Sic em', Patty!

"...I will not join the rush to scapegoat those tribes who have already been victimized by Abramoff. Your easy answer would be fine if all I wanted was to score cheap points on being "clean."

But as someone who has stood as a partner with Native Americans and championed tribal sovereignty, I'm proud of their support. Your editorial asks, "How would she like to repeat that riff 25 times a day for the next five years ... ?"

I would rather repeat my support for tribes 25 times a day than to even once say "tribal money is tainted" just to make myself look better."

Senator Murray is right, and it's important to set the record straight before the Republican bribery scandal is used to foster more anti-Indian sentiment and to disguise the identities of the real culprits.

While everyone who benefited from the $172,933 in personal funds distributed by bribery convict Jack Abramoff should promptly find a better home for it, I'm dubious of the calls for everyone who ever benefited from the interest of an Abramoff client should return their contributions.

First, as Senator Murray points out, the tribes were among Abramoff's victims, not his accomplices. The role of co-conspirator was played by Republican Congresscritters. That doesn't mean, though, whether because of or despite Abramoff's advice, they didn't make any number of perfectly legal and perfectly appropriate contributions to Senators and Representatives who have demonstrated a record of support for tribal interests and tribal sovereignty. Prominent examples include Senator Murray, Senator Reid and Representative Kennedy. Others, including our own Senator Cantwell, have reviewed the contributions they received and determined they were, in fact, inappropriate. I respect their judgment in their own cases, but I don't see that judgment as universally applicable. It's noteworthy that we've heard no call from the tribes for refunds. Indian people know who their real friends are, now, perhaps, more than ever.

While some call for all Democrats to return all the money from tribes associated with Abramoff, it's important that we not give the Republicans fuel for their specious 'everybody does it' defense. Putting a taint on every tribal contribution with an Abramoff connection is blaming the victim, casting an unwarranted aspersion at tribes that were simply exercising their rights as citizens to petition their government and participate in elections. It's also adding a bit of bait to the kind of Rovian trap Democrats should have long since learned to avoid.

Kudos to Senator Murray for taking a big step toward setting the record straight, and a hat tip to Brenda at Washington State Political Report.