Jack Abramoff: American Martyr

Can someone please explain to me what Jack Abramoff is guilty of? Abramoff donated money to polictical campaigns and lobbied members of Congress on behalf of his clients. What's wrong with that? The only thing Jack Abramoff is guilty of is practicing democracy and if what he did is against the law, then millions of Americans who donate money to political campaigns are in danger. In fact, the prosecution of Jack Abramoff is clearly unconstitutional and represents another sad example of the criminalization of politics.

In America we have the freedom to donate money to any politican we want. Even the radical far-left ACLU considers money to be a form of speech. Because we live in a free enterprise system, it just so happens that some people have more free speech than others. When a lobbyist or any American citizen pays $1000 for a plate of warmed-over cafeteria-style chicken he gets access to the politician to discuss whatever he wants. Abramoff used his access to lobby on behalf of his clients, American Indian tribes. Apparently, he was very persuasive because many of these legislators then passed legislation to help his clients. Is being persuasive against the law? How is what he did different from what any other lobbyist does? Abramoff also became friends with many of these politicians and went on vacations with them. Is being friendly also against the law now? The American Constitution guarantees all Americans the right to free speech (which equals money) and the right to petition their government (for a very small fee). That is the American way. Any American, no matter what his color, creed or family background, has the opportunity to make money in this country and the freedom to use that money to buy political influence.

The fact that Abramoff's clients were American Indians is a perfect example of how even downtrodden people have an equal opportunity to get ahead in this country. Don't Indians deserve whatever they can get after all the mistreatment they suffered for years in Hollywood Westerns? And does the fact that Abramoff is Jewish have anything to do with his being singled out for prosecution? I'm just asking.

This prosecution is an assault on the very foundations of our political system. Politicians can't know about every issue they have to vote on and don't have time to meet with every voter. Lobbyists help politicians make decisions on complicated issues and sometimes even help craft legislation, for example, when lobbysists for the oil industry helped write energy legislation. In exchange, they help pay for expensive political campaigns. What could be more American than that? The indictment of Jack Abramoff is an indictment of the free market system and American Democracy itself.

Jon Swift, Jack Abramoff, Politics