Trivial Pursuit

There are a lot of questionable conflicts of interest and quid pro quo exhanges of money for favors that go on in Congress, but methinks the DCCC is reaching just a tad in its press release calling attention to the "hundreds" in campaign contributions the Gutknecht campaign received from Jack Abramoff.

Take the Money and Run:

Will Gutknecht Return Abramoff’s Money?

Rep. Gil Gutknecht (R-MN) Has Taken Hundreds From Recently Indicted Super-Lobbyist Jack Abramoff, With Abramoff Now Free on Bail, Will Gutknecht Return the Tainted Cash?

This Money Is Not So Funny:

$250 -- Abramoff money taken by Congressman Gil Gutknecht.

6 -- Number of counts of the Abramoff indictment.

0 -- Amount of Abramoff money returned by Gil Gutknecht.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Gil Gutknecht has taken $250 from indicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Gutknecht's indicted benefactor is in court again today, and with more legal troubles ahead for Abramoff, will Gutknecht return the money?

Abramoff, who is closely linked to Tom DeLay, Bob Ney and other ethically challenged Members of Congress, has masterminded schemes against American Indian tribes and then convinced those tribes to hire him for millions of dollars as a consultant. He has lobbied the interests of Indian gaming before Congress and in back room deals with several Members of Congress. Now, Abramoff has been indicted on six counts of conspiracy and wire fraud and accused of falsifying documents in a multi-million dollar business deal.

“With Abramoff appearing once again in a courtroom, will Congressman Gutknecht send back the tainted contributions from the indicted super-lobbyist?” asked Bill Burton, communications director for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “The hard-working families who sent Gil Gutknecht to Congress deserve someone who’ll fight for their jobs, health care and retirement — not someone taking campaign cash from indicted lobbyists pushing their special interest deals.

This just makes the DCCC look silly.