Abramoff Clients Shifted Donations To GOP

by Scott Shields, Fri Jan 27, 2006 at 10:36:17 PM EST

Typically, I don't like jumping on a topic "me too!" style.  (Unless I'm inadvertently stealing things from Matt, which I seem to love.) But if every single progressive blog on the internet doesn't have this story front-paged at some point this weekend, I'll be extremely disappointed.

The American Prospect commissioned a study of the political donations given by Indian tribes that had hired Jack Abramoff. The analysis was conducted by the non-partisan, for-profit campaign finance-specific research company Dwight L. Morris and Associates. The company's work has been cited heavily in the past by numerous media outlets, including the Republican-friendly Fox News and World Net Daily. Something tells me they won't be reporting this data, however. (Via Daily Kos)

  • in total, the donations of Abramoff's tribal clients to Democrats dropped by nine percent after they hired him, while their donations to Republicans more than doubled, increasing by 135 percent after they signed him up;

  • five out of seven of Abramoff's tribal clients vastly favored Republican candidates over Democratic ones;

  • four of the seven began giving substantially more to Republicans than Democrats after he took them on;

  • Abramoff's clients gave well over twice as much to Republicans than Democrats, while tribes not affiliated with Abramoff gave well over twice as much to Democrats than the GOP -- exactly the reverse pattern.

For us in the netroots, it's a no-brainer that the Abramoff scandal is a Republican scandal. That's even the view held by more than a few Republicans. But the traditional media has been having trouble wrapping their heads around the idea, claiming over and over that both sides are equally guilty. Some solid data like this, definitively disproving that claim could very well go a long way in changing the conventional wisdom in the media.




Tags: Abramoff, Media (all tags)

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Re: Abramoff Clients Shifted Donations To GOP (3.00 / 0)

"Some solid data like this, definitively disproving that claim could very well go a long way in changing the conventional wisdom in the media."

aww, that's adorable! :)

I hope you're right though.


by Parker Lewis on Sat Jan 28, 2006 at 12:05:03 AM EST

Re: Abramoff Clients Shifted Donations To GOP (3.00 / 1)

Notice that I said "could" instead of "will."  Don't think that wasn't a deliberate choice...


by Scott Shields on Sat Jan 28, 2006 at 12:27:22 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Abramoff Clients Shifted Donations To GOP (none / 0)

My Question:
When Information like this comes out, how come we can't get Jerome, Kos, Josh Marshall or others onto the traditional media?  Why don't we ever see these guys on Hardball, Countdown, CNN, etc?

What do we need, a publicist for the netroots?   Instead of these talking deadheads we get on the traditional media, we could have some real activists who actually keep up on the talking points and can refute the neocons that are invited on these shows.


BlueNC - Progressive NC Politics
by Robert P on Sat Jan 28, 2006 at 09:03:58 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Abramoff Clients Shifted Donations To GOP (none / 0)

Believe it or not, I think that's something that's being worked on.


by Scott Shields on Sat Jan 28, 2006 at 10:44:57 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Abramoff Clients Shifted Donations To GOP (none / 0)

Good.  I would much rather see the three mentioned and yourselves on the news than Mind Les Advisor.


BlueNC - Progressive NC Politics
by Robert P on Sat Jan 28, 2006 at 02:01:58 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Conventional Wisdom in the Media? (3.00 / 1)

Did you really just refer to the "conventional wisdom in the media"? That is certainly an oxymoron.  There is no wisdom of any kind in the media.  


by steve expat on Sat Jan 28, 2006 at 02:41:33 AM EST

Re: Abramoff Clients Shifted Donations To GOP (none / 0)

By the way, have the Democrats gotten so far away from their old ideology that no one is even asking why Indian Tribes would be giving more money to Republicans than Democrats?  That doesn't even strike people as odd, in and of itself?  Have Native Americans gone Republican or is there something very unusual about this?  What do you think, Tim Russert?  Chris Matthews?  Let us know after you get off the phone with Tom Delay.


by steve expat on Sat Jan 28, 2006 at 06:18:32 AM EST

Howie Kurtz (none / 0)

What would be interesting would be if Howard Kurtz actually reports on this. Considering that we know he read DailyKos to see what we're up to. Somehow I have a feeling he might miss this.

Or how about Deborah Howell?


by adamterando on Sat Jan 28, 2006 at 08:07:42 AM EST

But, but... (none / 0)

But, but, corrections would mean that the ever perky Katie Couric would have to muss her hair, and Timmeh! would no longer be invited for cocktail weenies at rich and powerful people's parties.


543,895 votes
by Michael Bersin on Sat Jan 28, 2006 at 08:10:10 AM EST

Re: Abramoff Clients Shifted Donations To GOP (none / 0)


543,895 votes
by Michael Bersin on Sat Jan 28, 2006 at 08:11:17 AM EST

Re: Abramoff Clients Shifted Donations To GOP (3.00 / 1)

I am not persuaded by your statistics.  In fact, I don't believe the fact that Abramoff's Indian tribe clients shifted political donations to RepubliCONS from Democrats tells us that the pay to play scandal is a Republican scandal.

Your point that we need to probe into why the solidly Democratic-voting native Americans would give money to RepubliCONS at all, except for the fact that they are the controlling, majority party in both houses right now, is where the key to the scandal is hidden.

It is the quid pro quo legislation for donation, bribery of public officials that comprises all the wrongdoing in this scandal.

Who gave how much to whom doesn't prove ANYTHING.  That's why the mmm (mindless mainstream media) can keep repeating that it is a bipartisan scandal.  The scandal is about why they gave it and what the recipients actually did with it.

That is why the Republicans are being investigated, indicted, and convicted and the Democrats aren't.

As long as we talk about AMOUNT, then the RepubliCONS can blunt the point of this scandal:  RepubliCONS were taking bribes and Democrats weren't.

Money, in and of itself, is morally neutral.  It's what people do with it:  fraud, bribery, laundering, that make for crimes.


__________________ The so-called, "War On Terror" IS Terrorim!
by liberal elite on Sat Jan 28, 2006 at 08:15:31 AM EST

media hits (none / 0)

Interestingly, a google news search showed no news outlet had picked up the story yet (as of Saturday morning). I'm SURE that will be changing soon.


by adamterando on Sat Jan 28, 2006 at 08:20:12 AM EST

Re: Abramoff Clients Shifted Donations To GOP (none / 0)

We need to hold the media accountable for their lies. We should send them all copies, and then keep the pressure up until they report on it.


by Ang on Sat Jan 28, 2006 at 09:45:15 AM EST

Re: Abramoff Clients Shifted Donations To GOP (none / 0)

http://www.mydd.com/story/2006/1/27/6473 4/2906

I wrote this diary here before the report was widely published.  I had posted it to my own blog the night before.  This is only one tribe, but I'm finishing up the work on the others this weekend.  

We have this information readily available on the web and it is almost all free.  It has taken me some time to gather and sort, etc.  I'm glad this report came out because it backs up what I posted.

Sadly, even with the same data available to us we could shout it until we are blue in the face, but we are partisan Democrats, so what we say won't matter.


Robin Hayes lied, Robin Hayes cried and thousands of folks lost their jobs.
by The Southern Dem on Sat Jan 28, 2006 at 09:56:02 AM EST

Re: Abramoff Clients Shifted Donations To GOP (none / 0)

You know what...I think it is starting to matter. I think we can make a difference.

I never even thought of myself as a liberal. I am just a person who can no longer tolerate this administration.

You guys are pulling people from the center and even the right over to your side. Many realize the mistake they made by voting in this President.

Now is the time for all opposed to speak even louder. I am suddenly proud to call myself a liberal.


by Ang on Sat Jan 28, 2006 at 10:08:39 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Abramoff Clients Shifted Donations To GOP (none / 0)

I put a copy up on the front page of my blog along with a rehash of ties Abramoff had to the White House (ones the press should be asking about).

Jamie
http://intoxination.blogspot.com


by jamie on Sat Jan 28, 2006 at 10:57:18 AM EST

I call it amplification (none / 0)

Which may be a fancy way of pointing to someone else's well written blog.

I believe some things deserve being blogged everywhere (with proper attribution). Even on small blogs that have a readership of less than 10.  It should be done judiciously, to make the point that it is important and that a couple 100,000 people are talking about it.


"Once in a while you get shown the light In the strangest of places if you look at it right"
by molly bloom on Sat Jan 28, 2006 at 01:27:10 PM EST


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