Troubled Waters

Congressional investigators are even more interested in another $1.5 million that Tyco paid, at Abramoff's direction, to a company called Grassroots Interactive. Abramoff, who declined to comment, allegedly controlled the firm, but, according to Flanigan, didn't tell Tyco. Lawyers for the conglomerate later complained that Tyco had been ripped off by Grassroots Interactive. Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee are pressing for answers about what happened to the cash.

In politics, timing is everything, and GOP officials worried that the many Abramoff investigations--not to mention a DeLay trial in Texas, if it comes to that--could take place next summer, just before the midterm elections. In the meantime, Leadership wrestled with their own characteristically crucial issues. Such as: who occupies the Majority Leader Suite in the Capitol? DeLay has moved out, but most of his official staff have remained. Blunt will not move in, officially, keeping his whip office as home base. Instead, Blunt, Dreier and Deputy Whip Eric Cantor will hover in the vicinity. So the office will remain officially vacant. It's symbolic evidence of Leadership--or the absence of it.

WITH MICHAEL ISIKOFF, MARK HOSENBALL AND TAMARA LIPPER

© 2005