follow the trend," Zhang said. "Worrying that prices would be even more unaffordable tomorrow, many of them borrowed from relatives and banks to buy as soon as possible."

For Wang Suxian, the tale of two lines illustrates how the bubble has burst.

When home prices were at the tail end of the boom in March, Wang hired two migrant workers to stand in line for a chance to buy units in what the developer said was modeled after an apartment community on New York's Park Avenue.

The workers waited 72 hours, including cold nights, but the 35-year-old was thrilled to come away with two apartments, one for $110,000, about the average price for a new home in Shanghai, and another for $170,000. They were among Wang's four investment properties.

And for a short period, Wang believed she was raking in hundreds of dollars a day for doing nothing, as property prices in the city kept soaring.

But today, prices at the complex have fallen by a third, and the lines of frenzied buyers are gone. Wang is among dozens who are fighting the developer to take the apartments back.

A Donor Who Had Big Allies - Los Angeles Times: By Richard A. Serrano and Stephen Braun, Times Staff Writers
"two Northern California Republican congressmen used their official positions to try to stop a federal investigation of a wealthy Texas businessman who provided them with political contributions."

Reps. John T. Doolittle and Richard W. Pombo joined forces with former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Texas to oppose an investigation by federal banking regulators into the affairs of Houston millionaire Charles Hurwitz, documents recently obtained by The Times show. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. was seeking $300 million from Hurwitz for his role in the collapse of a Texas savings and loan that cost taxpayers $1.6 billion."
The effort to help Hurwitz began in 1999 when DeLay wrote a letter to the chairman of the FDIC denouncing the investigation of Hurwitz as a "form of harassment and deceit on the part of government employees." When the FDIC persisted, Doolittle and Pombo — both considered proteges of DeLay — used their power as members of the House Resources Committee to subpoena the agency's confidential records on the case, including details of the evidence FDIC investigators had compiled on Hurwitz.

Then, in 2001, the two congressmen inserted many of the sensitive documents into the Congressional Record, making them public and accessible to Hurwitz's lawyers, a move that FDIC officials said damaged the government's ability to pursue the banker.
The FDIC's chief spokesman characterized what Doolittle and Pombo did as "a seamy abuse of the legislative process." But soon afterward, in 2002, the FDIC dropped its case against Hurwitz, who had owned a controlling interest in the United Savings Assn. of Texas. United Savings' failure was one of the worst of the S&L debacles in the 1980s.
In key aspects, the Hurwitz case follows the pattern of the Abramoff scandal: members of Congress using their offices to do favors for a politically well-connected individual who, in turn, supplies them with campaign funds. Although Washington politicians frequently try to help important constituents and contributors, it is unusual for members of Congress to take direct steps to stymie an ongoing investigation by an agency such as the FDIC.

And the actions of the two Californians reflect DeLay's broad strategy of cementing relationships with individuals, business interests and lobbyists whose financial support enabled Republicans to extend their grip on Congress and on government agencies as well. The system DeLay developed and Abramoff took part in went beyond simple quid pro quo; it mobilized whatever GOP resources were available to help those who could help the party.

In the Hurwitz case, Doolittle and Pombo were in a position to pressure the FDIC and did so. Pombo received a modest campaign contribution. In another case, Pombo helped one of Abramoff's clients, the Mashpee Indians in Massachusetts, gain official recognition as a tribe; the congressman received contributions from the lobbyist and the tribe in that instance.

Andrew Wheat, research director for Texans for Public Justice, a nonpartisan electoral reform group based in Austin, put it this way: "DeLay and Hurwitz seem like natural allies in that they have geographic and ideological proximity. Mr. Hurwitz is a guy who has a reputation of being willing to pay to play. And DeLay likes to play that game too, so there's a natural affinity."

"Is corruption just a part of Washington's DNA?" asks NYT....Now this is interesting,
"What else explains the grim resignation of Washington veterans who wonder when, not whether, some scandal will arise?"
"The history of civilization, for starters," said Fred Wertheimer, president of Democracy 21, an ethics group. "This kind of problem is faced by all societies throughout all of history. It comes and goes in cycles, and becomes most prevalent when the activities are viewed as O.K. by the society where it's taking place."
"For watchdogs like Mr. Wertheimer, and for many Democrats, such tolerance dates to the Republican takeover of Congress in the mid-1990's, when new leaders like Representative Tom DeLay of Texas began a campaign to fill the capital's K Street corridor with Republican lobbyists, and made it plain that those seeking to influence legislation would have to "pay to play," in the form of political contributions and other largesse."
Lobbying - Week in Review - New York Times: "Is corruption just a part of Washington's DNA? What else explains the grim resignation of Washington veterans who wonder when, not whether, some scandal will arise?"

ARMPIT of Republican Corruption Scandal:
I know this is confusing, the whole thing is confusing, I de-constructed most of this from the NYT article, but they seem to have done the same to the Post. Here are some new snipits emerging:
Armpac, Americans for a Republican Majority, the leadership committee that raised money for Mr. DeLay, operated out of the offices of Alexander Strategy, the second firm under investigation- founded by Edwin A. Buckham, a close friend of Mr. DeLay's and his former chief of staff, and "a lucrative landing spot for several former members of the DeLay staff, people who are directly involved in the case have said." [NYT]
Mr. Buckham also ran the U.S. Family Network, pseudo-grassroots organization tied to Mr. DeLay that, according to The Washington Post, was financed almost entirely by clients and associates of Mr. Abramoff. People involved in the case said they expected investigators to examine whether Mr. DeLay cast a vote in Congress in exchange for donations to the networkalso connected with Dirty Dukie Cunningham: Cunningham resigned after pleading guilty to accepting bribes from a defense contractor that did business with Alexander Strategy.
Clients included included Microsoft, United Parcel Service, Time Warner, Freddie Mac and Eli Lilly & Company
"DeLay Inc.," designated his extensive network of allies and former aides scattered throughout the lobbying firms in Washington; but word on the street [former aides of his said]is that DeLay responded more quickly to calls from Alexander Strategy than he did for any other firm,
Alexander Strategy's name has also surfaced in the course of a corruption investigation that implicates the defense lobbyist Brent Wilkes, who is an unnamed co-conspirator in the criminal case against former Representative Cunningham. Mr. Cunningham pleaded guilty in December to accepting $2.4 million in bribes from Mr. Wilkes and others. Mr. Wilkes's firm, Group W, also hired Alexander Strategy to do lobbying work, and Mr. DeLay used a plane partly owned by Mr. Wilkes.

The scandals swirling around the Alexander franchise, composed of roughly two dozen lobbyists at its offices on the waterfront in Georgetown, have delighted its former rivals while triggering concerns in the lobbying community that the entire business may be tarred.



Officials Focus on a 2nd Firm Tied to DeLay - New York Times: "For years, Alexander Strategy was one of the crown jewels of the so-called K Street project, an effort Republicans began after taking control of Congress in 1994 to dominate the lobbying industry. The hope, exemplified by Mr. Buckham's company, was for Republican lobbyists to harness the power of their corporate clients to help keep the party in power for years to come.
The successful history of Alexander Strategy since its founding in the late 1990's offers a window into the nexus of Mr. Abramoff, Mr. DeLay and the lobbying world over the last decade or so of Republican control of Congress.
As Mr. DeLay grew more powerful in Congress, the lobbying firm rose in prominence on K Street, building an impressive roster of clients for such a young company and earning, according to records, about $8.8 million lobbying in 2004. That ranked it in the middle of the pack among Washington's largest lobbying firms, but its client list - including Microsoft, United Parcel Service, Time Warner, Freddie Mac and Eli Lilly & Company - suggests what was, at least at one time, a powerful and well-connected operation."

Wal-Mart Executive used "anti-union activities" as cover for embezzlement. he pleads guilty.
Former Wal-Mart Executive to Admit Fraud: "According to a company report released in July, Coughlin, whose compensation topped $4 million in 2004, used company money to pay for CDs; beer; an all-terrain vehicle; a customized dog kennel; and a computer, a graduation gift for his son, explaining that they were routine business expenses.
Until this point, Coughlin maintained that the money was spent on anti-union activities, such as paying people to identify stores where union leaders planned to organize. Wal-Mart executives had said there was no evidence to support that claim. The company opposes union organization of its workers, arguing that unions would create inefficient labor rules and create more costs for the workers in the form of union dues. The company maintains that it has an 'open-door policy' that encourages employees to come forward with concerns."
Former Wal-Mart Stores Inc. vice chairman Thomas M. Coughlin has agreed to plead guilty to five counts of wire fraud and one count of tax evasion later this month, according to a source familiar with the case.

Boodlers
Looking for lists of particiapants so you can follow along at home? here is an interesting site.
Think Progress � Abramoff: The House That Jack Built: "A comprehensive look at the potential scope of the �biggest scandal in Congress in over a century�: "

The scoop- Scanlon done in after breaking off engagement.........
Jack in the Box: "Raw Story has the back story on the plea of Abramoff associate Michael Scanlon:
'Scanlon was implicated in the Abramoff scandal by his former thirtysomething fiancee, Emily J. Miller, whom he met in the late 1990s while working as communications director for former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX), three former associates who worked with Scanlon at DeLay's office said. Colleagues say Miller went to the FBI after Scanlon broke off their engagement and announced his intention to marry another woman.'"

DeLays effort to minimize investigation by tamping it down could backfire as Prosecutor expands probe. The whole thing is set to blow up big-time, if you ask me.
Prosecutor Broadens DeLay Inquiry: "The Texas prosecutor who secured an indictment of Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) on money-laundering charges broadened the scope of his inquiry into election spending yesterday, demanding documents related to funds that passed through a nonprofit organization, the U.S. Family Network.
The group, which was founded in 1996 by DeLay's then-chief of staff, Edwin A. Buckham, received $500,000 in 1999 from the National Republican Congressional Committee and used some of the money to finance radio ads attacking Democrats. The Federal Election Commission fined the party in 2004 for its role in the funding."

Abramoff's contributions list-
you have to check this out- I would have copied it onto my site here, but its about 15 feet long.
AMERICAblog: Because a great nation deserves the truth: "What was that about Abramoff giving money to Democrats?
by John in DC - 1/04/2006 01:15:00 AM "

What the money could have done-
Ernest Portillo in the AZ Star-
"I called several local charities to ask how they would spend $50,000, a nice arbitrary figure.
"Fifty thousand would make a huge impact," said Lisa Hopper, president and founder of World Care, a Tucson-based charitable organization.
That much money would pay for 26,000 packets of school supplies. Or it would buy 500 wheelchairs for people who lack insurance or whose insurance won't pay for the equipment.
With $50,000, World Care could refurbish at least 5,000 donated computers, Hopper said.
Marguerite "Peg" Harmon, chief executive officer of Catholic Community Services of Southern Arizona, said $50,000 would provide 15 families with quality, safe day care for a year. This would allow the parents to work and provide for their children, she said.
The $50,000 would be enough to house four families, pay the costs of delivering babies for 10 to 12 women or provide a dental checkup and teeth cleaning for 700 children, Harmon said.
At Interfaith Community Services, formerly known as Northwest Interfaith Center, Executive Director Bonnie Kampa said $50,000 would help the elderly and the working poor improve their lives. Kampa would take the $50,000 and divide it equally five ways.
The money would pay for 13,700 meals for homebound elderly, for 125 people to get emergency prescriptions, and for 80 people to get minor car repairs so they can drive to work.
In addition, 200 people would receive $50 for uniforms or shoes required to start a new job and 500 would be able to pay for identification cards or paperwork required by new employers, Kampa said.


Ernesto Portillo Jr.: Corruption money could do much good | www.azstarnet.com �: "According to The Associated Press, Abramoff raised at least $100,000 for President Bush's re-election and gave $5,000 to Bush's Florida recount after the disputed 2000 election. "

All those Greasy Palms- Yeech!

Look I have to say that now that the shit has hit the proverbial fan, I am more depressed and disgusted than elated. Now the story is all over the press, the crooked, conniving, corrupt politicians will get their comeuppance. Now that the pleas are in, the press will pile on. But this is a situation, a complex of corruption that has been ongoing for SIX YEARS people. Where was the press when DeLay was orchestrating the K Street Project? Didn’t anyone wonder about Michael Scanlon, DeLay’s chief of staff heading up his own consulting firm? Or where the barrels of money were pouring in from? Or why? Remember the brouhaha about “selling the Lincoln bedroom that they tarred Clinton with? We now know that Bush, DeLay and Company were selling not only the whole White House, but the Capitol too, a package deal. And what have they shown us as accomplishments for all this effort and ill-gotten gain? “Get us elected and we will cut taxes for the rich, and for corporations and eliminate some of those pesky environmental regulations.” What a deal. Of course, once elected, the republicans could be counted on to do all that anyway, so what were all those PACS paying for? The key phrase is “once elected.” They were paying to build up war chests to insulate themselves in a cocoon of money to intimidate rivals, and to buy elections. As none other than an old favorite says, below.

Who is the firebrand who says: "this city is building a wall of money to protect itself from America.'
Newt Gingerich????!!!
When a Firebrand Burns His Bridges: "'The election process has turned into an incumbency protection process in which lobbyists attend PAC fundraisers to raise money for incumbents so they can drown potential opponents, thus creating war chests that convince candidates not to run and freeing up incumbents to spend more time in Washington PAC fundraisers. So, in effect, this city is building a wall of money to protect itself from America.'"

Jack Abramoff and the Politics of 2006 - Yahoo! News: "By any serious definition of the word, Republican super-lobbyist Jack Abramoff is a rat. His decision to enter guilty pleas Tuesday to three felony counts of defrauding his own clients merely added a personal acknowledgement of the fact to the official record. Frank Clemente, the director of Public Citizen's Congress Watch, summed things up succinctly, and accurately, when he said Tuesday: 'Make no mistake about it: Abramoff is a crook.' "
Radio ranter Rush Limbaugh was already warning his listeners on Tuesday about the "A-bomb" that is expected to explode when Abramoff starts cooperating with Justice Department investigations of members of Congress. Limbaugh suggested that the scandal will become "a modern-day version of term limits" that potentially could do more damage to Republicans than the increasingly widespread public discontent with the unwavering support most GOP members of Congress have given to the Bush administration's failed Iraq policies.

THE big issue of the millenium
"Prove Christ exists, judge orders priest"
History News Network: "An Italian judge has ordered a priest to appear in court this month to prove that Jesus Christ existed."
Signor Cascioli’s one-man campaign came to a head at a court hearing last April when he lodged his accusations of “abuse of popular credulity” and “impersonation”, both offences under the Italian penal code. He argued that all claims for the existence of Jesus from sources other than the Bible stem from authors who lived “after the time of the hypothetical Jesus” and were therefore not reliable witnesses.

ABRAMOFF TO PLEAD.......stay tuned folks, its going to be a wild toad ride.
Chron.com | Abramoff plea bargain to bring corruption probe to Congress: "A plea agreement between prominent lobbyist Jack Abramoff and federal prosecutors is expected this week, bringing a wide-ranging corruption probe to the doors of Congress, according to sources close to the investigation."