Powerline on Abramoff:

In a spirit of honesty, however, I admit that I'd like to see Abramoff left alone in large part because, instead of spending the millions of dollars he raked in on Ferraris and yachts, he lavishly spent it on causes that I think are good and important.

. . . Yes, I have a conflict of interest — and such conflicts, arising from one's political or moral value system, can be more powerful than conflicts that arise from the scent of money. I wish Abramoff's tormentors would be similarly honest. Let them admit their own wish to see the political consequences of the Abramoff affair that they, simulating disinterest, now predict.

Corruption in Congress needs to be punished, whomever does it.  I guess the argument is that if Democrats oppose naked corruption, they should be stopped from ending it because Mammon is serving God now.  And the Republicans wonder how they got here.

As for me wishing poltical consequences--you bet.  Because the party in power is a party of power walking wrapped in the stolen robes of saints.  As corrupt as some Democrats have been, they knew what they were.  That doesn't justify what they did, it just makes the sins of the current rulers so much worse.

We'll be seeing more of this bitter invective as the Republican machine heads for its inevitable crash.  What we won't see is an admission of truth:  that these Republicans never let a moral belief get in the way of the means.