Lobbyist Probe Hits Close to Home

Yesterday's Sun-Herald reports that the Federal probe into lobbyist Jack Abramoff is focusing on a former member of Senator Thad Cochran's staff. Their story is here: http://www.sunherald.com/218/story/1134185.html

The Sun-Herald states:

During Abramoff’s heyday, Cochran was a top Republican on the Senate Appropriations Committee, with direct control of the federal purse strings that Abramoff was so desperately seeking to pull. Previous documents have shown that Abramoff’s firm considered Cochran’s office one of its greatest assets and rewarded him with top-dollar campaign donations.
The new information raises questions about how much Cochran knew of his staff’s involvement with the lobbyists and whether he was aware that one of his closest advisers allegedly was doing their bidding.

Washington's insider culture can be a deadly thing. I didn't vote for Senator Cochran last year, but I respect his work for Mississippi through the years. Let's hope that the evidence shows that the Senator was not aware of the perks allegedly given to his staffer.

And let's also hope that the Democrats, now firmly in control of Congress, don't fall prey to the same temptations. After all, greed and hubris are non-partisan failings.