A few days ago I wrote about Legislation before the 110th Congress that would protect the abuse on the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), a rogue US Territory in the Western Pacific just North of Guam.
I have been researching and writing about the Republican Culture of Corruption for some time now. My entry point into this massive pile of sleaze was Jack Abramoff and his support of a corrupt economic system on the CNMI.
Jack is in jail now. The Democrats control Congress, so one would hope that the decades of abuse on the CNMI would be coming to an end.
I hope that is the case, but the truth is that it will only happen if you, I and many others fight for it. We will have to drag, push and shame the 110th Congress to end the abuse on the CNMI and provide justice for the imported workers forced into Neo-Slavery.
The reason is simple: lobbyists. This time a Democrat named Oldaker.
But Jerry McNerney gives me hope.
To the jump...
At the start of this year the prospect of justice finally coming to the Marianas Islands looked very good. The Democrats had just taken over Congress. Corruption was a tipping point in many races, especially hurting those Republicans tied to Jack Abramoff.
In many of these races, the abuse on the CNMI shaped voter’s disgust with Republican corruption. Sweatshops, human trafficking, forced abortions and the folks who protected them were an issue in 2006 (it will still be an issue in 2008).
In many ways the Democratic victories of 2006 were built on the suffering and abuse of the "Guest Workers" on the CNMI. Taking a moment in the 110th Congress to correct and end that abuse should be a no-brainer.
Alas, that is not the case.
Last week, Senator Daniel Akaka (D-HI) introduced a piece of legislation (S. 1634) that was drafted by Bush’s Office of Insular Affairs. His co-sponsors included Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Sen. Daniel K. Inouye (D-HI), and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK). The Bill purports to extend Federal control over the CNMI immigration system—and it sort of does that, but not really. What the Bill actually does is protect the system of abuse and those who profited from it. The workers would be screwed again. The injustice would continue.
It is an amazing turn around for The Pirates of Saipan. Once again they are pulling strings in Washington to keep their cash cow of abuse. Once again they are relying on a well connected lobbyist to make their case.
This time he is a Democrat.
His name is William Oldaker and his firm is Oldaker, Biden & Belair (Joe Biden’s grandson is a partner).
Oldaker is well connected to the DC power structure (PDF). He is a Democratic equivalent to Jack Abramoff (yes, our Party has a few weasels as well).
He has a few skeletons in his closets and some connections to Republican scoundrels. Democrats have severed ties with him in the past due to ethical considerations.
As the real reform for the CNMI became possible for the first time in twelve years, the Pirates of Saipan needed help. Back in 1995 they hired Jack Abramoff and the Republican Congress. This time out they needed a Democrat who could help deliver the 110th Congress. They hired Team Oldaker.
Judging by S. 1634, it looks like they are getting their money’s worth.
The Pirates of Saipan had two main goals for any reform legislation. First, that it would deny any path to Citizenship for long-time "Guest Workers" on the CNMI, and second that it would keep a steady flow of workers to exploit coming to the Territory of moral twilight.
The Akaka Bill meets and exceeds both goals. Long-time workers are denied justice and the Pirates of Saipan are guaranteed a steady stream of new victims. The big difference is that under S. 1634 the system of abuse would be paid for and ran by US taxpayers as opposed to the corrupt CNMI government.
Oldaker is earning his keep. And it looks like the CNMI government is ready to renew his contract.
Lobbyists like Oldaker and the politicians who protect them are the foes of progressives everywhere. If Abramoff had not been caught it would be easy to imagine the firm of Abramoff, Oldaker, Scanlon, Ney and DeLay.
Oldaker is part of the problem in Washington.
So, imagine my amazement, rage and disgust to learn that that a Democratic Freshmen PAC, created to re-elect the 41 new Democrats in 2008, had hired William Oldaker as the PAC’s custodian.
WTF?
Is there a death wish among the DC Democratic consultant class? I mean—what were they thinking.
So many of these Freshmen Democrats rode an anti-corruption wave into office and quite a few of them owe their win in no small part to the Jack Abramoff scandal. It is insane for them as a group to embrace a corrupt lobbyist as the money guy for a PAC that is designed to convince voters they deserve to be re-elected because they kept their promise to Clean up Washington after years of the Republican Culture of Corruption.
Embracing a key player in the corruption in Washington should and would raise eyebrows and set of hypocrisy meters as the story gets out.
Fortunately, one of those freshmen was Rep. Jerry McNerney. He sent a letter to the Democratic Freshmen PAC (PDF) that demanded that they severe ties with Oldaker.
Jerry took some heat from the Politico (aka Pravda on the Potomac) for taking on a lobbyist. And the local papers in his District, CA-11, gave him some grief as well.
He was out there on his own: taking a stand against business as usual in Washington. Oldaker was connected and the pundits were clear that Jerry would loose.
He didn’t. He won.
By the end of last week, Hank Shaw of the Stockton Record reported that Oldaker out of PAC:
Oldaker out at FroshPAC
Looks like someone listened to Rep. Jerry McNerney's appeal to axe uber-lobbyist William Oldaker as custodian for a new political action committee started to raise cash for the 41 freshmen Democrats in Congress. Oldaker's out as of this week, according to a letter sent to the Pleasanton Democrat and forwarded to yours truly. According to McNerney spokesman Andy Stone, Jerry was the only lawmaker to demand the ouster of Oldaker, who is linked to many of the same interests (oil, drug-makers, the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands) that McNerney's predecessor Richard Pombo of Tracy was. McNerney said he would not take any cash from the FroshPAC so long as Oldaker was involved with it. Problem solved. [snip]
All and all, an interesting little dust-up. Score one for Mr. Smith.
This gives me hope.
Oldaker’s hand is all over S.1634. As a hired gun he is an effective and connected advocate for the Pirates of Saipan. He has had easy access to the staff of the Senate Energy and Resources Committee. Oldaker and the Republicans on the Committee have pushed compromises in the Bill that favor the Pirates. The needs of the Guest Workers and the long suffering cries for justice have been stifled and ignored.
Here is just one illustration.
In the Senate this week the Immigration Bill is being debated. One of the provisions is the Z Visas. This would, if certain requirements are met, provide a pathway to Citizenship for any undocumented worker in the United States as of January 1, 2007.
This is a pathway that S. 1634 would deny for the Guest Workers of the CNMI. Despite the fact that they have been in the USA legally for years, suffering an abusive system, the Bill would deny these workers the path to Citizenship being proposed for millions of other workers.
How does that make any sense?
Six years ago, a Republican, Senator Murkowski (the elder) of Alaska introduced reform legislation to end the abuse on the CNMI. It was a Bill he had been trying to get passed for years. It was a fine Bill and would have gone a long way towards ending the abuse. That Bill would have granted Green Cards to CNMI Guest Workers who had been on the CNMI for more than five years. It would have provided real rights to the remaining workers.
The Murkoski Bill was killed by Jack Abramoff, Tom DeLay and the Republican Culture of Corruption. Tom and Jack are otherwise engaged these days, so one would have thought that any legislation from the 110th Congress would have been stronger. If you, like me, hoped that would be the case, then you will share my disgust and disappointment with Akaka’s S. 1634. It took the Murkowski Bill and made it weaker. It is a stunning injustice.
One could easily call S. 1634 the Pirates of Saipan Protection and Enrichment Act of 2007. It is great for the folks who have profited from this system of abuse. If you are a victim of the CNMI’s system of organized human trafficking, the Senate Bill will deny you justice and leave your fate in the hands of those who placed you into bondage.
Call and write your Senators. Ask them to fix or stop Senate Bill 1634. There will be a Hearing on July 19. It would be great if they could hear from you before then.
Call and write the Democrats running for Presidents. Where do they stand on S. 1634? Several of them are in the Senate. All of these candidates have a bully pulpit. Each of them could bring attention to ending slavery in this century. As of now, it is not on their radar. We should force them to take a stand.
If you have some time to help me fight this Bill, let me know. It will take a true grass-roots effort to push back Oldaker and the Pirates of Saipan.
As I’ve pointed out before, It’s The Corruption, Stupid. The culture of corruption was a tipping point issue in 2006. It will be a tipping point issue in 2008—unless Democrats blow it by embracing corruption instead of reform.
It is good to have some hope that we can take this Country back and end the Culture of Corruption.
Tonight Congressman Jerry McNerney gives me hope. He is leading the fight and keeping his word. We need 434 more just like him in the People’s House.
Thanks Jerry. This is what I expect from a Democrat in Washington.
I will be joining a fundraiser for Jerry in DC on Wednesday night to say thank you in person. You can help Jerry end the 2nd Quarter and thank him for cleaning house by sending him a donation.
We need to keep him in Congress.
Cheers.