Barack Obama

Obama: Abramoff woes a Republican scandal

Monday, January 23, 2006

By Associated Press

CHICAGO (AP) -- U.S. Sen. Barack Obama said Sunday that while the problem of money and politics is bipartisan, the corruption surrounding convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff is a Republican scandal.
Appearing on NBC's "Meet the Press," the Illinois Democrat called the Abramoff issue and the K Street Project, an initiative backed by former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, that pressured lobbying firms to hire Republicans and fund GOP causes, a "Republican sin."

"The specific problem of inviting lobbyists in who have bundled huge sums of money to write legislation ... those are very particular problems of this administration and this Congress," he said.

Both parties have been motivated by the Abramoff scandal, in which the once powerful lobbyist and his clients provided gifts, expensive meals and golf trips to lawmakers, mainly Republicans, and have pledged to make lobbying ethics a top issue when Congress resumes a full schedule next month.

Congressional Democrats proposed a ban last week on all gifts and travel paid for by lobbyists. The proposal came a day after Republicans also outlined their own lobbying ethics legislation.

Obama, who last week became a Democratic Senate spokesman for ethics reform, suggested creating an office of public integrity that would have the ability to track and monitor lobbying rules.

"There has to be some mechanism that is not subject to politics that can oversee how we are operating," he said.

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., suggested on "Fox News Sunday" that in order to squash the corruption that stems from lobbying, campaigns must be made affordable so lawmakers don't have rely on lobbyists to raise money.

"Until we make campaigns affordable then we are going to have too many members of Congress out rattling the cup with special interest groups," the Senate Democratic Whip said.

Meanwhile, Sen. John McCain, who also appeared on "Fox News Sunday," called the lobbying scandal a bipartisan problem.

"I think it's a bipartisan scandal because the lobbying is out of control," McCain said.

The Arizona Republican also renewed his criticism of "earmarks," the last-minute additions to bills that provide money for lawmakers' pet projects. He said if Congress does not fix the earmarking, corruption will continue.