Kranz

Yesturday, Tyler noted David Kranz's latest political column which discussed Dave Munson and Tim Johnson.  Abramoff was also discussed--and I'm taking issue with it.  He wrote:

A Washington Post article about lobbyist Jack Abramoff's ties to former Sen. Tom Daschle needed a response, says Steve Hildebrand, Daschle's former campaign manager. Abramoff is under federal investigation.
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Abramoff oversaw a team of lobbyists and directed campaign contributions from Indian tribes to Democratic and Republican legislators, including Daschle, the Post reported. The newspaper said Daschle was familiar with Mike Smith, one of Abramoff's Democrat lobbyists.
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Hildebrand said Abramoff is a partisan Republican "who wanted to defeat Daschle, not help him."
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"While Republicans are panicking about their ties to indicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff, they are desperate to try to find connections to Democrats like Tom Daschle and are spreading lies," Hildebrand said.

First off, this blog has never told a single lie about the Daschle/Abramoff connection.  It is a fact that Daschle received over $40,000 from Abramoff and his associates.  Senator Dorgan has decided to return his money.  If North Dakota Democratic Senator and close Daschle ally Byron Dorgan is returning all his Abramoff cash, why isn't Daschle?  Neither the former Senator nor his permanent campaigners have given any good reason.

The funny thing is that this whole controversy started when the Democrats attacked Thune for having received $5,000 in Abramoff money.  They didn't realize how generous Abramoff had been with Daschle and Dorgan.  Which brings up another point: if Abramoff was out to defeat Daschle, as Hildebrand charges, then why did Daschle receive more money that Thune?  Because they wanted access to Daschle.  Furthermore, if Abramoff is just "a partisan Republican," why did he donate so much to the Democratic Party?  The National Democratic Party affiliated committees received over $1.2 million from Indian tribe clients and lobbying associates of Jack Abramoff.  Incumbent Senate Democrat-affiliated campaign and leadership committees received over $729,000.

David Kranz and the Argus Leader continue to provide unstinting support for Tom Daschle.  It appears that the only politicians that need to be held accountable are Republicans.  But it's nice to know that some things don't change--Daschle's old college buddy Kranz will give half his column to Steve Hildebrand when he needs it to defend Daschle.