GOP Thug Abramoff Gets Six Years

http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/34208/

Uber-lobbyist Jack Abramoff, the man who nearly won back my heart with this wry comment (hat tip to Vita): "You're really no one in this town unless you haven't met me," has been sentenced to nearly six years for wire fraud.

He's free for now to help out with a number of other investigations, including murder and congressional corruption related to Tom DeLay. His sentence could be reduced they say.

Best line: "Before the hearing, more than 260 people — including rabbis, military officers and even a professional hockey referee — wrote letters on the men's behalf asking the judge for leniency." Oh, well, a hockey referee... "Jack is a good person, who in his quest to be successful, lost sight of the rules."

Yes, this is what's known as a criminal. Allow me to translate: he knows powerful people, didn't raise his voice and he's white.

Here's the guy these folks are in there vouching for, from Barry Yeoman's profile in Mother Jones:

...there was a chance Abramoff's personal reputation might have been salvageable -- had it not been for the hundreds of memos and emails that the Senate investigators released. Some of the notes are merely embarrassing: "I love this bitch talk you punk ass bitch," Abramoff emailed Scanlon in an exchange about racquetball. "As soon as I get yo ass on court, you be crying like a baby!" Others are laced with slurs about clients. Of the Saginaw Chippewa he wrote, "These mofos are the stupidest idiots in the land for sure." When Scanlon grew frustrated with one tribe, Abramoff urged patience: "The key thing to remember about these clients is that they are annoying, but that the annoying losers are the only ones who have this kind of money and part with it so quickly."Sounds like a kind heart to me. (HT: AmericaBlog)