Prepare for Abramoff talking points

Producing talking points is one thing the GOP still does quickly and effectively. And they're still as bogus as ever. Salon has a nice roundup of sites that look into the question "Just how vulnerable are Democrats to Abramoff's taint?" You'll be hearing from all the usual suspects that it's an equal opportunity disgrace. That isn't exactly true.

Jack Abramoff himself hasn't given a dime to any Democrat in Congress. That said, Abramoff's associates and clients have given money to politicians from both parties. Greenberg Traurig, the law firm for which Abramoff worked, has doled out money on both sides of the aisle, as have the Indian tribes Abramoff represented. But as Bloomberg noted, Greenberg Traurig is a big firm with interests beyond those involving Abramoff. And some of the political contributions Abramoff's Indian clients made to Democrats came before Abramoff was representing them; once Abramoff began lobbying on their behalf, Bloomberg found, the Indian tribes gave a smaller percentage of their contributions to Democratic lawmakers.

In short, although some Dems could be in trouble (and if they are corrupt, good riddance) this is a GOP scandal through and through.

UPDATE: The National Republican Senatorial Committee has this to say: "Forty of forty five members of the Democrat Senate Caucus took money from Jack Abramoff." This is a lie, pure and simple. Expect to hear it frequently.