I would like you to read this story: Abramoff Tribes Donated Funds to Lawmakers. Go on, I'll wait.

'Kay. If you don't want to bother with reading, I'll recap. In hurricane ravaged Louisiana, a native American tibe wants to build a casino and cash in on the White Eye's proclivity to throw good money after bad. That's a nice, capitalistic plan, right? Turns out, other tribes and a lobyist don't want any competition. So they got nearly three dozen members of Congress, including leaders fromboth parties to try to block the casino. The fact that they received money from the lobbyist was just a coincidence. Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid was paid about $66,000. House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.), was paid $21,500 seven days before he acted. The lobbyist paid almost $830,000 in "donations" and the tribe's casino is tied up in the courts.

This bears repeating: All politicians are crooks! Republicans are crooks. Democrats are crooks. Pay them enough and they will support any point of view you want. The notion that seems to float around the blogosphere that Democrats are more angelic, honest and concerned with you and me is a big steaming pile.