ocular online encyclopedia is on a twenty four hour shutdown in protest at american anti piracy plans that are seen as a threat to internet freedom. and occupy anti greed activists mark for months and their movement by taking on the white house and capitol hill thousands were expected to take part but the event failed to draw in the numbers that organizers anticipated. but when it comes to big money in america's politics the lobbyists are the people who know exactly how it works jack off used to be won and he now tells us why he thinks washington is corrupt to the core. i i. i'm sitting down with jack abraham off once the most powerful lobbyist in washington referred to as the man who bought washington he brought government officials in order to gain political support for his clients

in two thousand and six he was convicted of ripping off his clients jack abramoff served three and a half years in prison guilty of conspiracy fraud and tax evasion mr abrams thank you very much for coming since your release from jail you've been very vocal about corruption in washington i read your book and i got a sense of your frustration about the fact that while you were sent to jail people involved in the same corrupt practices are sitting pretty in their offices on capitol hill well i'm i'm not as frustrated that their people didn't go to jail or prison and prison is not fun and i wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy but i guess what i'm frustrated about is that when they had my hearings and trials and when i was sent off there was a big exclamation and celebration here that they cleaned up washington but in fact they didn't clean up washington and so when i came out you have to rethinking my life and what i was involved in decided that they want to clean up washington and i

would help them figure out exactly how to do it during that senate hearing when you were publicly bashed by the senate is what were you thinking what were your thoughts as you faced the distinguished panel well i probably was thinking they were a little less distinguished than others were thinking i was reminded continually by every word out of their mill that they were among the many who participated in some of the corruption that they were accusing me of when one of the senators a senator campbell was accusing me of corruption and wrecking the democratic system i was thinking back to the breakfast. i had with him a couple years before where i handed him checks from my client's contributions and he said that they would never have a problem with his committee so i was thinking that basically about each of them i didn't know a lot of them personally because i had people working for me had a staff of about forty lobbyists and some of them knew the people who work for me

but. i found the whole thing to be hypocritical it was a kangaroo court and it was a show people say you were a tory it seems your ability to buy members of congress how did you do that i don't think i was necessarily except on the margins much different than most of what goes on here but what happens here and what's on portion in which what i did in terms of pushing over the lines even of this activity is lobbyists and people want something from congress raise money for congressmen give money to congressmen in terms of political contributions by meals for them take them golfing take them on trips take them to sporting events and i probably did more of it than most did and i pushed over certain lines that are in the sand and broke the law but it is something that goes on far too often in washington you want to say that and i found it very very interesting that that once you just a moment you offered a job to a congressional staffer you own them right there was no greater control that people

could have over congressional offices than to have the head of that office know that they're going to come in a few months to come work for a lobbying firm from that minute on those people are focused on that lobbying from their clients and it's not just me i saw it all over tell me it's not something i bet it it's something i noticed and something that i propose now to get rid of by banning people who work on capitol hill who are members of congress from ever joining the lobbying industry or the influence industry in america what did your clients want by investing in politics by investing in you well mostly my clients one of the federal government not to. get all over the back and tax them and the. they're businesses most the lobbying is deep that's keeping the government from doing things to industries and to companies and likely going to help them avoid to the exact day or night when i got presented in a bunch of indian tribes and the way i got into it the first representation i had with the tribes was to stop the federal government from putting

a thirty percent tax over the gross revenues of their gambling industry and what was interesting about your case it was not just politicians who cheated but also you cheated your clients namely those indian tribes with gambling interests who paid them aliens and what i thought was what i did was where we're about to pled guilty to was some of the efforts that we did for the clients in their states worst to stop their competition from taking away their markets they would crush their competition yes we would attack their competition and we would do everything we could to keep them from invading the market of our client and that's normal in america fortunately for better or for worse that's not something we we made up we're going to have any regrets about doing that well at the end of the day i regret using the political process as a weapon against competitors because at the end of the day i don't think the government should be used like that i didn't have a problem with it then and i shouldn't even if we're talking about millions of dollars in contributions it's still peanuts for any big corporation it's

a tiny fraction of what they make did you get a sense of how powerless average americans are when the interest so big guys like that are at stake on capitol hill well americans have a very tough time competing with these special interests special interests come in with a lot of money and you're right it's miniscule amounts of money compared to what they could do and some of them do a lot of money but it's still a small amount the problems the average citizen here is not engaged politically and when they're able to bring in money and influence members of congress to vote on things that are not good for the country and not good for the general interest because somebody with a special interest. pushing on it that's where the problem starts so what i propose in my book and the effort that i've been engaged in since i've gotten out of prison is a way to separate money out of politics here and basically to say that if you're a lobbyist or you're somebody who's trying to get something from the government here you may not give a dollar politically of any kind and that's one of the poor things that i've

proposed to clean up the system i think is very important because the end of the day political contributions if i give you something if you're a congressman and i give you a contribution and i want something from you that contribution may not be cold a bribe but it is a broad at the end of the day how many members of congress are involved in corruption like that in bribery like that well i mean ultimately every member of congress is taking a check or a contribution from a lobbyist or from a company or from a union or anyone who needs or get something from washington whether it's conscious or not they're involved in it alternately you can't accept something from somebody without unless you're at it all do well yes absolutely they all do and what i'm saying is you can't as a human being if somebody gives you something you're going to feel gratitude and even if you don't do with that person once right there you say look you can't buy my vote for two thousand dollars and most of them say that of course but the issue is if you do something nice for me in my heart i'm going to have to fuel

a little bit better about you and what i'm saying is that is the moment of the problem if you're a public servant with all the crimes that you committed there's still a sense that you were used as a poster boy a kind of a scapegoat for the corrupt system that is very much alive and kicking i want to ask you about the supreme court decision from almost two years ago that allows on limited campaign contributions lobbyist must be really happy about that decision aren't they some are some are and i think the decision was for the most part very good the decision basically said that people shouldn't have the right to get money constricted i don't have a problem with that what i have a problem with. people who want something back giving money even a dollar that's the difference but with me now corporations the problem with corporations do you are contradicting yourself you were just talking about how any contribution can be seen as bribery and now you're saying no being able to funnel as much money as you want these perfectly fine in today's politics no i don't think

so i think people should have the right to get big i've been fairly consistent night not to expect anything in return one on one and why should you expect something in return there are a lot of people who give money in this country by the way because they like the ideology of the candidate they like the candidate themselves they're not going in there and asking for a grant or a tax break or or a contract most people don't do that but it still contradicts what you were saying a few moments ago and that is with any form of contribution especially a big contribution an elected official finds themselves in a situation when they told their benefactors somebody is worth a trillion dollars and they live in some form in kansas and they never have any contact with any congressman ever and they see some congressman they love they want to give him a million dollars because they think they're fantastic and they never ask for a thing from that person i personally think that's all right they have been very hard to track down you ask possibly i've talked i've talked to law enforcement about this about my ideas and once the laws are set in place i think that they are

capable of figuring it out that decision only created a further complication in my view in the sense that it brought corporations them as a possible donor to political efforts and again to think it effectively legalize this corruption in washington i think corruption is legal in washington right now thousands of people took to the streets across america to say no to jack paper amounts to saying no to politics in washington do you think there is a chance that action like that that awareness like that can change anything i think the occupy wall street movement had behind it some good in saying so the problem is that they didn't organize themselves like the tea party movie. ted which was politically tea party movement had a dramatic impact on the last election and probably will still in this election and i've spoken to the occupy people quite a lot and told them that until they get themselves organized politically they're not going to be meaningful because in america street protests don't really mean anything people don't like street protests in america first of all the destructive

there's vandalizing the unsanitary things that go on and most americans in repelled by that what most americans will respect is political activism an organization on the left or on the right now i think that there is anger out there and you don't have a money to hire a lot of. well that might not be a bad thing but you know american people don't need lobby is they need to organize themselves i think that in america getting into personal class and b. i think is very dangerous we've seen that every great. tele tarion movement in certainly in the twentieth century started with class and instead of class and be able to focus themselves not on those who succeed but those who choose to succeed in the sense of using the government and using the state to make their lives easier to make more money and there are plenty of those that get it like like i did like i helped my clients do and like every lobbyist helps their clients to importunately had it not been for the jail time which you have been just this way panting as you

are now if i hadn't had the fall if i hadn't had been destroyed i would love to sit here and tell you i would have all my own come to how bad this was and you know i should have been doing and i should have been involved in that kind of lobbying but i'm not going to lie to you i would never thought that i thought i was doing the right thing that's the sad part of it all for me so as i look back i would have stopped i would have still been doing it instead of sitting here with you i'd be sitting on capitol hill negotiating something for one of my clients. took my getting killed for me to come to the realisation that a should have been there what do you plan to do. in the process of. possibly one amp with a t.v. show thank you. when clinton comfortable question leads to a grave accusation the world who is more is you know following. the president who isn't supposed to hide anything. or it's someone asking him why do you make

a secret out that when the powers to be suppress the voice of those who think different or when you get experiencing very serious problems off of the saakashvili government came to power in two thousand and three but a book that was when the problems began piling up. interviews were now off limits to our journalists they were often beason up and humiliated in public and one of the attempt to protect property puts life in real danger is that we have been deprived of the only means of earning a living i have got to our originals of all the papers that got them legalized the ownership rights on the basis of companies freedom becomes just a stage prop. wealthy british soil it's time to. go. to. the market and.

find out what's really happening to the global economy for a no holds barred look at the global financial headlines to name to cause a report on our. party's top stories moscow reaffirms its push for talks on syria rejecting any military intervention and budging to ensure the u.n. doesn't authorize that this has america and some allies now polls against the syrian regime are posing a sentence for. millions of what computer users are putting this right now the world's most popular online encyclopedia on twenty four hours shutdown that's in protest to american anti-piracy plans that are seen as a threat to internet freedom. and occupy and take greed activist mark for money their movement by taking on the white house and capitol hill thousands were

expected to take part in the event failed to draw on the numbers organizers wanted . and i think that won't be the case with some of the matches coming up tonight in terms of numbers you know in some big games coming up this weekend in the u.s. and a massive want to understand tonight in spain yeah huge one tonight it is barcelona versus ryall the biggest game pretty much in club football and then as you say yet next weekend or this weekend actually it is the last four teams standing in the n.f.l. plenty of sport coming up right now. your company this is sports and a plenty ahead over the next ten minutes including these stories in briggs. big guns on the move roger federer receives a by bill in the dollhouse to prove on court that he deserves

a run for the place at melbourne park. nice on the ice after a full into twenty eleven system also continue to do just about everything right this year registering their fourth straight k.h. elway. then there were four we'll look back at how the baltimore sun francisco on the new york giants moved to within a game of super bowl forty six. for not coming up but let's begin our players truly in open where it was left to one of rush's lesser lights to fly the flag for the country on a wednesday qualifier nina. successfully navigating her way into the third round at melbourne park the grand slam debbie can thrashing out birth of reality in straight sets six two six one to score her second set of the major over certainly paying for jews having been on the tour for over a decade. we're number one on top seed carline was the act he is also safe in to

run three the day easing to the first set against tough to really be for her georgian opponent made a fight of things in the second most iraqis go eventually roughing up by a tie breaker six two on seven six the final score a monica the cholesky up next. elsewhere in the pick of the action defending champion kim clijsters swept aside stephanie for its affronts clijsters seeded eleventh not messing around from the off taking the opener six games to love the belgian would drop just the singing. game in the second set cruising into an encounter with danielle hunter later in the week on a six love six one. brings us to the men's side of the draw where all rivals rafael nadal and roger federer remain on track to meet in the semifinals dawn on despite only one of them needing to play today to make the third

stage world number two in a dull taken on tommy haas on a wednesday they sponsored looking like his old dominance a disappointing into last year and it all along with an adjusted faster rocket in tow bossing the german six four six three six four lucas luck you'll see next for me york this time. was a positive match but not. very strong demanding rhythm with them before i was and i was so i wasn't. thinking that all the matches. roger federer will be well rested for his class evil call of each on thursday that says after opponent on three is back pulls out of there before hand with a bad back marty fish has become the highest rung casualties so far the seeded american going to follow john isner is no stranger to morrison rallies having taken part in the longest ever tennis match in history in twenty ten his clash with david

nalbandian today also going to find set with the american edging the argentinian ten eight in the decider. c.s.k. moscow look to finally find their groove in the concept of hockey league the army mincing off nifty for one on home ice to claim a fourth consecutive victory their chances of making the playoffs robert tongue in as more. the stakes are high cisco are gearing up to secure a playoff spot in the western conference nifty he make trying hard to bellow out in the east their first clear as the season was next to work with the petrochemicals proving to be stronger than three two tuesday night in the russian capital so the muscovites fired back in style just four minutes into the game but they're just lower wired he's gone to give their only man believe one nil the home side kept on building up pressure here is denise portion driven through the visitors the fans

i lifted him excel at their chances on counter-attacks keeping the host goalie the rest is love stana busy showing off his skills. i never it was just scar who score again said addition of question in seconds after the first intermission to make it to nil stomach at shining searing one shot after another while his team mates kept on scoring even playing one man down nicolas person breaking away and netting in style here three nil. and when it came to the army men and paul play they promptly learned that you learnt alexy yashin ripped of the scoring for neil eight minutes from the final whistle visitors didn't give up the fight and managed to score a consolation deal but after the outcome it's always easier when you see the boys

are playing well and working hard. to work hard for them and when they scoring it's always. also confidence not just to damage to read three tonight we can reduce game which is the boys can score and. the lock is on our side so. it's always easier when you're scoring to claim their fourth consecutive win although on thursday there and then will face in march tougher jones the two time to go in cup winners worse for a bit more than their own r.t. moscow yes ask beginning to look very good indeed russia have claimed yet another gold medal at the first ever winter youth olympic games taking place in austria to see a set of winning the women's cross-country five kilometer classic pleading the distance in a time of forty minutes eighteen seconds slovenia's ana maria lump it on me and out

on your body and run this team russia top the overall medal standings from china with five goals on eleven gongs in total. get ready for another installment of the biggest rivalry and club football it is barcelona versus holders real madrid tonight in the cup at del rey quarter finals first leg the first of twenty twelve and as usual barsa coach pep guardiola is preaching respect for all things real. some computers i guess that would put the shoe on the other champions so this can petition and the leaders of the spanish league him they also have the best record in the champions league group stage all this time as we're playing against the strongest royal we can ever face in any competition where we should be ourselves in play the best possible game trying to school goals with our thoughts on the second leg but you know let's end with american football where four teams now remain in what's been a widely on predictable n.f.l. postseason baltimore and new england san francisco on the new york giants the

squads with super bowl forty six very much on their minds even sikorsky looks back now at how they move to find a game of the big dance. starting in the a.f.c. where the baltimore ravens were more than ready to play spoiler against the houston texans team coming out of their first playoff win ever in their maiden appearance houston though unable to take care of the ball like they did in their thirty one to ten win over the cincinnati bengals on the wild card around a muffed punt by the texans jacoby jones allowing baltimore to run the table early on joe flacco taking advantage of a short field to find tight end chris wilson for seven to three lead the texans made a game of it but rookie quarterback t.j. yates had three interceptions and couldn't deliver when it mattered most the ravens winning twenty to thirteen they now face the patriots team whom they crushed thirty three to fourteen back in the two thousand and nine playoffs new england no doubt

remember that embarrassing home loss in the wild card round the patriots they'll play nothing like that team of a few years ago absolutely demolishing the denver broncos at the weekend tom brady throwing six touchdown passes to tie the postseason record in a forty five to ten romm the three time champion said not one nine straight games and ended a three game playoff win the streak and some style new england the only high octane are offensive team still in the hunt after both the new orleans saints and the green bay packers crashed out over in the n.f.c. the san francisco forty nine ers came out firing against the saints with alex smith finding vernon davis to draw first blood the imposing tight end would play an even bigger role later on and it looked as if the saints would once again out score the opposition in the fourth quarter find size speedster didn't sproles outmaneuvering the defense to make it twenty four to twenty three smith however found davis again

when san francisco were down by three with just nine seconds left in the game saying safety roman harper feeling the pain of that thirty six to thirty two loss on a collision with a twenty. when you're old the red hot new york giants will now try to stop the forty nine er's after a confident win over reigning champions green bay a team next exposing the packers the q.b. is healed by al running their shaky defense and making it ten to three in the first quarter. and few teams ever score in a last second long bomb to end the half but the giants benefited from a resilient knicks again as a twenty four year old held on to the ball to make it twenty that send at the break one of the best often says in the national football league just unable to get it together in the second the packers' ryan grand fumbling the ball allowing the giants marial manningham to score thirty seven to twenty how it ended meaning there will be a new super bowl champion this year the remaining teams now just one win away from

their respective conference titles and a trip to the biggest game of the n.f.l. season yvonne's a gorski r.t. . and that is where we end the sport this hour world weather is up next scene shortly. here is that so much going on there he's been itching my mark with wanting to turn in a wide range of issues the standoff between iran and western powers has fractionate that is the west preparing for a military confrontation. well into the. science technology innovation all the latest developments from around russia we've got the future covered.

the news today violence is once again flared up. these are the images the world has been seeing from the streets of canada. trying to corporations rule the day. mark out reaffirms its push for talks to solve syria standing down any military intervention pledging to its source the u.n. doesn't authorize it. the world of knowledge tries out for a day as the world's most popular online encyclopedia joins the protests and finds us copyright laws that's what the p.d.f. says threatens internet freedom. occupy activists marking four months of their movement by taking on the white house and top it'll help but fail to get the numbers they want to. address the markets close in the blackouts or rather the trade.