http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/01/03/abramoff.plea/index.html

My money is on Delay at a minimum.

Lets hope Delay goes to jail for a long long time.
But I'll believe it when I see it.

Funny thing about scandals. With the Republicans it's about money. With the Democrats it's about sex.

I hope the whole town right, left and center. Take the money out of Washington is the only way to clean it up. Revamp lobbying laws and rules.

I don't believe it. I can agree with tk on something.

tk posted an article concerning Abramoff and the gambling cruise line that was very good reading. Anyone that hasn't read and is interested in this case should read it.
I'm not sure what the title of his post was.
tk - if you remember, you should bump it up or edit it with Abramoff's name.

I'm in agreement twice in one night. The list of who is involved is long and ugly, here's the top 20: http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?i=w050620&s=crowley062305 The last I heard, there were many more than 20 recepients of Abramoffs' generosity.

Screw lobbyists. Make politians, whom by the way represent each and every one of us, get off their fat asses and visit their constituents to find out what they want instead of relying on some lobbyist-hustler to buy votes. Lobbyists are lower than whale chyt.

There will be many a candidate trying to run on being anti lobby / low campaign contribution platform. Unless you're independently wealthy, that's a tough road to hoh...

Seems there are two motivations to go into politics. 1. you want to make a difference 2. you want to be someone. #1 coems from a position of wealth or influence and is less likely to be bought #2 is dangerous because they come from nothing to moderate menas and are looking to be someone.

How strange that anyone would profess to believe that the only people going into politics to make a difference come from positions of wealth and influence.

And stranger still, with attitudes like that, that the GOP is able to con so many people into voting for them.

At least TK is out front about his political philosophy. If the rest of his fraternity were equally "honest" the Republican party would vanish into well-deserved obscurity.

Republicans lie so much because lying about who they are and who they represent is fundamental to the way they come to power. If they were truthful about their political and social attitudes, like good old TK, no one would vote for them!

"How strange that anyone would profess to believe that the only people going into politics to make a difference come from positions of wealth and influence."

On avg. SS. not the exception.

If you believe that what is going on on the right side of the isle is not going on on the left side of the isle you need a lobotomy. The barret report for example will show you one of the most corrupt presidents in history was WJ Clinton. It will name an equal or greater number on the left side that the Abramoff deal will for the right.

You lefties have tried to say the same about Bush but after 5 years nothing has come of it. Not one charge,lie or inuendo that the left has raised has stood up to any test. You could not even raise a decent challenger to beat him in two elections. The current left is the most inept group possibly in the history of American politics.

How about listing a few of these wealthy and influential people who have gone into politics to "make a difference?" And what "difference" did they want to make?

Is Dumbya on your list? He certainly came from a wealthy and influential family. Of course he tried to conceal that fact, pretending to be a good old boy from Texas.

What difference did Dumbya have in mind other than presiding over a massive transfer of wealth from the American middle class to the already wealthy?

Off the top of my head Maria Cantwell. Made a bit off of her Stock from Real Networks. Refused to take money for her campaign and wanted to pay for it out of her personal campaign. Then the stock took a dip and I think she took a few bucks. Her whole campaign was based on just doing it for the love of the state.

You should get around and meet your elected officials.

There's a third motivation which is more common. Some influential group approaches you about running. They'll back you if you'll back them.

The country is ready for politicians who claim to be about responsibility and integrity. Let form a new party, the Responsibility and Integrity Party, RIP!, and run Salmo G. for governor, with a hidden agenda of restoring Steelhead runs to historical levels.

Chants for 3rd parties are white flags for people that have little to no understaning of how elections work in this country. People that join 3rd parties are real live fools.

Chants for keeping a two party system are white flags for defeatists that have given up on America. People that discourage a third political party embrace facism and hate the very ideals that America was founded on.

Neocon-victs.

How is saying that 3rd parties are useless and will never work in the American elections system and being able to back it up with the history of over 200 years of elections facist and defeatist? Spell it out smart guy. Show us how 3rd parties have come to power and made a difference in the US.

"Ooow, it's never worked before." There's no use in trying." "Besides, it's easier simply being a patsy."

Hey, great attitude. Good thing Napoleon wasn't in charge of the Revolution.

There's the glass half-full that most of us have; the glass half-empty that scared little neocons have; and then there's Napoleon's empty glass, which by the way matches his credibility.

Come on quit dancing around the turd and make your case. How can a 3rd party be effective in our election process. It cant't. Its been proven. Even the libertarians have given up and a few have been elected as Republicans. They realize the only way to power in this country is within the frame work of the two party system.

You call for an end to corruption but not a change in the current two party system? Huh?

A third party has no chance until or if the system changes. If that ever happened then they'd have a great chance. Not too many voters happy with either party right now. Unfortunately the influence and dollars are tied up amongst the two parties.

You apparently have no idea how the elections work in this country. compare them to the brittish parlimentary system and you will see the underlying issue. Until then talking about thrid parties in this country is the defininton of menatl illness, doing the same thing over and over again hoping for a different result. My tag line sums that up real well.

Like "Stay the course?"

Clean it up but stay the course. Can you not check the box for the libertarian candidate if you wish? Or are you saying it doesn't matter how we vote since it's rigged? I'd believe that after Bush.

So Napoleon said:
Was there really only one party before the 1850's? It was just the Democrats having the whole government to themselves? Or did the GOP only invent themselves when the Whigs got tired and went home?

"Can you not check the box for the libertarian candidate if you wish? "

You are free to not vote or vote and throw your ballot in the garbage can. It has the same effect as voting for any 3rd party. People think they are making a statement or making hay for a cause when they vote 3rd party where by doing so they have removed themselves from any system of change.

TK, the two party system is entrenched because of people like you. It can change if the majority wish it to change.

Naive

Defeatist.

Makes sense that GH would see some one beating their head agains the wall and call them an optimist.