What make of man runs our country? Apparently the make who thinks it is OK to exploit American Indians. Men like House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, and his associates-lobbyist Jack Abramoff and PR executive (also former DeLay press secretary) Michael Scanlon. Over the past year, Abramoff and Scanlon's dealings with various American Indian tribes have resulted in fees for their companies in amounts hovering between $60 and $80 million. This scandal has exploded in Indian Country media and, to a degree, inside the Beltway. Given the fact that Indian gaming is rising in Wisconsin, the story should get our attention. Moreover, the back-story of the white men involved provides a clear, comical and revolting picture of the state of American politics.
Here's how the score went down. Abramoff and Scanlon offered their lobbying services to at least six American Indian tribes involved in the casino business. Throughout the late '90s, the tribes gave tens of millions to Abramoff and Scanlon's constellation of lobbying firms and \foundations,"" real and fake, expecting a normal PR and lobbying campaign.
Bypassing persnickety ethical code, Abramoff and Scanlon simply used the money for whatever they wanted and told no one. The two men spent millions on vacations for their politician buddies. Abramoff took DeLay and wife to Scotland in 2000 for golf at the famed St. Andrews course, a trip funded with Indian casino and eLottery checks totaling $70,000.
In Texas, Abramoff and Scanlon took Indian money to fund both sides of the gaming issue, helping Ralph Reed's special Christians close down the casino industry statewide before helping an American Indian tribe attempt to open it up again.
So, to quote Butch to Sundance (or vice versa), ""Who are these guys?"" Let's start with Jack Abramoff. A national College Republican back in the day, he rubbed elbows with future anti-tax guru Grover Norquist. In the mid-'80s, Abramoff ""founded"" the International Freedom Foundation, a front bankrolled by the South African Apartheid regime to smear Nelson Mandela. Four years later, he dabbled in Hollywood: The Dolph Lundgren film ""Red Scorpion"" resulted. Throughout the '90s, Abramoff prowled K-Street, fighting against the minimum wage and helping Tyco, a company that melted in 2003.
Tom DeLay is known in Washington as ""the Hammer."" His avowed purpose is to Christianize our 50 states. His efforts against fag-lovers and flag-haters are bankrolled with contributions from tobacco, rum and gambling companies. You are ""chickenshit"" if you disagree with him-that's what he called Wisconsin Democrat Sen. David R. Obey, who DeLay also pushed during a debate.
We have some of the ingredients for a similarly nasty scandal in our state: Indian casinos and a GOP led by an ambitious young politician (John Gard). However, since the national scandal broke, business-minded casino-operating tribes in Wisconsin and elsewhere have hopefully learned a lesson regarding lobbyists.
Moreover, the good news is that not all political operators work like Abramoff and DeLay. Many are far more ethical, and would never stoop to such un-Christian wickedness (Gard, hopefully). The bad news is that some political crooks are both careful and competent and thus hard to catch-in contrast to the incompetent Abramoff and the reckless, arrogant DeLay.
Teddy O'Reilly is a senior majoring in history. Send responses to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
