Bob Schaffer/Jack Abramoff strategy reversed by Bush bill signing

Despite what most Modern Republicans say, government can actually do good things for people:

Abramoff lobbied against extending U.S. protections to Mariana islands, Schaffer carried out Abramoff strategy in attacking human rights advocates, opposing change

President Bush today signed a bill that overwhelmingly passed both houses of Congress to extend U.S. labor law to the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. In the most notorious Washington lobbying scandal in recent history, the islands hired jailed lobbyist Jack Abramoff to represent them in opposing the change, and Abramoff enlisted the help of Republican members of Congress including Bob Schaffer, who carried out a strategy that had been literally designed by Abramoff himself.

“The exploitation of workers on the Mariana islands comes to a close today, but only because Congress finally rejected attempts by jailed lobbyist Jack Abramoff and his crony Bob Schaffer to allow the human rights abuses to continue,” DSCC spokesman Matthew Miller said. “Abramoff was able to delay this much-needed reform for years by corruptly influencing the Republican Congress, but with Abramoff safely behind bars and Schaffer safely at home in Colorado, it finally passed this year. Now that an overwhelming bipartisan majority and the president have endorsed this reform, maybe Bob Schaffer will apologize for his shameful assistance of a corrupt lobbyist who was helping the factories exploit their workers.”

• Bill an explicit repudiation of the Shaffer-Abramoff position. The new law signed today extends U.S. immigration laws to the Northern Mariana islands and “was a response to concerns about unfair immigration policies and labor practices for workers in the islands’ garment industry. In part, it is also a response to the legacy of convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff, whose clients included the territorial government.” [CQ, 4/29/08]
• Schaffer Took Trip to Marianas Islands Funded by Jack Abramoff Front Group. Last week, it was reported that a finding trip to the North Mariana Islands taken by Schaffer was partly arranged by the firm of former lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Schaffer, along with his wife, stayed for free at a “palm-studded beach resort” and met with clients of Preston- Gates, according to a copy of the trip’s agenda archived in Schaffer’s congressional papers. Schaffer’s $13,000 trip was paid for by the based Traditional Values Coalition, which Schaffer described as a religious group “concerned with human rights.” Later investigations showed that TVC was a front group for Abramoff’s lobbying operation. [Denver Post, 04/10/08]

There's more about the principles and actions of Bob Schaffer, Republican candidate for the Senate, at the link.