Putting In a Good Word for Abramoff

If you happen in find yourself in a boatload of trouble, if you plead guilty to your misdeeds, if you face time in the slammer -- gather up the character references before your sentencing. Judge Paul C. Huck received 262 letters written on behalf of Jack Abramoff , who got the minimum sentence (five years, 10 months) for fraud in the purchase of SunCruz Casinos. A few excerpts of the arguments for leniency, for those who don't know Jack.

· Theory of Relatively: "Whatever it is that Abramoff is guilty of, it certainly wasn't violent crime. In the spectrum of corruption and crime in politics, I'm not even sure where it would stand against bribery, check kiting, prostitution, drugs, blackmail and other nefariousness committed by our public officials in recent memory."

-- Karen McKay

· Blame the Press: "Much has been written in the media about him by people who have never so much as spoke to Jack, people who plainly had axes to grind against him."

-- David Klinghoffer

· Blame Washington: " I can only conclude that this aberration was due to either the Washington rat-race (inside-the-beltway insulation from the real world beyond) or a brain-freeze and loss of moral compass -- the one he had so strongly aligned correctly in high school."

-- Nathan Low

· Stuff Happens: " People make mistakes."

-- Jeffrey Klein

· Focus on the Good: "For some months, we (and a couple other families) participated together in a carpool with the Abramoffs when our kids were in the same school. Despite their political and business commitments, they held up their share of the carpool duties as equal partners with the rest of us. Also, when my son was in the Boy Scouts (Troop 613), Jack kindly asked his restaurant staff to assemble sandwiches for the troop's annual fundraiser, and charged only for the cost of the food."

-- Beth and Michael Singer

· People Change : "Mr. Abramoff has a wealth of knowledge regarding moral matters. Unfortunately, he was unable to understand how these lessons apply to him. However, I would argue that at this point he probably has a new understanding .