It's the REPUBLICANS, Stupid!- Page 2

[miss pennywise]

Posted: 1/3/06 at 3:13pm

I don't think anyone disagrees that "dirty" pols--both Dems and Republicans--deserve what's coming to them and should face the consequences of their actions.

The reason that many people are expressing glee that Republicans are going down is that the Republican Party has built its platform on morals and ethics and reminded everyone ad nauseum that the Democrats are Bible-hating, freedom-loving heathens who want to convert our hard-earned tax dollars into hand-outs for the poor (aka "people who should get off their lazy asses and go out and get a job").

A lot of people are tired of hearing how "liberals" (aka "Democrats") have destroyed the moral fiber of America. Now that some Republicans have been exposed for being as corrupt as the Democrats they have maligned for years, it is understandable that half the nation is enjoying this little tip in the scales.

My brother (who only recently shifted from atheist to agnostic) sent me an interesting article from Harper's titled, "The Christian Paradox: How a Faithful Nation Gets Jesus Wrong." Good reading about what it supposedly means to be a "Christian" and how screwed up the U.S. is when it comes to doing good and making money.


http://www.harpers.org/ExcerptTheChristianParadox.html

[YouWantitWhen????]

Posted: 1/3/06 at 3:14pm

Pappa, you might find this interesting:

Mahoning County--Innumerable Flipped Votes and Extra Votes
Facts

We have received numerous reports of transfers of votes for Senator Kerry to votes for President Bush. Specifically, in Youngstown, the Washington Post reported that their investigation revealed 25 electronic machines transferred an unknown number of Kerry votes to the Bush column. Jeanne White, a veteran voter and manager at the Buckeye Review, an African American newspaper, stepped into the booth, pushed the button for Kerry--and watched her vote jump to the Bush column. ``I saw what happened; I started screaming: `They're cheating again and they're starting early!' ' The Election Protection Coalition also confirmed these voting ``glitches' noting that a ``voter reported `Every time I tried to vote for the Democratic Party Presidential vote the machine went blank. I had to keep trying, it took 5 times.' '

The voting machine in Youngstown experienced what election officials called ``calibration problems.' Thomas McCabe, Deputy Director of the Mahoning County Board of Elections, stated that the problem ``happens every election' and ``t's something we have to live with and we can fix it.'

There is also information, still being investigated, that in several precincts, there were more votes counted by machine than signatures in poll books (which includes absentee voters). This would mean that more people voted by machine at a precinct than actually appeared at that location. For example, in CMP 4C Precinct, there were 279 signatures and 280 machine votes. In BLV 1 Precinct, there were 396 signatures but 398 machine votes. In AUS 12 Precinct, there were 372 signatures but 376 machine votes. In POT 1 Precinct, there were 479 signatures but 482 machine votes, and in YGN 6F Precinct, there were 270 signatures but 273 machine votes. It would appear from these numbers that the machines counted more votes than voters.


And here: http://web.northnet.org/minstrel/youngstown.htm


Breaking News - Election Problem Reports Updated On: 1/3/06 at 03:14 PM

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 1/3/06 at 3:17pm

he grew up in and still lives in "the hood" as he merrily describes it.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 1/3/06 at 3:22pm

*Jerby puts on his haute couture foil hat by Dolce & Gabbana*

Bush stole BOTH elections.

The only reason I haven't gone insane is because clearly my party hasn't been able to expose them or at the very least out corrupt them, so in that sense, survival of the fittest. *Jerby tips his foil hat to papa*

However, the "fittest" are finally collapsing and my party seems to be getting wiser. Or, hubris is finally crumbling the GOP from within. Implosion explosion!

So, as long as elections ARE fair in '06, you can bet the Dems will take back the Congress. America is fed up.

*Jerby does a dance with his tin foil hat and farts in papa's general direction*

[YouWantitWhen????]

Posted: 1/3/06 at 3:24pm

I guess we have different definitions of the "hood":


Mahoning County

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 1/3/06 at 3:25pm

and jerby provides his usual breath of, er, "fresh" air.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 1/3/06 at 3:35pm

*jrb_actor, YouWantItWhen??? and PalJoey do a happy dance*

[PalJoey]

Posted: 1/3/06 at 3:36pm

While PapaLovesMambo scowls on the side...

[PalJoey]

Posted: 1/3/06 at 4:46pm

Word is the next two reprsentatives to be felled by Abramoff are...SURPRISE, SURPRSE!!!...Republicans John Dolittle and Conrad Burns.

[WindyCityActor]

Posted: 1/3/06 at 4:47pm

[PalJoey]

Posted: 1/3/06 at 4:55pm

Says it all, Windy: The Republican Culture of Corruption.

They have turned our democracy into an oligarchy.

Our Time to turn it back is here.

[etoile]

Posted: 1/3/06 at 6:42pm

Is it wrong that every time I hear of Mahoning County all I think about is James Traficant...and his hair?

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 1/3/06 at 7:05pm

ah, jimmy. the man who took on the fbi and won with the story that he was taking mob money as part of a double secret probation-esque sting operation about whch he'd not bothered to inform anyone. he spoke to my high school government class. now that was a democrat you could respect.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 1/3/06 at 7:20pm

AP says Republicans are in for a political TSUNAMI!

snippet:
----

"You don't have to be a political genius to sniff the smell of blood in the water," said GOP consultant Rich Galen.

Galen said even lawmakers in seemingly safe districts, and those "who don't have a reputation for being fast and loose with the rules," could be vulnerable if voters rise up in reproach "and everybody drops five or six points" in this year's midterm contests.
Analysis: Abramoff Plea May Rock GOP Boat

[PalJoey]

Posted: 1/3/06 at 9:11pm

From Jane Hamsher at firedoglake:


The GOP's Very Bad Day

[Glebb]

Posted: 1/3/06 at 9:16pm

Gene Kelly's fifth position with arms en eau is quite perfect.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 1/3/06 at 9:18pm

And THAT'S why we adore you so, Glebby. ;-}

[PalJoey]

Posted: 1/3/06 at 9:37pm

Another AP article makes it clear that this is going to be a REPUBLICAN scandal.

snippet:
-----

Whatever the legal ramifications, there was swift political fallout at the dawn of an election year in which minority Democrats intend to make ethics a campaign issue.

In a turnabout, House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., joined the roster of politicians announcing plans to donate Abramoff's campaign contributions to charity.

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi said Abramoff's confession in court was "not a surprise because this Republican Congress is the most corrupt in history and the American people are paying the price."
Abramoff Pleads Guilty, Will Cooperate

[PalJoey]

Posted: 1/3/06 at 10:09pm

And an ABC News analysis comes up with similar conclusions:

snippet:
-----

But beyond just exposing the corrupt behavior of a rogue lobbyist and possibly some lawmakers, some political analysts say the scandal could have broader implications and shed light on a system in which Republicans, in control of Congress over the last decade, pressured lobbying firms to give top positions to GOP loyalists, and then took contributions from those lobbyists and their clients, which helped solidify their own power even further.

"I believe it's much more widespread than people had thought, and thoroughly corrupt," says Norman Ornstein, a congressional expert at the American Enterprise Institute. "It's part of a broader scheme that says, we're in power now, and to the victor go the spoils." ...

Whether or not any lawmakers wind up going to jail, the political effects of the scandal could be widespread. Although some Democrats may also wind up implicated, the majority of Abramoff's contributions and dealings were with Republicans. And Democrats have already made it clear they hope to run in 2006 on a national campaign of restoring checks and balances to government — attacking what they call a "culture of corruption."

In the most recent ABC News poll, Democrats had increased their advantage over Republicans on the question of whom the public trusts to "handle ethics in government" — leading 47 percent to 38 percent. Democrats also held a 42 to 34 percent advantage on "standing up to lobbyists and special interest groups."
Abramoff Plea Could Have Far-Reaching Implications

[PalJoey]

Posted: 1/3/06 at 10:24pm

Snippet from the NY Times article:

With Mr. Abramoff's cooperation, the Justice Department will have a potentially critical witness to alleged patterns of corruption or bribery within the Republican leadership ranks, which in some cases they believe also took the form of campaign donations and free meals at Mr. Abramoff's downtown restaurant, Signatures.

After more than two years of investigations, prosecutors have developed a list of at least a dozen lawmakers, congressional aides and lobbyists whose work appears suspect and who are now at the core of the case.

Already, prosecutors had a key witness in Mr. Scanlon, once press secretary to Mr. DeLay. When Mr. Scanlon reached a plea agreement last year, it put pressure on Mr. Abramoff to reach his own deal.

Now that Mr. Abramoff has done the same, one person involved in the case said: "When some people hear about this, they will clamor to cut a deal of their own."
G.O.P. Lobbyist Pleads Guilty in Deal With Prosecutors

[PalJoey]

Posted: 1/4/06 at 7:54am

And Washington Post here. It's becoming more and more clear that this is about Republican corruption, not bipartisan or Democratic.

snippet:
-----

Jack Abramoff represented the most flamboyant and extreme example of a brand of influence trading that flourished after the Republican takeover of the House of Representatives 11 years ago. Now, some GOP strategists fear that the fallout from his case could affect the party's efforts to keep control in the November midterm elections.

Abramoff was among the lobbyists most closely associated with the K Street Project, which was initiated by his friend Tom DeLay (R-Tex.), now the former House majority leader, once the GOP vaulted to power. It was an aggressive program designed to force corporations and trade associations to hire more GOP-connected lobbyists in what at times became an almost seamless relationship between Capitol Hill lawmakers and some firms that sought to influence them.

Now Abramoff has become a symbol of a system out of control. His agreement to plead guilty to three criminal counts and cooperate with prosecutors threatens to ensnare other lawmakers or their aides -- Republicans and possibly some Democrats.
Case Bringing New Scrutiny To a System and a Profession

[PalJoey]

Posted: 1/4/06 at 9:18am

Another juicy WaPo snippet:
---

Republicans worry about two possibilities. The first is that Abramoff, known for his close ties to DeLay, mostly implicates Republicans as a result of his plea agreement. That could shift public attitudes sharply against the GOP. "People are uneasy about what else is out there," said one GOP strategist who requested anonymity to speak more candidly about the possible political fallout.

Beyond that is a fear that the scandal and attention it could draw in the months before the election might further sour the public on Washington and Congress. As the party in power, Republicans know they stand to lose more if voters take retribution in November.

[YouWantitWhen????]

Posted: 1/4/06 at 10:34am

It looks like Charities are going to have a banner month -

Politicans, including President Bush, are disgorging hundreds of thousands of dollars previously donated by Abramoff:

"President Bush's re-election campaign will give the American Heart Association thousands of dollars in campaign contributions connected to lobbyist Jack Abramoff, the White House said Wednesday, as the government pressed forward with a broad-ranging corruption investigation.

White House press secretary Scott McClellan said Wednesday that Abramoff, his wife and the tribal associates that he helped win influence on Capitol Hill donated thousands to the Bush-Cheney '04 campaign. Donations to charities has been the policy in similar situations in the past, McClellan said."



Bush to Give Away Abramoff Donations

[PalJoey]

Posted: 1/4/06 at 11:03am

If they only had a heart...

[SonofMammaMiaSam]

Posted: 1/4/06 at 11:12am

or a brain