Of Brian Bilbray, Tom DeLay, Jack Abramoff, and Mariana Islands

More points about the obvious connections, but is still worth mentioning from Logan Jenkins...

[...]
"I'd be scouring Washington archives for a palling-around photograph of Bilbray and, say, corrupt lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

Or how about a warm Kodak moment with Brent Wilkes, a defense contractor who allegedly bribed former Rep. Randall Harold Cunningham?

You know the old saying: A picture is worth a thousands slurs.

As it is, the Internet is already abuzz with reports that Abramoff arranged for Bilbray to take a trip to the Mariana Islands. (Bilbray says it was a legitimate trip to discuss naturalization issues that dovetailed with his legislative work on immigration.)"
[...]

The Mariana Islands, are the place that Tom DeLay and Jack Abramoff had worked with The Mariana Island textile industry to keep female Chinese and Korean sweatshop workers from retaining citizenship, in a US Territory. This also lead to forced abortions for the female employees, or else be fired from the company and become a penniless destitute.

[...]
Maybe so, but you have to wonder whether Bilbray, the only former congressman in the field, will be tarred by what the chops-licking Democrats are calling the "Culture of Corruption."

In the current climate, you'd rather be a bookie in scuffed Florsheims than a Washington lobbyist in Italian loafers.

To add to the potential misery, Bilbray, who made his mark in South Bay, will have to absorb the carpetbagger charge in North County.
[...]

Amen to that! Bilbray will be looking for a way to distance myself from his lobbist past and present. Yet, Bilbray holds dear that his "insider" status will somehow pay off for the 50th.