[GOP Corruption]

Whether Anything Will Come From It

Is another matter. Nevertheless, a couple of items caused involuntary muscles to pull my eyebrows heavenward this afternoon. First, hurricane Abramoff:

What began as an inquiry into Mr. Scanlon and Mr. Abramoff's lobbying has widened to a corruption investigation centering mainly on Republican lawmakers who came to power as part of the conservative revolution of the 1990's. At least six members of Congress are in the scope of the inquiry, with an additional 12 or so former aides being examined to determine whether they gave Mr. Abramoff legislative help in exchange for campaign donations, lavish trips and gifts.

It may be difficult for prosecutors to translate certain elements of the case into indictments. Bribery, corruption and conspiracy cases are notoriously difficult to prove. But the potential dimensions are enormous, and the investigation, at a time of turmoil for the Bush administration, threatens to add a new knot of problems for the party heading into the elections next year.

Next, an internal memo leaked to the WaPo shows that a unanimous panel of DOJ lawyers thought Tom DeLay's Texas redistricting was illegal:

The memo, unanimously endorsed by six lawyers and two analysts in the department's voting section, said the redistricting plan illegally diluted black and Hispanic voting power in two congressional districts. It also said the plan eliminated several other districts in which minorities had a substantial, though not necessarily decisive, influence in elections.

Why have you not heard of this? The White House overruled them. Yet further evidence that the "mandate" of 2004 was smoke and mirrors.