This is not your traditional cup of schadenfreude -- it is a call to action and it could be the key to retaking the Congress in 2006.
Today's WaPo continues its reporting on the Abramoff/Scanlon/DeLay corruption probe. Briefly, Scanlon is a former spokesman for none other than Tom DeLay. Scanlon and Abramoff together they bilked a bunch of Indian tribes out of at least $6.5 million (and probably a whole lot more).
Criminal, yes. But that's not the interesting part. Turns out, as part of the con, the Scanlon/Abramoff team used a money laundering scheme to pay DeLay money under the table to get him to kill legislation unfavorable to the Indian tribes. And he did.
At minimum, following Alinsky, we should be committed to taking down DeLay, and it starts by planning a campaign to make HUGE hay out of this. More than that, however, targeting DeLay can be a way to turn him into a poster boy for a pattern of Republican corruption schemes extending from D.C. to Iraq.
More background on the corruption and how we can use it on DeLay and his Rethug cronies below the fold....
Will this be the beginning of a great unraveling of all the corruption that Bush, Cheney and Company have wrought? Will we be able to reverse the massive transfer of wealth from the people of our great country to the wealthy friends of Bush/Cheney?
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THE PLAYERS
Jack Abramoff: One of the most prominent Republican lobbyists in D.C.
Michael Scanlon: Former DeLay spokesman
Tom DeLay: Rightwing tyrant and dictator currently in complete control of our Congress
Choctaw tribe: Native American casino owners
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THE MONEY LAUNDERING SCHEME VIS-A-VIS DELAY
Abramoff directed the Choctaws to hire Scanlon and instructed Scanlon to kick back fees to Abramoff. The kickbacks were called a "gimme 5." Abramoff also directed the Choctaws to give to a collection of non-profits such as the National Center for Public Policy research and an "all-boys Jewish Academy" in D.C. that made payments and gifts to elected (and appointed) American officials and also to Abramoff's friends in Israel. DeLay was one of the American officials who received gifts.
Specifically, two months before DeLay killed legislation unfavorable to the Choctaws, he received a $70,000 all expenses trip for his family.
**note to non-attorneys: The quid pro quo will not be hard to establish given the pattern of activity by the non-profits.
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NOT JUST "BETRAYAL", IT'S CRIMINAL
These activities are serious crimes with substantial jail time.
John McCain is quoted in today's WaPo as saying that this was a "betrayal."
Well, John, it's more than a fucking betrayal. Let's call a spade a spade. DeLay is the Speaker of the House. This is a massive corruption scandal involving a leader of your party.
And, as we Kossacks know, it's just the tip of the iceberg.
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HOW TO TURN THIS INTO CONGRESSIONAL SEATS IN '06
One of Saul Alinsky's Rules is highly applicable here:
"When you pick a target, target an individual, personalize the attack, polarize and demoralize his/her supporters. Go after people, not institutions. Hurting, harassing, and humiliating individuals, especially leaders, causes more rapid organizational change."
The problem with all this is, Dems don't control the DOJ. "Abu Ghraib" Gonzales controls Justice, and we all know what kind of violence he's already done to the word "justice" and to our country's good name (not to mention the human beings that should have been treated humanely and given due process). We therefore CANNOT expect Gonzales to investigate this corruption seriously.
Add to this the fact we do not have any power in Congress.
Nonetheless, this does not mean we cannot target DeLay in creative ways. We should begin to think about how to introduce the corruption meme to the "abuse of power" meme. It is up to us, the grassroots, and the courageous Dems, and Chairman Dean, to make hay of this, and help us get a Democratic Congress in '06.
The DSM may be a good the model. Since the House Ethics committee refuses to address this, Conyers, Slaughter et al. should begin to hold hearings on the Capitol steps demanding accountability and demanding a stop to the corruption.
These corruption hearings should focus on DeLay first, and then roll out to cover everything from Enron to war contracting. Just like with DSM, the evidence is there. It just needs to be taken seriously, and amplified.
And of course, dKos can help.
The question for Howard Dean, for Dem 527s and for all of us is: will DeLay fall like a small tree in the forest, without much political effect, or will his fall be the fall of a great Sequoia on RNC headquarters?