From: "Mark" 

It ain't just Republicans. So don't get too carried away with gloating on
that score. That said, any guilty parties deserve what's coming to them.

"Rich Gauszka"  wrote in message
news:43bb518e$1{at}w3.nls.net...
> The Republican Party as a whole has some additional worries with the
> scandal.
>
> http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/03/AR20060103015
36.html
>
>
> But 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.
>
>
> "Randy"  wrote in message
news:43bb4c45{at}w3.nls.net...
>> wonder how many aides will be cutting their own deals....
>>
>> Rich Gauszka wrote:
>>> http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=1465619
>>>
>>> WASHINGTON Jan 3, 2006 - Lobbyist Jack Abramoff will plead guilty to
>>> federal charges in Washington and Miami, clearing the way for him to
>>> cooperate in a massive government investigation of influence peddling
>>> involving members of Congress, lawyers said Tuesday.
>>>
>>> As part of the deal, prosecutors were filing conspiracy, fraud and tax
>>> evasion charges against the embattled lobbyist, a Justice Department
>>> official said.
>>>
>>> Abramoff was scheduled to appear at a hearing in U.S. District Court
>>> here later Tuesday, said department spokesman Bryan Sierra. Abramoff was
>>> expected to plead guilty to three charges as part of his agreement.
>>>
>>> Abramoff was then to plead guilty to two criminal charges in Florida
>>> stemming from a 2000 purchase of a fleet of gambling boats, said Neal
>>> Sonnett, his attorney there.
>>>
>>> Abramoff will plead guilty to two of the six charges in a federal
>>> indictment, Sonnett said.
>>>
>>> U.S. District Judge Paul C. Huck has scheduled a telephone status
>>> conference for later Tuesday. Four other charges in Florida will remain
>>> pending.
>>>
>>> Any such plea agreement likely would secure the Republican lobbyist's
>>> testimony against several members of Congress who received favors from
>>> him or his clients. The Justice Department is believed to be focusing on
>>> as many as 20 lawmakers and aides.
>>>
>>> Pressure had been intensifying on Abramoff to strike a deal with
>>> prosecutors since former partner Adam Kidan pleaded guilty earlier this
>>> month to fraud and conspiracy in connection with the 2000 SunCruz boat
>>> deal in Florida.
>>>
>>> Abramoff's cooperation would be a boon to an ongoing Justice Department
>>> investigation of congressional corruption, possibly helping prosecutors
>>> build criminal cases against up to two-dozen lawmakers of both parties
>>> and their staff members.
>>>
>>> The continuing saga of Abramoff's legal problems has caused anxiety at
>>> high levels in Washington, in both the Republican and Democratic
>>> parties.
>>>
>>> White House spokesman Scott McClellan could not say Tuesday whether
>>> Abramoff ever met President Bush. But when asked at the White House
>>> about this, the spokesman said that "what he is
reportedly acknowledged
>>> doing is unacceptable and outrageous."
>>>
>

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