Another example of Republican arrogance and their priorities. The fact that this guy is so comfortable he willingly had his photo taken with a known lobbyist beside a Gulstream Jet on his way to a 5-star European golfing trip paid for by corporate interests, shows status quo. Shocking that America would put up with this, quite frankly.

I wonder if any of them thought of paying their own way? Congressional rules specify they have to pay only the cost of a first-class ticket on a commercial flight, not the real cost of a private chartered jet. It's hard to see how the Congress can have a "lobbying reform" bill without addressing that. It would be nice to see ABC look into that.

I wonder whether corruption or the massive and growing federal debt is the biggest threat to our democracy, and whether Congress cares about either?

I think the pay for these positions should be high enough that it isn't a huge sacrifice to serve in congress. But it should be 10 years in prison for violation of public trust. I have no sympathy for that Louisiana congressman caught with money in his freezer, and evidence against him in his office. It is precisely behavior like that that leaves us disillusioned with our so-called leaders.

There should also be similar rules to the ones I follow in the private sector about the "appearance of impropriety". Delay taking rides on corporadoes' private jets to resorts seems to have that appearance.

Why, oh why, can't politicians control buying and selling without being bought and sold themselves?

Maybe we should just remove the financial incentive to bribe officeholders?

Free market anyone?

Ralph Reed is the Devil Himself..

Shock! Shock! Shock!
Ralph Reed on an airplane with al-kee-hol??!!
My, My, what a terrible sin for this fine christian leader!
What a joke that people would listen to that twerp.

From Cheney and Supreme Court Judges chumming around together immediately prior to a case he had interest in to this, it never stops. It has gotten so that "prove it" is the standard now, instead of the mere appearance of impropriety. If anyone thinks that there is anything that can be done to really solve these issues they are wrong. Our country has turned a corner in the last 5 years and there is no going back. This is coinciding, however coincidentally, with the global "revaluing" of our country. We aren't the white palace we used to be. Too bad too. It was great while it lasted. "Leadership" has thrown our children's future away for the price of green fees and hotel accomodations in far-off places. I hope they choke on all of their money.

I believe that is a revolution going on in this country. Enough Republicans are decent enough that they know that the price of getting a Republican control of all three branches of government with the eroding of our democracy is too high of a price. I belive that both sides of the aisle need to do jail time for engaging in illegal activities and violating the publics trust.

And yes, I do believe that when exit poles and the actual voting results show as much discrepecy as they had in the 2004 election, something illegal has take place.

If the world can accuse the Ukraine's of fraudulant voting results when that happens there, then why not here?

I love if-then phrases like, If Abramoff called his Indian clients, "monkeys and morons", then Ralph Reed called his "christian" supporters...fill in the blank as it will come out someday. If "christian" supporters ever understand how much they were used by the corrupt and greedy republicans, then will November 2006 be the largest "punishment" election we have ever enjoyed in these great "ole" United States?

This not NEWS...These people are crooks

Who is passenger 9, and why is their name redacted? No more secrets. Governement for the people by the people includes knowing all there is to know. Period.

What we have is a total lack of ethics as demonstrated by this group of scum taking a trip they know would be illegal. A spit in your face for Americans that work every day to pay for these trips. Throw all these bums out of office.

Enjoy my homage to this debacle, which I have titled "Red State Blues."

This isn't a Republican problem - it's a Congressional problem. And it will never be solved. Asking the Congress to address ethics is like asking the CIA to investigate itself. Washington politicians feel like that are entitled to whatever they can stuff into their pockets.

A case and a half of beer... for a morning flight...with omelets and bagels??? Are these guys drunks, too?

The second link in the above story is not working. Source appears to have been removed.

I'm guessing that passenger 9 is the minor in the picture...

"Enough Republicans are decent enough that they know that the price of getting a Republican control of all three branches of government with the eroding of our democracy is too high of a price."

Oh to be that young and naive again!

" If "christian" supporters ever understand how much they were used by the corrupt and greedy republicans, then will November 2006 be the largest "punishment" election we have ever enjoyed in these great "ole" United States?"

The key word here is 'understand'. These people don't 'understand' things or seek to 'understand' them...they have the bible and thats all they need.

This isn't news. These are the slimiest repesentatives and leaders of government our country has ever seen! Nixon was a jewel compared to these guys. The raw arrogance and total lack of touch with the American people is beyond words. Between the debt, trade deficit, education system mess, horrible bankruptcy law, and our open border policy, we are doomed as a nation.

Another Republican scandal, barely covered by the conservative news media. Who else is crooked? For the foreseeable future: Zero tolerance for Republicans

the 9th passenger is probably the underaged son (teen in the picture) who went to learn how to drink beer, be elite, and bilk the U.S. taxpayers

Enough.

If we can afford to pay for reconstructing Iraq, then we can afford to pay for public campaign finance.

Enough.

This is photographic evidence of pay-to-play legislation in America, virtually all of which falls directly in the lap of the Republican Party.

No matter the fallacious assertions that Abramoff gave money to Democrats or that corruption is a bipartisan problem, the facts lead to the obvious conclusion that corruption is a direct result of a conservative Republican congress.

Ralph Reed just validates it; LOAFERS DON'T GO WITH JEANS

It appears No. 9 is a child...

What The Hell,

Tony Snow on Fox and the White House Propaganda on the Same Day Your Kidding me, right.

Smile and say "Indictment"

Ohio is full of GOP corruption. Ney is just another of many here in Ohio.

Even worse is Ken Blackwell, Secy of States who owned stock in Diebold, forced all the counties to buy their machines (which have been corrupted) and is now overseeing the 2006 election in which he is running for governor. He gets to rig his own election!

Is it time to do some serious "House cleaning"? I mean both the Senate and the House.

America cannot tolerate any more incummbent and corrupt politicians. We need congress(wo)men who would work in the interests of the American people - not corporate interests!

The Demos are leading in the polls for the Nov. election, but what can be done to be certain that Rove doesn't manipulate the diebold paperless machines again???? We are becoming a banana republic--save us!

All the links have been stopped. I am really curious now. Could someone, please, write out the names in the passenger list of course excluding the minor... or provide alternative links before all of this goes into the "black hole"?

What the heck? Did the
DOJ ordered the links sealed? Or did the NSA just hack its way into ABC News?

Bush's first act after leaving office - PARDONS FOR ALL - including Kennyboy Lay. Disgusting!

Nothing is more seductive than a Gulfstream corporate jet. Add all of the trimmings that go with such an activity and almost no one can so no. That's why Jack Welch, with his masssive personal fortune, still had that benefit included in his retirement package.

The focus is on republicans today, because the news stories are on republicans. One poster said this seems to have all started in the last 5 years, as if Bush brought it all with him. As I recall, the democrats got elected in the 70's because of Nixon's watergate scandal. The republicans got elected in the 90's and 2000 because of democrat scandals. Anyone who claims that only the other guy's party has corruption is fooling themselves. Even the laws that were passed to try to head this off were corrupted by both parties as they sought advantage over the other.

It's not just a Republican thing; it's the current, abysmal state of our nation. However, the neo-conservatives in power are taking advantage of our country in ways unheard of in the previous century. The activities of the slime involved with Abramoff, however, will be the undoing of many politicians, both Republican and Democrats (although mostly Republicans - they are more likely to be enticed by $).

The kid on the flight learned a valuable lesson - that it pays to be a fat, dishonest, double-talking politician, cause you get to go on cool trips for free, and eat of the twizzlers and bacon you want.

I wonder if any of the recipients reported the value on their income tax returns since they received the "gifts" in their capacities as employees of the government.

The only way to really stop all of this is to some serious election reforms. We are not represented by our peers. We are represented by the RICH, and who do you think they care about. Check the percentage of millionaires in the Congress.

The ninth passenger is one of Abramoff's sons. Start them out young.

Congress simply needs to have an independent third party or law enforcement agencies to investigate and enforce the rules it makes. The committee should beable to create laws and rules, but not also enforce them.

I found the links to be working but here is the list of passengers sans the minor:

Jack Abramoff
Robert W. Ney
Niel Volz
Ralph Reed
William James Heaton
David Hossein Safavian
Michael Elliott Williams
Paul Vinovich

Abramoff's Interior connection found guilty, while Gates continues to push for more H-1B visas... "Team Abramoff was hired by Bill Gates father's law firm, Preston-Gates."