Abramoff’s Cooperation Reportedly Throws Monkey Wrench Into GOP Machine

The Los Angeles Times looks at the news that lobbyist Jack Abramoff will be cooperating with prosecutors in an influence-for-sale probe and concludes it’s bad news for the well-oiled GOP Congressional machine.

The two most striking points of its piece are:

(1) The fact that gathering up and tight holding on to as many interests as possible was taken to new level by Republicans in Congress, and

(2) With the exception of most talk show hosts or Republican politicos saying “the Democrats are deeply involved in this scandal, too” so far there are no solid signs that this PARTICULAR scandal is unfolding as a significantly bipartisan one. And if an at least close to equal number of Demmies aren’t implicated, then it will be seen mostly the embodiment of GOP hubris, a supreme irony if you followed Newt Gingrich’s battle against the then-Democratic Congresss years ago. This could change as more details come out — but no signs yet:

The corruption investigation surrounding lobbyist Jack Abramoff shows the significant political risk that Republican leaders took when they adopted what had once seemed a brilliant strategy for dominating Washington: turning the K Street lobbying corridor into a cog of the GOP political machine.

Abramoff thrived in the political climate fostered by GOP leaders, including Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Texas), who have methodically tried to tighten the links between the party in Congress and business lobbyists, through what has become known as the “K Street Project.”

The “K Street Project” could eventually become the “P Cell Project” for some politicos if they’re convicted. MORE:

GOP leaders, seeking to harness the financial and political support of K Street, urged lobbyists to support their conservative agenda, give heavily to Republican politicians and hire Republicans for top trade association jobs.

That in itself wouldn’t necessarily be a scandal with major legal complications. That’s not the same as basically putting a huge “FOR SALE! BUY BEFORE THE SALE ENDS OR ELSE” sign on your door, which seems to be the allegation here:

Abramoff obliged on every front, and his tentacles of influence reached deep into the upper echelons of Congress and the Bush administration.

Now, in the wake of a plea agreement in which Abramoff will cooperate in an influence-peddling investigation that might target a number of lawmakers, some Republicans are saying that the party will need to take action to avoid being tarnished.

What does that mean? It probably means some huge pronouncements from some party elites — and some hastily-made (and announced) donations:

“This is going to be a huge black eye for our party,” said Rep. Ray LaHood (R-Ill.), a senior member close to House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.). “Denny’s going to have to be very tough and really speak out against people who are indicted. He’s going to have to do it quickly and decisively and frequently.”

Hastert moved Tuesday to inoculate himself from the scandal by announcing that he would give to charity about $60,000 he received from Abramoff and his clients. He is the latest of several lawmakers who have returned or redirected money they received from Abramoff-related sources.

One Senate Republican aide, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Republicans soon will unveil ethics reform legislation in an effort to blunt criticism from Democrats that they have fostered a “culture of corruption” in Washington.

What’s truly disheartening about our democracy is this. Serious ethics legislation would not have a chance in a one-party dominated Congress if it had been proposed BEFORE this scandal struck. If it had, those who proposed it would seem like heroes. But many of these same folks who will be pushing HARD for this legislation (and undoubtedly be on Rush and Sean as they receive compliments from the hosts for being against ethics violations) were foes of campaign finance reform — and clearly want legislation now as a campaign tool.

In other words, the proposed legislation might be called the “CYA Project.” MORE:

The controversy may also increase the prospect that Republicans will shake up their leadership after Congress reconvenes at the end of January. House Republican moderates are calling for new leadership elections to permanently replace DeLay, who stepped down temporarily as majority leader after he was indicted in an unrelated case.

“Let’s get a permanent leadership and begin moving forward and overcome the problems that are on the table right now,” said Sarah Chamberlain Resnick, executive director of the Republican Main Street Partnership, a caucus of GOP moderates in Congress.

Conservatives are worried about possible political fallout for all Republicans, not just those who might be implicated, once Abramoff starts cooperating with prosecutors.

“This is the one thing that could result in a change in who controls the Congress,” said Paul Weyrich, a conservative activist.

Indeed, GOPers in Congress now seem to be distancing themselves from Abramoff faster than teenagers from the last Michael Jackson CD. And Gingrich is mincing no words:

And former House speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) called on House Republicans to elect a new majority leader to permanently replace Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Tex.), Abramoff’s most powerful ally in Washington, who faces a trial on unrelated criminal charges of violating Texas campaign laws.

“Unequivocally, the House Republicans need to select a new majority leader in late January or early February,” said Gingrich, who cited revelations in The Washington Post that a public advocacy group organized by DeLay associates had been largely financed by Russian energy interests.

The plea agreement signed by Abramoff yesterday implicates only one lawmaker, Rep. Robert W. Ney (R-Ohio), but it indicates that future revelations would ensnare other public officials. The agreement refers broadly to trips, campaign contributions and entertainment offered to public officials “in exchange for agreements that the public officials would use their official positions and influence” for Abramoff’s benefit. That suggests there were specific quid pro quos that could yield additional charges of bribery and public corruption.

Ney, the chairman of the House Administration Committee, which oversees the operations of the House, is never referenced by name, although Ney’s spokesman confirmed that Ney is the “Representative #1″ repeatedly mentioned in court documents outlining Abramoff’s wrongdoing. The court documents depict “Representative #1″ as accepting lavish gifts of travel, meals, entertainment and campaign contributions, then awarding congressional contracts to Abramoff’s clients, inserting a statement of support in the Congressional Record, and even obtaining a travel visa for a relative of one of Abramoff’s clients while in Russia on official business.

Ney spokesman Brian Walsh denied the charges, saying any official actions Ney had taken were based on “the merits and facts of the situation and not because of any improper influence from Jack Abramoff or anybody else.”

Writes the Christian Science Monitor:

Washington’s long-awaited “A-bomb” has gone off.

Super-lobbyist Jack Abramoff’s guilty plea Tuesday to three felony counts sets the stage for the biggest congressional scandal perhaps in decades, certainly since the Republicans took over Congress 10 years ago, pledging clean government…

Though members of both parties are involved, analysts expect Republicans – who control both houses of Congress – to bear the brunt of the political fallout. Abramoff, who has close ties to former House majority leader Tom DeLay of Texas, allegedly funneled campaign donations to lawmakers, who were treated to lavish trips and meals, in exchange for official acts.

“It could end some careers,” says Jennifer Duffy, an analyst at the non-partisan Cook Political Report.

Stanley Brand, a Washington defense lawyer and former Democratic counsel to the House, predicts at least six members of Congress and at least as many staff will be convicted by the end of the year.

Besides Representative DeLay, who is already under indictment in Texas, other members who are already battling allegations over their associations with Abramoff include Sen. Conrad Burns (R) of Montana, Rep. Bob Ney (R) of Ohio, and Rep. John Doolittle (R) of California.

The GOP’s saving grace in that would be if the investigation reveals some equally extensive Democratic corruption in this as well. But if it continues to unfold that it is only or even largely GOPers mired in this political tarpit then look for Republicans to press for some kind of strong Congressional ethics legislation, then trumpet that fact during 2006 while party surrogates continue to claim this was a “bipartisan” scandal.

That could change but so far it seems as if the GOP is getting the black eye while some of its supporters point to the Democrats and insist that their eye is as black, too. The actual political impact will depend on the kinds of revelations that emerge in 2006 and the timing of them.

UPDATE: President Bush’s re-election campaign is giving up $6,000 from Abramoff.

UPDATE TWO: This New York Times article notes that the whole thing makes Democrats nervous, too..