Since 2006, I’ve written about the many ways that John McCain covered-up the Abramoff Scandal. Usually these Diaries are very long and linked filled. They are rich in details and I’ll add a list of some them after the jump.
But this is campaign season and McCain’s cover-up of the scandal needs to be stripped down and simplified if it is to break through and impact this election.
Recently, the Obama campaign released an ad that got me thinking about ways to condense the story of McCain’s cover-up of the Abramoff scandal. Here is the ad:
Nice. And so, I’ve tried to reduce my many McCain/Abramoff Diaries to seven Power Point slides.
For almost a decade I have been tracking Jack Abramoff and the Culture of Corruption and since I became uid 9214, I’ve written about that work here on Daily Kos. For years, I have been writing about the many ways that John McCain covered-up the Abramoff Scandal.
I could write about how the Obama campaign is taking that fight to Curveball John:
There is more to that story and more reasons why McCain should worry about Jack, but I doubt it would break through the waves of panic shaking the netroots.
Yikes! The polls have tightened. Well, what did you expect?
Take a deep breath. Get a backbone. FOCUS.
It’s time to call out the summer supporters and sunshine campaigners.
John McCain is a Corruptionist. For those without a dictionary, that means that he is a politician who has protected and upheld corrupt practices throughout his political career.
His dirty work is obscured by his carefully constructed myth as a "maverick" and his false mask of a reformer. It is all hype. His reputation is built on a twisted web of lies and protected by a legion of well trained sycophants in the media.
Every now and then, a clear portrait of McCain emerges such as last week’s profile in the Phoenix New Times by Amy Silverman, who wrote about the sordid career of the Senator from Arizona—a man she has been covering for years. It is a must read.
Mark it down as yet more data points proving McCain’s deep corruptionist tendencies.
There are many more. His campaign is run by lobbyists and McCain’s bends over backwards to reward the clients of his staff with statements and policy positions.
Sometimes, one must rant about the current state of media, journalism and news coverage in America. Now is one of those moments.
I will get back to my research and Diaries about the Jack Abramoff and his fellow Conservative Corruptionist Creeps destroying our Nation on another day.
I have been on a slow burn since Wednesday and I’ve got to spend a Diary on race-based bias, racism, media bias, the AP and NPR.
Last Sunday was the final day of the UNITY Conference—a gathering of Journalists of Color—in Chicago. McCain and Obama were both invited to speak. McCain blew off the journalists and Barack Obama did not. When he was introduced, Obama was greeted by loud applause and a few cheers. Then he settled in for almost forty minutes of tough questioning from the group.
Naturally, NPR had to use the event to highlight the dangers of a media bias and steam came out of my ears as I listened to Talk of the Nation last week.
John McCain is a Corruptionist. He is a politician who has protected and upheld corrupt practices throughout his political career. The recent trust of his lobbyist laden and Rovian directed campaign is just the latest example from a career that has always been more hype than action, more spin than substance.
John McCain is an empty old man chosen to lead the parade in this cycle when years of lies, corruption and divisive politics are finally catching up with the Republican Party and the conservative movement. McCain got the nod because he has always been trusted to create the illusion of action, while actually doing nothing. When examined, his legislative "accomplishments" are thin and shallow—like McCain himself.
McCain and his fellow corruptionists have one path to victory. They must run the dirtiest campaign in American history. It is ugly and it will get worse. Get ready, because McCain is surrounded by the architects of the Conservative Wrecking Crew destroying our Nation and he is one of them.
For almost a decade I have been tracking Jack Abramoff and the Culture of Corruption and since I became uid 9214, I’ve written about that work here on Daily Kos.
Recently, I came across a major link between Jack Abramoff and the modern Conservative movement that I had over looked.
I have known for a very long time that Jack Abramoff functioned as a Bag-man for the VRWC. I knew his roots went deep—back to the late 1970s, and that much of his work has always been crafted and executed in the shadows. I knew he played a part in the Iran-Contra Affair (working in the basement of the WH with Ollie North) and that he was a lobbyist for the Apartheid era South African Secret Police. I knew he was a dedicated movement conservative who wanted to establish One-Party Rule in the USA. I knew that he almost succeeded.
Hiding in plain sight was that fact that—for the last three decades—Jack Abramoff was also involve in a Domestic Spying program privately run and financed by his fellow co-conspirators on the Right.
He has built a career on a carefully crafted myth breathlessly repeated by his base of sycophants in the press. You know the hype: McCain the Maverick, McCain the Reformer, McCain the Straight Talker, McCain the ______ (insert worshipful drivel here).
Keep in mind that the same folks who sold George W. Bush and his failed policies to America are now working the streets to sell the myth of McCain—"the last honest man in politics".
Those willing to look behind the curtain will find a John McCain that has always surrounded himself with the most corrupt players on the political stage and kept himself one step ahead of exposure. His Abramoff investigation cover-up is a case in point (for details see this Diary).
Another one is the growing scandal swirling around his chief foreign policy advisor, Randy Scheunemann.
Randy shapes McCain’s foreign policy and—surprise—that policy helps Randy’s former and future clients. Ca-ching!
So, the news breaks that Phil Gramm is "resigning" as John McCain’s economic advisor. And like all members of his Corruptionist Party he whines as he leaves the spotlight for the shadows.
In truth, he isn’t going anywhere. It is a play for the rubes in the cheep seats and the well-trained media sycophants who make up McCain’s "base". McCain can no more quit Gramm than he can quit Bush or quit his very long record of enabling and protecting corruption in politics. Despite a well crafted myth to the contrary, Curveball McCain is running to continue the policies of Gramm, Bush, Gingrich, DeLay, Norquist, Abramoff, Black and the long, long list of Republican grifters who have built their identity, careers and livelihood on the destruction of our Constitution and our Government.
Have you ever wondered about the seemingly endless scandals that have become an everyday attribute of Conservative rule? Have you ever been appalled by the incompetence smothered with a thick coating of self righteous greed?
Have you ever thought that these endless scandals can’t be an accident, or random coincidence?
Well, wonder no more. It is by design.
In August, Thomas Frank will have a new book out.
It is called "The Wrecking Crew: How Conservatives Rule" and it helps to explain why there is so much failure and corruption when Republicans are in charge—it is part of their plan.
The August issue of Harper’s Magazine has an essay adapted from the book. This is perfect reading material on the way to or from Netroots Nations or whenever you can get your hands on a copy.
This morning I joined the walk for the last few blocks on the way to the White House and the circle that gathered on Pennsylvania Avenue. I thought I would share a few photos of the event:
This was a spiritual walk of protest—a call to action to oppose Legislation in Congress that would strip the indigenous peoples of America of their rights, land and Tribal Sovereignty. The Walk was led by Native Americans, but representatives of all races and many Nations joined in solidarity to fight this attack on justice, dignity and human rights.
In 1978 I had no idea that joining the Longest Walk would change the arc of my life, but it did.
Tonight, another group of walkers are on their way to DC and the Longest Walk 2 should reach the White House Friday morning. I plan to be there.
I want to honor the path that the Longest Walk set me on. I want to honor all of those who have chosen to set themselves on a path of change, a path of action and the fight for justice as we work to take this Country back.
At the start of the 2006 cycle he was at the top of my list—just after Tom DeLay—of Abramoff-connected weasels that I wanted to see defeated. Unfortunately, in 2006, Dana was in a safe seat with a little known and underfunded Democratic challenger. I kept him high on the list of the Abramoff 65, but I set my sights on others.
This time out, Rohrabacher is back at the top of my list. And I am very happy to see that he has a serious challenge: Debbie Cook.
In the circles of Hell reserved for politicians there is a special place for those pols who were specifically charged with fighting corruption and chose instead, to enable it.
The ethically challenged Doc Hastings has been in Congress since 1994 and his career is highlighted by his extreme dedication to Tom DeLay and the Leaders of his Party. As for the people of his District, they are just the chumps who keep sending him back to Washington no matter how little he does for them. This year, his luck may be about to run out.
The WA-04 is shaping up to be a very interesting race. Right now it is rated as being Safe Republican, but I have a hunch that this is one of the long-shot races that could suddenly become very competitive.
A fired-up Democratic base, a very corrupt Republican, a great Democratic Candidate and the unique "Top Two" Primary on August 19 create an opportunity for real change.
John McCain has an undeserved reputation as a maverick. The hype is overwhelming. For many, the great gap between his actual record and the myth he’s carefully crafted is too much to take in. They would rather embrace the myth than confront the truth. Reality hurts their brains. And yet, I am afraid that I have to hurt the brains of McCain’s media sycophants—like the equally ancient David Broder—just a bit more.
Inside the beltway McCain gets a lot of praise and credit for the exposure and investigation of the Abramoff Scandal. It is undeserved.
When it comes to the Abramoff Scandal, the real work has been done by some fine investigative reporters and the Department of Justice. I’ll also give props to the various Congressional Committees that have revealed very narrow slices of information and several thousand pages of documents, but none of these Congressional-based inquirers could be called a full investigation of the scandal. That has not happened and it may never happen.
The reason is John McCain.
He morphed a nascent investigation into a cover-up and went on to embrace Abramoff’s most corrupt cronies.
In November 2000 I was driving back to Maryland from Michigan where I had worked to GOTV for Al Gore and Debbie Stabenow. I helped elect a Senator, but as I listened to NPR on the way home I could not believe what was happening.
I was angry, frustrated and very, very concerned for the fate of the Country I loved. I knew things were going to get very, very bad if Bush stole the election. By that time I had already been researching Jack Abramoff, Tom DeLay and their web of corruption for a little over a year. It was clear to me what these guys would do if they had the run of our Government.
At a stop for gas I was so distracted by these thoughts that I drove away with the pump nozzle still in my tank—as I paid $125 in repairs, I knew that this was only the first of the many payments and indignities that Republican rule under George W. Bush would cost me and my Nation.
The reality quickly settled in: the core issue was (and still is) Taking this Country Back!.
Then came 9-11 and Bush used it to win the 2002 midterms. Next came Iraq and it seemed everybody had surrender to Republican rule.
If you’re like me, sometimes your mind wanders to the year 2000 and what might have been if only the votes had been counted.
It is at those times that it becomes hard to untangle the rush of emotions as I think about the legacy of George Bush, his appointment by the Supreme Court and what might have been if we had Al Gore in the White House.
At these moments, I think about Florida and I get mad.
Now, anger has fueled me over the last decade as I’ve researched and exposed the culture of corruption. Truth be told, it still does.
It was Jack Abramoff’s role in the Florida recount that had my hair on fire back in late 2000 and 2001. He sent his team. He raised money, lots of money—on and off the books. He funded the infrastructure of the coup d’état we suffer under to this day.
Without Abramoff and his fellow lobbyist—the shadow army of the GOP—George W. Bush would be a village resident of diminished mental capacity somewhere in Texas.
Instead, every day, he gets to insult and diminish the Nation I love.
As they say, "The wheels of Justice grind slowly..."
In the Bush years, Justice hardly moves at all.
The absence of justice has become expected (and I’m sure that you could cite at least twenty examples of failed justice in the Bush years—or more).
The list of unfinished investigations is staggering as is the ever expanding list of scandal.
Cleaning up after the Bush era will take a generation. It will take a revitalized Department of Justice. A DOJ that is willing to pursue crime (instead of covering it up). The same will go for the House and the Senate.
All of these institutions have failed us in the Bush Years.
A better day is coming. Barack Obama long had the best record and the best proposals for cleaning up Washington. And now he is our Nominee. He is a real reformer.
John McCain pretends to be a reformer when a teevee camera is near. In reality has lived to protect the status quo with cover-ups and misdirection—and that is the extent of his record.
Like 2006, corruption is a big issue in 2008. It is impacting the Main Event and many Senate and House races.
And in September a corruption bomb will drop on the GOP.
Monday, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee released a new draft Report and hundreds of documents detailing the extensive contacts and close working relationship between Jack Abramoff, his Team and the Bush White House.
It is rich in scandal details and I could write 20 Diaries about it if I had the time.
I find myself spending time talking to researchers, reporters and sources from Alaska to Florida (and many States in between) and helping them connect the dots.
