Native American Read on Abramoff Scandal

An interesting read from the Native American perspective on the Jack Abramoff scandal, via Indian Country Today:

Campbell is worth hearing on the Abramoff scandal, which is confusing and damaging; his main message is that tribes must take Washington strategies seriously. The biggest danger of the Abramoff scandal is that tribal leaders would shy away from trying to influence Congress. That would be a big mistake, according to the two-term former senator from Colorado. ''Boy, don't put the blanket over your head here,'' he emphasized. ''They [members of Congress] need your input ... We need to come back [to Washington] more, not less. We need to talk to our own congressmen and our own senators more, not less.''

Former senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell went on to say:

Be bipartisan in your lobbying, was another piece of advice from Campbell. Work with all sides on issues that affect the rights of tribes. ''We have friends in both parties ... These are tough times, but we have friends on both sides of the aisle.''