Jack Abramoff: GOP bagman or his own?

I think Jack was trying to play both ends against the middle in all of his scandals.

By giving his direct money only to GOPers, he could portray himself as a loyal K Streeter.

By directing his tribal (and other) clients’ money (and some of his other favors) to big hitters from both parties, albeit more to Republicans because they hold the majority, he was able to engage in, not so much pre-K Street lobbying, but pre-K muscling in on things.

Just as Tom DeLay shows no more loyalty to “true conservative principles” than what he needs to do to get reelected, so I think the record will similary show for Jack Abramoff that he showed no more loyalty to “true K Street principles” than was necessary to expand the reach of his power politics.

Again, because the GOP has the majority and has thrown around the weight of that majority, there's going to be a lot more Republican than Democratic wind-sucking when this settles.

But, if this were the 1990s, and Abramoff thought he could find a Democratic Congressional hitman to out-Rosty Dan Rostenkowski, he’d been showing primarily Democratic Congressmen the way to turn the post office scandal into major payola.

I agree that the GOP is primarily at fault here, and has brought a lot of this on themselves.

But, ultimately, Jack Abramoff was playing Jack Abramoff’s game, not the GOP's game.