The Denver Post doesn't much like the idea of electing someone like Bob Schaffer who was a close congressional crony of Jack Abramoff's.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee isn't letting Schaffer off the hook for his Abramoff ties, either.

If you want a fuller rundown of the Schaffer-Abramoff nexus, check out thispost from Daily Kos. In short, however, the takeaway is that Schaffer, the former GOP Congressman who is the presumptive US Senate nominee for his party in Colorado had some close connections with Abramoff during his time on Capitol Hill.

Will revelations about Schaffer, and the heavy coverage such revelations are receiving in the Colordao media, doom him in his bid against Democratic Congressman Mark Udall, his own party's presumptive Senate nominee? Some in the rightosphere in the state are trotting out GOP polling taken basically before the Schaffer-Abramoff story broke showing a 45 percent to 45 percent tie between Schaffer and Udall. Looking at the available nonpartisan polling on the race, these Republican numbers probably aren't too far off. However, as alluded to before, these numbers do not reflect the several days of hits Schaffer has taken in the media for his relationship with Abramoff. And of course, they also do not reflect the money race between Schaffer and Udall, either.

Both U.S. Senate candidates surpassed $1 million in donations during the first three months with Udall collecting $1.46 million and Schaffer taking in $1.02 million, the filings said.

[...]

Schaffer had $2.2 million in the bank for the campaign at the end of March, while Udall had $4.2 million. The two candidates are vying for the open U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Republican Wayne Allard.

At this point, Schaffer has just a bit over half of what Udall has in the bank. And although raising $1 million to Udall's $1.46 million isn't bad, particularly considering that Udall is still in Congress while Schaffer is not, these numbers actually represent a bit of a failure for the Republican. To the point, Schaffer brought in President Bush back in January for a major fundraiser -- something that he cannot do again, something that should have brought him to fundraising parity with Udall. But it didn't. And what's more, even as the event failed to help him eat away at his fundraising deficit against Udall, it showed him to be a lackey for George W. Bush, a place few want to be in this cycle.

So all in all, these aren't particularly good days for Bob Schaffer.

Back in April I suggested that GOP Rep. Tom Feeney's alleged ties with Jack Abramoff could put his hopes of reelection in Florida's 24th district in jeopardy. Now it sounds like the Democrats may have recruited the type of candidate to capitalize on Feeney's potential weakness.

Suzanne Kosmas, a former Democratic state lawmaker, announced Wednesday that she plans to challenge U.S. Rep. Tom Feeney -- setting up a potential barn-burner between the two veteran politicians.

Kosmas, who served in the state House between 1996 and 2004, is the first serious threat to Feeney since the Oviedo Republican won his seat in 2002.

[...]

Now a 63-year-old grandmother, Kosmas was a Democratic leader in the Florida House before term limits forced her to resign in 2004. While there, she earned a reputation as a defender of education and health care programs.

[...]

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee heavily recruited Kosmas after a poll showed she would run well against Feeney. The committee wouldn't release the poll.

For those who don't remember exactly how Feeney was tied to Abramoff, here's a quick refresher course:

Abramoff took Feeney on a 2003 golfing trip to Scotland, a violation of congressional rules. He agreed to pay $5,643 to the U.S. Treasury for what he said was his share, but the FBI is still investigating.

This district leans about three points more Republican than the nation as a whole in presidential elections, according to the Cook Partisan Voting Index, so it is certainly not a gimme for the Democrats. But even considering the district's Republican advantage and the fact that Feeney is a moderately strong fundraiser, with an able Democratic challenger in this race, the Democrats can make a real play for this district this cycle.

Gee wiz! Ever since Gonzo was knock flat on his back, the news of Republican corruption is pouring in. Now, ex-Congressman J.D. Hayworth might as well give up any hope of a comeback..

It looks like there's yet another Republican Congressman intent on adding his name to the list of those implicated in the Jack Abramoff scandal and the general GOP culture of corruption. The St. Petersburg Times' Anita Kumar has the story (h/t JMM).

The FBI has asked U.S. Rep. Tom Feeney for information about his dealings with Jack Abramoff as part of its ongoing investigation into the lobbyist convicted of defrauding clients.

FBI agent Kevin Luebke refused to say whether Feeney, a Republican from the Orlando area, is under federal investigation.

Federal agents also have asked the St. Petersburg Times for an email sent to the newspaper by Feeney's office describing a golfing trip the congressman took with Abramoff to Scotland in 2003.

[...]

Feeney is one of three House members who accompanied Abramoff to Scotland on trips that included rounds of golf at the legendary Royal & Ancient Golf Club at St. Andrews.

The others are: former Rep. Bob Ney, R-Ohio, who is serving prison time for corruption, and former House Republican leader Tom DeLay, indicted in Texas for alleged improper fundraising, is under investigation.

[...]

Feeney, 48, who spent a decade in the Florida Legislature where he was speaker of the House, has paid $23,000 in legal fees this year - more than any other expense - according to his latest campaign finance reports.

As is the case with both Rick Renzi and John Doolittle, two of the other current Republican members of Congress who have reportedly come under heat from the FBI over their improprieties, there is a genuine chance that the allegations about Feeney could jeopardize and potential reelection bid.

Although Feeney has faced at best nominal challenges from the Democrats in recent cycles (his 2006 challenger spent less than $175,000 and he literally ran unopposed in 2004), on paper his district, Florida's 24th, should be competitive. According to the Cook Partisan Voting Index, FL-24 votes only about 3 points more Republican than the nation as a whole in presidential elections, the same amount as the districts picked up last cycle by Jerry McNerney, Kirsten Gillibrand and Jason Altmire and the one almost picked up by Larry Kissell. What's more, a number of Democrats -- Harry Mitchell, Joe Donnelly, Ciro Rodriguez and Steve Kagen -- all picked up seats last fall in districts that vote a point even more Republican than Florida's 24th, and others like Nancy Boyda and Nick Lampson picked up seats in districts with even more noticeable GOP leans.

To put it another way, Feeney might be vulnerable to a challenge even in the absence of corruption allegations and a potential federal investigation. His district is marginally Republican, and although he was able to soundly defeat a well-funded Democratic challenger in 2002, 2008 isn't likely to be as good a year for Republicans as was 2002. So given that Feeney does appear to be in a difficult situation, his name among the ranks of DeLay and Ney, there is no reason that the Democrats should not make a concerted effort to take him out this cycle.

Any thoughts for challengers for this East Central Florida district, which encompasses parts of parts of Orange, Seminole and Volusia counties?

I know that this topic has been blogged about before but it also seems to have fallen off the radar.  Are the Democrats dealing with this? If not.. THEY SHOULD!

It seems that the plight of the workers, mostly women and young girls, in the Mariana Islands has taken a back seat to many other topics. Yes there are many important topics but why can't this human rights abuse in the name of "Made In The USA" be taken on and pushed?

This is something that should be right up the alley of every progressive Democrat in congress. This should be something that any feeling and sane human being would want to see stopped, even if only to remove "Made In The USA" from slavery and abuse.

An interesting article in the Sharon (PA) Herald refers to the web site recently funded by Steve Porter, who unsuccessfully challenged the morally challenged Phil English in the PA-3 Congressional election last month.
http://www.sharon-herald.com/cnhi/sharon herald/homepage/local_story_352220407.ht ml?keyword=leadpicturestory
The web site can be found at http://www.dumpphilenglish.com/

The site succeeds where the Northwestern PA media has largely failed: in pointing out English's persistent failure to effectively represent this district, by repeatedly supporting the Bush anti-worker agenda has crippled this economically depressed district.

Phil's transgressions, which are detailed on the site, include his fifth rank in all of Congress in the acceptance of privately funded travel, totaling $181,000.  This included a trip to Saipan, an American territory described as a cesspool of prostitution, abortion, and textile sweatshops by Connie Chung in a May 1999 20/20 episode with Tom DeLay and Jack Abramoff.  It seems that Mr. English is ardently anti-abortion, unless that abortion is forced on a Saipan sweatshop worker.  

Reprinted from The Satirical Political Report http://satiricalpolitical.com

And you thought Lou Reed had captured real debauchery:

Mark Foley came from Miami, F.L.A.
"Pork-barreled" his way across the USA
E-mailed some pages on the way
Sought teenage sex and then he was an "ex"
He says, Hey son
Take a walk on the wild side
Said, Hey Junior
Take a walk on the wild side

Abramoff came, from, the Reservation
In the backroom, backstabbing Choctaw Nation
But he never lost his head
Even when, busted by the feds
He says, Hey Congress
Take a walk on the perp side
Said, Hey Ney
Take a walk on the perp side
And the Black Caucus goes
doo, doo doo, doo doo, doo doo doo doo ...

CONTINUED at: http://satiricalpolitical.com/?p=443

Earlier in the year, when the Jack Abramoff scandal was still in the news, Larry King interviewed those famous reporters that uncovered Watergate: Bob Woodward, Carl Bernstein.

Here's Carl Bernstein:

Larry: Carl, what is going on.

Carl: The system is corrupt, thoroughly corrupt.  It's become corroded.  The legislative system in the Congress and the state legislatures is subject only to money.  And what the Founder's intended to be a citizen legislature is an oligarchal legislature today. It is a plutocratic legislature today. Unless money is involved, forget about the public good.  And if money is involved, forget about the public good.  The system isn't working.  It's not about Jack Abramoff.  He's just the example of what happens when you take it as far as it can go in terms of how toxic it can become and how the evil of what happens when money determines what goes on in our political system.  Abramoff is reflective of it.  It goes all through this administration.  It goes all through the other administrations.  Who's in the White House doesn't matter ultimately.  It's the Congress of the U.S. and they're no longer responsive to the people.  They're responsive to money.