The AP is reporting Jack Abramoff is expected to plead guilty to three felony charges, today:
"The plea deal opens the prospect that Abramoff could provide testimony about members of Congress and congressional staffers in a wide-ranging political corruption investigation focused on his lobbying activities."
So far, I haven't noticed many conservatives commenting on this. With Iraq and Alito as headline grabbers, this little scandal is still "inside baseball." Most Americans still don't know this is going on. Additionally, it is human nature to avoid discussing news that may portray our side in a negative light. But the time to hesitate is through.
There is a decent chance the Jack Abramoff story could be "the" political story of 2006. As such, you and I can no longer afford to refrain from commenting on it. With today's revelation that Jack Abramoff will plead guilty, you have to wonder how many Members of Congress are sweating ...
What's more: Several members of the conservative movement may be implicated in this story.
The Left will do whatever they can to bring down conservatives. For this reason, you and I should remain skeptical of what we read or hear in the mainstream media. Still, it's incumbent upon us to face these facts head-on. Our loyalty is to principle - not to any individual. Human beings are flawed, and if you put your trust in any human, you are bound to be let down.
They say absolute power corrupts absolutely. Conservatives aren't immune to this. Many good folks get involved in public policy because of their deeply-held values and faith. Sadly, some of these people are corrupted by the money and power. Even worse, some opportunists view being "conservative" as merely a career move, and are, in fact, charlatans, who never truly believed in the cause.
If it is indeed proven that some of our leaders have engaged in unethical or illegal behavior, they have forfeited our loyalty. Again, I am not advocating we accept as gospel every accusation being made against conservatives. But the credibility of the conservative movement relies on our being honest enough to stand up for principle, even if that means we have to admit that some of our leaders have betrayed those principles. As a movement, we cannot afford to sacrifice the high-ground. As we head into the New Year, it is good for each of us to be reminded of the reason we first became part of the conservative movement.
They say there are two types of people who enter the political arena: Those who want to be somebody - and those who want to do something. You and I must always strive to fit in to the latter rubric.
