Quid pro quo or no? AP isn't telling.

TPM highlights an AP article that shows connections between some of Abramoff's lobbying clients and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada. Essentially, that calls were made to Reid's office and that's it.

Reid, D-Nev., has led the Democratic Party's attacks portraying Abramoff's lobbying and fundraising as a Republican scandal.

But Abramoff's records show his lobbying partners billed for nearly two dozen phone contacts or meetings with Reid's office in 2001 alone.

Most were to discuss Democratic legislation that would have applied the U.S. minimum wage to the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. territory and Abramoff client, but would have given the islands a temporary break on the wage rate, the billing records show.

There is also mention of several $1,000 donations to Reid from Abramoff's crew. Unfortunately, the AP story neglects to mention one crucial factor-- did Reid do Abramoff's bidding? Josh Marshall's initial investigation gets an unequivocal "no" from Reid's spokesman. But only a mainstream journalist would accept that as the last word, right? So Marshall called the people doing the lobbying, too. And they say that Reid did nothing to help their cause and buck his own party.

Which means that the story doesn't really mean anything at all. All politicians presumably get calls from lobbyists they're inclined to support and lobbyists they're inclined to ignore. The problem is when politicians take money and subsequently do favors for the lobbyists. That doesn't seem to be the case here.

Nevertheless, it will be a new intentionally misleading talking point for the right-wing pundits. Hooray for responsible journalism.