Republican Smokescreens

The G.O.P. is doing two things in an attempt to minimize the effect of the Abramoff Scandal: (1) claim that it is a bipartisan scandal, and (2) attempt to take the lead in drafting legislation that would minimize the effect that lobbyists can have on members of Congress.

An example of the first line of strategy can be found in this Washington Times article from last Wednesday which reported that Harry Reid was somehow involved in the Abramoff Scandal:

A Justice Department investigation into influence-peddling on Capitol Hill is focusing on a "first tier" of lawmakers and staffers, both Republicans and Democrats, say sources close to the probe that has netted guilty pleas from lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

Law-enforcement authorities and others said the investigation's opening phase is scrutinizing Sens. Conrad Burns, Montana Republican; Byron L. Dorgan, North Dakota Democrat; and Minority Leader Harry Reid, Nevada Democrat, along with Reps. J.D. Hayworth, Arizona Republican, and Bob Ney, Ohio Republican.

The Las Vegas Review Journal, however, takes issue with the "reporting" of the Washington Times:

The Justice Department is not focusing on Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada as part of an investigation of lobbyist Jack Abramoff, a source close to the probe said Wednesday in challenging a published report.

The source, who requested anonymity, said the Justice Department is leading the investigation, which includes other agencies.

"But the Justice Department does not have a list of lawmakers who are being investigated," the source said.

However, not all right wingers are like the Washington Times on this issue. I agree with this Republican:

Jeff Flake, an Arizona Republican congressman who co-led the petition drive that helped oust Tom DeLay, the House majority leader, said in an interview yesterday: “We don’t just need a new majority leader, we need a course correction.

“A lobbyist can’t be corrupt unless he has somebody to bribe, and we’ve created a culture that just breeds corruption,” he charged.

He's absolutely right. Members of the GOP are scrambling to enact new anti-lobbying legislation in the wake of the Abramoff Scandal -- you know, to make it look like they are doing something -- but the reason Abramoff is in trouble is because he broke the law and the reason that a lot of GOP Congressmen might be in trouble is because they broke the law. As Rich Lowry of the conservative National Review recently wrote:

GOP lawmakers are rushing to introduce lobbying reform. Anything that increases transparency is welcome. But lobbying reform's animating pretense is that lawmakers are all upstanding — until they come under the corruptive spell of lobbyists. In every transaction, however, there has to be a willing buyer and seller.