Tuesday, April 17, 2007

The Republicans Pursue Native American Tribes Money Yet Again (And The Corsair Don't Feel So Fucking Hot Himself)



(image via newyorkette)

Never underestimate the sordid Thumoeideutic zeal with which Republican fundraisers -- Morituri te salutamus! -- operate during an election season (Exaggerated cough suggesting feigned detachment)). Anyone with the GOP's record on fucking over Native American tribes of late -- and, collectivbely, during the course of History -- would have the good taste to desist from engaging them to pony up any more ducets for any more purportedly beneficial deals. Dig? You would be incorrect, however, if you counted on Republican fundraisers to be governed by the boundaries of good taste. Some Republicans, to be sure, are. But the real stunner is that John McCain will not -- but he, in sheer Presidency chasing mode (i.e. Trying not to anger the base by tying the party's hands on fundraising as he did when his conscience was not dead) is not making a moral issue of other Republican who pester the tribes. From TheHill:

"The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) has launched a fundraising initiative aimed at increasing donations from deep-pocketed Indian tribes — even though the scandal involving Jack Abramoff and tribal gambling money helped hand Democrats the majority last year and still threatens to ensnare other GOP lawmakers.

"Tribes have historically donated overwhelmingly to Democrats, a trend that NRCC Chairman Tom Cole (R-Okla.) wants to change. Cole makes no apologies for leading a fundraising drive aimed at tapping into tribal money. As he puts it, Native Americans should be involved in politics, and for him the issue is personal.


"A Chickasaw, Cole is the only registered member of a tribe in Congress, and he maintains close ties to the tribal gambling community, which has donated heavily to his personal campaigns in the past. His mother was a member of the Chickasaw Nation’s Hall of Fame, his great-grandfather served as the tribe’s treasurer, and his great-great-grandfather was clerk of the tribe’s Supreme Court. The Chickasaw tribe owns 12 casinos in Oklahoma, just one piece of a business portfolio that includes ownership of several banks, a chocolate factory and seven tobacco outlets.

“... 'Tribes have every right to participate in the political process,' Cole said in an interview with The Hill. 'I don’t think other people should make that decision for them. The most dangerous time for tribes is when they’re not participating in the political process.'"


"Cole is not alone in his efforts. Even though the Abramoff scandal was a liability for Republicans and spawned a flurry of ethics reforms, it has done little to dampen both parties’ appetite for Indian gambling largesse. Earlier this year, Senate Democrats held a fundraising event during a national gathering of Native Americans in Washington. The reception was hosted by lobbyists and the political action committee for tribal casinos.

"Only Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who led the Senate investigation into the Abramoff scandal, has sworn off taking tribal money in his presidential campaign. McCain spokesman Danny Diaz said McCain believes the tribes can spend the money in other ways, although he noted that other candidates and political organizations are free to pursue their own policies on tribal fundraising."

How can John McCain, who saw the evils of using a light-fingered approach with Native-Americans up close not say anything? How could John Glenn, who saw the planet Earth in all it's wonders up in space, fall prey to something so petty and filthy as the Keating 5 Scandal?

Human, all-too-human.

John McCain, once again breaking our hearts. He is not so Machiavel to take the cynical -- and ethically grotesque -- position of milking the tribes -- but he will not stand up and criticize anyone else who does. There goes that McCain, political heartbreaker, serving the Senate Indian Affairs Committee in the Hour of the Wolf with effortlessly classy distinction, no?

Full article (TheHill)

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