I realize he is going to be the legal equivalent of a cactus enema for many goppers (god bless 'em), but for some reason, that smirk just makes me want to hit him with a 2x6. I'll have to check with my coven associates to see if there is a rational explanation for this.
Posted by tempus at November 21, 2005 03:29 PM[W]hy is Scanlon smiling? Because he was the one smart enough to come in early, cut a deal that will ensure he will never see the inside of a cell, pay the astounding sum of $19 million in restitution (which means he has millions more he gets to keep), and take down the rest of them.
Think about that: he copped to a charge that will lose him $19 million and will make him a pariah in Republican Washington forever. The only way that a guy like Scanlon—who has made his entire career in the cash-n-carry DeLay/Abramoff world—makes a deal like that is if there were something much, much worse coming to those who refuse to cut deals. This is going to be a bloodbath.
Posted by dj moonbat at November 21, 2005 03:33 PMThe guy looks like the typical corrupt, smug, tight-assed, Christofacist Bu$hCo Repug who deep down needs to give a blowjob or rimjob and can't wait to get some hot barebacking action.
Too bad he copped a plea, he would have loved the action at the Greybar Hotel.
Posted by Red_Neck_Repub at November 21, 2005 03:51 PMActually, this guy looks like a self-loathing, closeted homosexual like David Dreier.
Posted by Jeff Gannon's Pimp at November 21, 2005 04:23 PMI wouldn't trust anyone with a smile like that under any curcumstances.
Posted by rlp at November 21, 2005 04:23 PMJeff Gannon's Pimp
He looks uncannily like Will Patton as Scott Pritchard in the Kevin Costner film No Way Out. In other words, I think you're onto something.
Posted by Merle at November 21, 2005 04:44 PMDon't be fooled by the smile. He's now a felon.
He's probably lost his voting rights, along with a lot else he doesn't know about. Mr. Felon will soon find out what that collar is like for the rest of his life. Too bad the camera won't click then.
He's gone and singing like a canary. I want to whap his disgusting caps off too, but a singing smiling felon will have to do.
Merry Christmas.
Posted by paradox at November 21, 2005 05:02 PMIn one December 2001 e- mail, for example, Abramoff referred to their Saginaw Chippewa clients as "troglodytes." "What's a troglodyte?" Scanlon asked. "A lower form of existence, basically," Abramoff replied.
What a creep. I wonder if Abramoff had any idea how close that is to Hitler's line of thinking. Well, he probably misses the irony. And as for Scanlon, you know he just gave the Feds a huge amount of dirt on DeLay and Abramoff and is probably getting a slap on the wrist.
Posted by bushsucks at November 21, 2005 05:11 PMInteresting. Thing is, rumor has it he was an equal opportunity briber. It won't be just the GOP that gets caught up in this one, folks.
Stay tuned.
Posted by Strick at November 21, 2005 05:33 PMHey, that's fine: if only dirty politicians go down for this, I like those odds—especially considering Abramoff's central role in the Republicanization of K Street.
Posted by dj moonbat at November 21, 2005 05:40 PMHey strick, you got links for those rumors? I'd be curious who's saying what.
Posted by iamcoyote at November 21, 2005 05:42 PMI just can't wait til these prosecutor get to the dems that are doing the same thing. maybe then the government will start working for us not for special interest.
Posted by Avenger D-22 at November 21, 2005 05:44 PMAnd dj's right, it's time to clean house. Anyone consorting with these guys is tainted anyhow.
Posted by iamcoyote at November 21, 2005 05:45 PMThat's about the biggest "Chucky Cheese" grin I've seen! He'll probably end up like Eliot Abrams and come back to work for an Administration 15 years from now. What a piece of shit!
I certainly hope the rumors of Harry Reid being connected to this fiasco don't pan out.
Posted by bushblowsturdblossom at November 21, 2005 06:11 PMDrip.
Drip.
Drip.
Posted by God Of War at November 21, 2005 06:16 PMOn the NewsHour, they closed the Scanlon BriberyGate segment by noting that up to SIXTY Members of Congress may become targets of the DoJ prosecutors.
Posted by ck at November 21, 2005 06:21 PMOT, Did anyone catch that raise congress voted themselves last Friday! 3K per year, they were able to fit that into the budget!
Posted by bbtb at November 21, 2005 06:33 PMI just can't wait til these prosecutor get to the dems that are doing the same thing.
Well, it's a little tougher for the party with no power to peddle influence (having no influence to peddle), so you may have to wait a while for Dems to go down on bribery charges. At least one election cycle.
Posted by dj moonbat at November 21, 2005 06:46 PMIt seems that this has already been covered on other blogs, but I remembered reading it. There is a connection between Abramoff and Reid, accoding to this (yahoo news from 11/19).
Sorry to say, I think many have gotten stained by Abramoff. It looks to be a read mess figuring out the "business as usual" types from the truly criminal types. I admit that in some ways, business as usual is perhaps criminal on some level.
Posted by dorita at November 21, 2005 07:02 PM"that smirk just makes me want to hit him with a 2x6."
Tempus, it's number 3 on Gorilla Fever Symptoms.
Posted by Judith at November 21, 2005 07:06 PMNope, rumors are that a few dems will get caught up but mostly the GOP. Abramoff was known as part of the GOP machine. Probably 55 Republicans and about 5 Dems.
Guys, you notice the trolls? They are saying that "well we did it but the dems did it too." LOL.
Posted by Ga6thDem at November 21, 2005 07:08 PMMost people would have the common decency to be ashamed, and hide their faces. Not these guys.
Posted by Judith at November 21, 2005 07:09 PMbbtb, yet they can't raise the medium wage to $7.00 an hour. Smucks!
Posted by Judith at November 21, 2005 07:15 PMCAN YOU IMAGINE WORKING FOR A COMPANY THAT HAS LITTLE MORE THAN 500 EMPLOYEE
AND HAS THE FOLLOWING STATISTICS:
29 Have been accused of spousal abuse
7 Have been arrested for fraud, probably 8 with the new guy
19 Have been accused of writing bad checks
117 Have directly or indirectly bankrupted at least 2 businesses
3 Have done time for assault
71 cannot get a credit card due to bad credit
14 Have been arrested on drug-related causes
8 Have been arrested for shoplifting
21 are currently defendants in law suits
84 have been arrested for drunk driving in the last few years
Can you guess who this organization is?
Give up yet??
It's the 535 members of the United States Congress. The same group that cranks out hundreds of laws each year designed to KEEP THE REST OF US IN LINE...ha.
What is the underline under our great leader’s new move? Is it democracy or another hand out to the idiot‘s friend.
The spoils of war
Iraqis face the dire prospect of losing up to $200bn (£116bn) of the wealth of their country if an American-inspired plan to hand over development of its oil reserves to US and British multinationals comes into force next year………..After next month's elections, when a new Iraqi government takes over and contracts are signed it will become clearer how much oil was part of London and Washington's pre-war plans.
Is this the reason that Chalabi came last week asking that he wanted to be Iraq next president????? Did he promised the handover the oil to the worst administration, non elected, in this country ever?
Did anyone catch that raise congress voted themselves last Friday! I am not surprise they will tell you it is the law. They add it as a pork in one of there crazy bills. I though they said a couple week ago that they will forgo the raises! But then again it was a couple of weeks.
We have to get rid of all those crooks. They do not care about us everyday, only before their elections.
Speaking of hiding their faces, I do have to give credit to Scanlon and Abramoff: they are much handsomer guys than your average GOP powermonger. (Though Abramoff does look a little like Joe Isuzu.)
Posted by dj moonbat at November 21, 2005 07:17 PMor is that schmucks?
Posted by Judith at November 21, 2005 07:18 PMWe will see how long Scanlon keeps that smile on his face in the next couple of months when reality sets in.
Posted by Judith at November 21, 2005 07:22 PMTo the GOP, he is now labeled as a traitor and squealer.
Posted by Judith at November 21, 2005 07:33 PMNo "swiftboating" of Scanlon?
Arrrr! The Pirate is in Charge!!
Posted by bbtb at November 21, 2005 07:38 PMBad apples?
Posted by mike at November 21, 2005 07:44 PMDear Mr. Scanlon: do you have adequate life insurance? Can you go out confident in the knowledge that your family will be properly taken care of regardless of what happens to you? If not, call District Mutual at (202) 735 - 1212 for more information. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.
Judith: I skipped symptoms one and two. Sorry.
Posted by tempus at November 21, 2005 08:13 PMBy-the-way, Scanlon still faces up to 5 years in prison, and I suspect he will get it. I am quite sure someone in the prison community can wipe that smile off his face.
Posted by Judith at November 21, 2005 08:25 PMI know that most of you don't have much faith in 'Texas Justice," but I have a feeling, gut feeling for sure, that DeLay will not have his way. He has tried every way he can to get out of this and has been stopped. I have faith that the reason is that he has no way out. Our fair Mr. Scanlon will not forget his friend Tom. And if tomorrow Tom is successful (limited possibility) well, there will be another day for him to defend. Eventually, he will meet the voters in his cripled state (of being), and at that point he will go away. I for one am looking forward to the day that I can go to his bug store and ask if he has any enviromentally safe means of getting rid of fire ants.
Posted by dorita at November 21, 2005 08:34 PMCK said:
On the NewsHour, they closed the Scanlon BriberyGate segment by noting that up to SIXTY Members of Congress may become targets of the DoJ prosecutors.
Yow! If true -- and I could see how it would be, Scanlon was DeLay's bagman after all, he knows where the bodies are buried and whose asses were stuffed with cash -- we could really make a nice dent in 2006.
Posted by Brian Bell at November 21, 2005 08:53 PMBy-the-way, Scanlon still faces up to 5 years in prison, and I suspect he will get it.
If he gets any time at all, he won't get the full five-year stint. They've already got him committing to $19 million in restitution. He could've bought a LOT of criminal defense for that amount, and instead he's giving it up, and he's cooperating with prosecutors. So the prosecutors will probably cut him significant slack in sentencing discussions before a judge.
I'll be shocked if he spends significant time (say, > 90 days) in jail. But look: the feds have him dead-to-rights, or he wouldn't have pleaded guilty and given up all that money; he'd have made them prove it in court. If the feds have him, but they're taking his plea instead of throwing the book at him, why? Because his testimony will make bigger, more complicated, prosecutions easier.
Abramoff is big, but not that big. Members of Congress will certainly face serious consequences from this investigation.
Posted by dj moonbat at November 21, 2005 09:28 PMdj moonbat, I still think he will serve some time, but I do agree it will not be the full 5 years. No matter how much he has cooperated, he has still broken the law. Money restitution is part of the penalty, but breaking the law still requires some sort of sentence.
Posted by Judith at November 21, 2005 10:13 PM