Slowly but surely, a big, messy, ugly scandal is creeping up on Congress. It may make the Abramoff scandal look inconsequential by comparison.
Even the New York Times is waking up:
Federal law enforcement officials who raided the lobbyist Paul Magliocchetti’s PMA Group appear to be examining the firm’s relationship with Representative Peter J. Visclosky, a low-profile lawmaker with big influence over federal spending, people familiar with the matter said this week.
Soon he may not be so low-profile. And as we “follow the money,” the most important question for the 2010 congressional election may be: Did he or she take PMA money?
Indeed it may already be spelling trouble for for Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, who is contemplating a primary challenge to Kirsten Gillibrand:
McCarthy’s top contributor this cycle is the now-defunct PMA Group. In the current election cycle, McCarthy has received $23,500 either directly from the PMA Group or from its employees. . .That’s roughly double the next highest donor. Over the course of her career, McCarthy has received $43,200 from the PMA Group.
Oh, and McCarthy voted against an ethics investigation into the relationship between congressmen and the PMA Group. PMA’s money was well spent: she secured $1M in earmarks for PMA’s clients.
A cursory look at this handy and shocking inventory of the PMA earmarks and the corresponding campaign contributions (which no doubt greased the skids for the PMA largess) gives one a sense of how widespread the scandal may be. So Democrats might begin to think twice about blocking inquiry into the ties between PMA and Congress members. Running interference for the likes of Jack Murtha and James Moran may prove injurious to one’s political health.
Yes, neoconservatives truly care about the plight of Chinese civilians. That’s why you urged Bush to start a war with the ChiComs in 2001 and liberate them via incineration.
Hurl: We love the Chinese. We visit with them every Sunday.
Hurl: We love the Chinese. We visit with them every Sunday.
Why put “quotes” around news reporters Jennifer? You’re the one who works for Commentary and PJ Media.
Jenny, you can tell as many lies as you want to. The Lobby has all but been photographed holding the bloody knife. Look, your Bund won that battle, but you paid a cost.
Hurl is an operative for the Chinese lobby. He wants to preserve the “People’s Republic” from subversive assault by hook nosed Hebes. China must be allowed its Mao given rights to daughter drowning, urine drinking, organ harvesting, sweat shops and poisonous food. The coolies must be kept in their place by the omniscient government.
As long as the Western public buys into the ridiculous and calumnious narrative peddled by the unholy alliance of muslims and leftists about Dem Joos as oppressors and their pitiless terrorist tormentors as oppressed brown underdogs, expect to hear plenty of more stories about the Israel lobby.
Every stupid American is a potential anti-Semite.
#5: Lobby has all but been photographed holding the bloody knife.
Yes, the photographs have been published in
Der Stürmer.
Gauleiter Hartland never stops, does he?
Beyond parody.
Congrats on smacking about the “Israel Lobby Conspiracy” Media Lobby
The Obama cult was always driven by scapegoating–of Bush, of Republicans, of the “rich,” and especially the “neo-cons.” Obama was never anything more than “everything Bush is not.” Nothing has changed–victory has not made either the leader or the followers of the cult more magnanimous, generous, or secure. They are now consumed with the lust for revenge and spoiling of the enemy. We should expect this to continue as Obama flounders, as he loses more of the center, and becomes more concerned with maintaining the intensity of his base and doing whatever it takes to stay in power (like election fraud, using the Justice Department against political enemies, etc.).
“ambivalent about the mowing down of human rights protesters”?
What do you mean? He’s apparently completely in favor of it, not ambivalent!
Yeah, right. It was a Chinaman what done it.
But then, who left a half-eaten pastrami-on-rye at the scene of the crime?
“and especially the “neo-cons.””
I forgot . there not only is no lobby there are no neo cons either!
I am not convinced that the argument the pro-Israel bloggers make — what about all the other guys who wanted his head too? — is useful. I think it smacks of blame shifting, when in fact there is no question of blame. Ousting Freeman was the patriotic thing to do. His record speaks for itself. Jewish bloggers should be touting their role in the multi-ethnic, multi-issue coalition that derailed Freeman’s appointment. This defensive crouch smacks of, well, defensiveness.
American Jews still have a right to their opinions in this country, like any other hyphenated Americans. Yes, the all-powerful Israel Lobby is pure fantasy. But let us not deny the truth — that there are American Jews by the hundreds of thousands who care deeply about Israel’s survival and are working toward that goal by promoting American foreign policies that will advance that goal. Dammit, this is nothing to be ashamed of, deny or apologize for!
And I speaks as a Jew who has never given a dime to AIPAC.
#14 Diane
You might think so. But then we’d have a debate on the merits, one that proponents of the “special relationship” could not win.
But then we’d have a debate on the merits, one that proponents of the “special relationship” could not win.
Wrong! Without the Jewish bloggers, who were the first on this story (indeed, the MSM was amazingly disinterested throughout), there would have been NO debate and Freeman would now be filtering the administration’s intelligence — to our collective detriment.
I have few illusions about Obama’s views on Israel. He will jettison Israel as soon as it is opportune for him to do so. But American Jews must not stand idly by as he does this. We (those of us who have not aligned ourselves with the anti-Zionist Left) must speak out in bad times and in good. The “special relationship” that the Walt-Mearsheimer crowd challenges is indeed very real. When and if the Obama administration undermines that relationship, we will all see (and how!) what America stands to lose and gain. I predict, in the loss column, invaluable intel on terrorist organizations, the latest in counterterrorism techniques and strategies, cutting-edge weapons exchange and security systems development, and a democratic friend in the Middle East. In the gain column, I will put smiles and back-patting from shady autocrats and, possibly, more favorable oil deals (the Green activists should love that!)
Obamaton(#6)
There are a lot of Americans who aren’t stupid about this,simply misinformed byb their media.The surprising thing to me is how many in the heartland are stil pro Israel,pro democracy,pro human rights and anti terrorist.
But a question for those of you who are Jews;why are some Jewish Americans embarassed by supporting Israel?I realize that’s vague,so will flesh it a bit.It seems being appropriately liberal is the Most Important Thing to some people.Why?