Abramoff Scandal Typical of the District of Corruption

Americans Have Hard Time Trusting Government

Michael Streich (First published as book review December 2,2011)

One of the greatest enigmas of twenty-first century American politics and government is that most citizens, according to all polls, have a dismal view of Congress and “insider” political machinations, yet know so little about the political process or the Constitution. The result is usually corruption and abuse of power, a tale recounted by the most recent arch-villain Jack Abramoff in his book Capitol Punishment: The Hard Truth About Washington Corruption From America’s Most Notorious Lobbyist (Washington, D.C.: WND Books, 2011. ISBN 978-1-936488-44-5).

 

Jack Abramoff can easily be dismissed as a scoundrel, the don of the K Street crowd that make a living lobbying members of Congress on behalf of clients willing to pay enormous fees to influence legislation for better or worse. But the greater scoundrels are the men and women accepting the largesse, the elected members of Congress and their staffers. In his concluding chapter, Abramoff argues for term limits but forgets that while representatives and Senators come and go, staffers do not.

 

The Role of Congressional Staffers

 

Although Abramoff discusses his relationships with powerful Congressional leaders like Tom DeLay and Bob Ney, it was the staffers that often unwittingly abetted the illegal scheme. Abramoff writes that, “…the best hires from Capitol Hill were the staff, not the members.” Dangling lucrative employment in front of idealistic and generally young men and women, he concludes, “I would own him and, consequently, that entire office.” Abramoff’s magic formula was very simple: “quid pro quo.”

 

Jack Abramoff writes that he loved to help people. Charitable giving, for example, “became something of an addiction.” While in prison, he secured a Bible for another inmate. But the one sin that screams from the pages of Capitol Punishment involves what he took away: sincere idealism based on trust. Rationalizing this was easy. Abramoff states that, “Our idea of a successful day was obliterating our client’s enemies.”

 

The Sins of Omission

 

The book may be more significant for what it doesn’t reveal. Abramoff shares the names of Senators that hypocritically took tens of thousands of dollars and then joined the sanctimonious pack looking for a scapegoat to appease an angry and often exaggerating media. His recollections, however, are very general with the impression that many more members of Congress could have been named.

 

Abramoff gives a spirited defense of lobbyists, effectively demonstrating that they serve a legitimate bread and butter purpose that goes beyond monolithic corporate entities and impacts the mom and pop businesses strangled by often senseless and irrational regulations. He reminds astute readers that congressional bills are infrequently read by members of Congress that rely on staffers to craft and recommend legislation.

 

Heroes and Villains

 

His portrayal of Newt Gingrich is not favorable and Ralph Reed emerges as a double-dealing insider whose personal ambitions may have dwarfed an earlier evangelical zealousness. Abramoff cites Ronald Reagan as his “hero,” referring to “establishment” Republicans as “bullies.” His own humility and redemption began with a prison sentence but ended with a call to reform. It’s easy to toss aside his mea culpa until one realizes that Abramoff characterized an entire system that includes the political apathy of millions or ordinary Americans.

 

Society didn’t make Abramoff into a scoundrel, but a culture cast adrift by its own loss of national direction and integrity did. Before delving into Abramoff’s world of lobbyists and greedy politicians, readers should peruse his final chapter, “Path to Reform.” If Abramoff is sincere, it is easier to reconcile his chronicle of power with his new state of grace. Capitol Punishment is Jack Abramoff’s side of the story. It may be old news, but it underlines why Americans are fed up with insider politics.

*The copyright of this article is owned by Michael Streich. Reprints approved only with written permission from the author.