quote:

---

Public Citizen called on President Bush today to provide a full accounting of the sources of the $100,000 or more that disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff raised for his 2004 presidential campaign. The campaign gave Abramoff the title of a Bush “Pioneer” in 2004 for raising at least $100,000 in amounts of up to $2,000 from his friends and associates.

“Abramoff has now pleaded guilty to fraudulently raising hundreds of thousands – if not millions – of dollars to curry favor in Washington,” said Frank Clemente, director of Public Citizen’s Congress Watch. “The public deserves to know if any tainted money ended up in the Bush campaign.”

Federal disclosure laws do not require individuals who raise, or “bundle,” a large number of separate contributions for political candidates to disclose their role in the fundraising unless they physically handle the checks. Bush’s 2000 and 2004 campaigns bestowed the title of “Pioneer” on those who raised at least $100,000 and “Ranger” on those who raised at least $200,000. Today the Republican National Committee announced that Bush’s campaign would donate the $2,000 that Abramoff, his wife and one of his tribal clients each contributed to the campaign ($6,000 total) to a charity. However, the campaign has not revealed the sources of the rest of the money Abramoff raised for it and has not announced any intention to return it or donate it to charity.

“President Bush needs to follow the lead of many members of Congress and reveal just how much money Abramoff raised for him and who that money came from,” said Clemente. “Congress also needs to pass fundamental lobbying reforms to clean up Washington.”

Public Citizen has proposed reforms to the lobbying system related to campaign fundraising, including:

* Prohibiting lobbyists from serving as the treasurers of officeholders’ campaign committees or leadership political action committees; and
* Prohibiting lobbyists from making, soliciting or arranging campaign contributions to those whom they lobby, except to members who represent the lobbyists’ own district.

If Congress is unwilling to stem the flow of lobbyist contributions, Public Citizen recommends the following reforms:

* Requiring lobbyists and lobbying firms to disclose their campaign contributions and the amount and dates of any campaign funds raised through fundraising events that the lobbyist or firm sponsored. This provision is contained in legislation recently introduced by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), S. 2128, and Rep. Chris Shays (R-Conn.), H.R. 4575; and,
* Requiring that the original source, conduit and amount of all contributions “bundled” by lobbyists and others be fully disclosed.

---

quote:

---

TOM DE LAY...YOU'RE NEXT..A**WIPE!!

---

quote:

---

Embattled Rep. Tom DeLay decided Saturday to give up his post as House majority leader, clearing the way for new leadership elections among Republicans eager to shed the taint of scandal, two officials said.

These officials said DeLay, R-Texas, was preparing a letter informing fellow House Republicans of his decision. These officials spoke on condition of anonymity, saying they did not want to pre-empt the formal announcement.

DeLay's defiant, take-no-prisoners style had won him the admiration and respect of fellow Republicans, but his mounting problems cast a shadow over the whole chamber.

DeLay is battling campaign finance charges in Texas and was forced to step aside temporarily as majority leader last fall after he was charged in his home state. He has consistently maintained his innocence and said he intended to resume his leadership post once cleared.

His about-face came amid growing pressure from fellow Republicans who were concerned about their own political futures in the wake of this week's guilty pleas by lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

Missouri Rep. Roy Blunt, the party whip who temporarily has filled in for DeLay, was expected to run for majority leader. Rep. John Boehner of Ohio, a former member of the leadership, is also likely to run.

Elections are likely the week of Jan. 30, when lawmakers return to the Capitol.

DeLay intends to remain in Congress, these officials said, and plans to seek a new term in November.

DeLay acted hours after a small vanguard of Republicans circulated a petition calling for leadership elections and citing DeLay's legal problems as well as his long ties to Abramoff.

Republican rules permit an election to fill the vacancy, and aides to Reps. Jeff Flake of Arizona and Charles Bass of New Hampshire said on Friday that the lawmakers' petition would allow the rank and file to pick new leadership quickly.

"The developments with Abramoff have "brought home the fact that we need not just new leaders but a course correction," Flake said.

Rep. Heather Wilson of New Mexico, a perennial election-year target of Democrats, said she did not want DeLay to return as majority leader.

And GOP Rep. Jim Ramstad of Minnesota said, "It's clear that we need to elect a new majority leader to restore the trust and confidence of the American people."

Until Saturday, there had been no public indication that DeLay, whose fierce devotion to conservative causes has helped nurture the Republican majority, was willing to abandon his quest to take back the majority leader's job.

But his longtime friend, Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., signaled he would not try to block the rank and file from acting.

His spokesman, Ron Bonjean, said the petition drive "is consistent with the speaker's announcement ... that House Republicans would revisit this matter at the beginning of this year."

Hastert's hold on power appears secure. Several officials said he has been involved in discussions in recent days on ethics overhaul measures to be announced next week, part of a broader GOP attempt to minimize any election-year taint of scandal.

The maneuvering to succeed DeLay occurred near the end of a week in which Abramoff, the central figure in a growing public corruption investigation and a man with close ties to Republicans, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and several other charges in two federal courtrooms.

An Associated Press-Ipsos poll found that 49 percent of those surveyed said they would prefer to see Democrats in control of Congress, and 36 percent said Republicans.

Hastert and other Republicans had accepted the arrangement by which DeLay temporarily stepped aside last year, and DeLay maneuvered to win the dismissal of charges or gain an acquittal by early February.

But Abramoff's guilty pleas appear to have changed the political environment for Republicans 11 months before the midterm elections.

"The situation is that Tom's legal situation doesn't seem to be reaching clarity," Rep. John Kline of Minnesota said in an interview.

DeLay spokesman Kevin Madden said Friday that his boss "appreciates that a majority of his colleagues recognizes that he remains committed to fulfilling his responsibilities as majority leader and that he'll be quickly exonerated in Texas."

---