Thursday, January 05, 2006
The Abramoff Affair - Panic among the Hogs
Definition of bribery (Answers.com):
"Bribery is the practice of offering a professional or an authority person money or other favours in order to circumvent ethics or other rules in a variety of situations. It is a form of corruption and is generally illegal, or at least cause for sanctions from one's employer or professional organisation."
The headlines are revealing.Margaret Carlson, Bloomberg News
Abramoff fed Washington's outstretched hands
For every sport, Abramoff had a skybox; for every occasion, his very own swank watering hole, where the drinks were on the house. The saga loops from the elegant golf course of St. Andrew's in Scotland to Florida's Gold Coast, where a casino owner who fell out with Abramoff was murdered.
With Abramoff having cut his deal with prosecutors, the scandal shifts from the givers to the receivers.
Bush to Give Up $6,000 In Abramoff Contributions
- Republican Party officials said yesterday that President Bush will give up $6,000 in campaign contributions connected to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff, joining an expansive list of politicians who have shed more than half a million dollars in tainted campaign cash.
Key Events in the Abramoff Investigation
- Jan. 3: Abramoff pleads guilty in Washington to mail fraud, conspiracy and tax evasion charges in federal court in connection with his lobbying work. House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., announces he will give money received from Abramoff to charity.
- Jan. 4: President Bush and DeLay announce they will give money they received from Abramoff to charity.
---Amos Bronson Alcott (American reformer, Philosopher and Teacher, 1799-1888)