The jailing of Jack Abramoff, the disgraced US lobbyist at the centre of a Washington corruption scandal, is big news in today's US papers, writes Mike McDonough.
Abramoff had pleaded guilty to charges relating to the purchase of a fleet of Florida casino boats. He and an associate, New York businessman Adam Kidan, had faked documents to help secure a $60 million loan to buy the gambling cruise line.
The case is separate from the federal investigation into whether Washington politicians - almost all of them Republicans - gave Abramoff's clients favourable treatment in exchange for election campaign contributions, Super Bowl tickets and other illegal gifts.
Abramoff received the minimum sentence, five years and 10 months, as the Washington Post explains, after striking a plea bargain that requires him to cooperate with the bribery investigation in Washington.
Abramoff has already begun working with the investigation, which could involve up to 20 members of Crongress, including former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. He and Kidan will remain free for at least 90 days while they help federal prosecutors in Washington.
News of Abramoff's prison sentence caused glee among bloggers hostile to Republicans. "My hope is that Abramoff's sentence will at least set the American sheeple to thinking about the corrupt nature of the Republican party," writes The People's Republic of Seabrook. "Yes, money is the mother's milk of politics, and Jack Abramoff is one of the major reasons that Republicans have been too fat and too happy for too long."
FBIHOP gloated that worse was to come.
"This is probably the least serious of the court cases that Abramoff will see. The big fireworks will happen when the conspiracy and fraud charges in Washington come clean. When we see who he gave money to, how much and what Republicans will be brought down. But it sure is nice to see a political figure get jail time for something he did wrong."
For some, Abramoff's punishment was too lenient.
Watchingpolitics was sceptical about claims that Abramoff is cooperating with prosecutors in the US capital.
"This is a strange game that has been played by prosecutors thousands of times. (...) It is not unusual for a vicious crime boss to turn in his cook, chauffeur, accountant and bodyguard in exchange for leniency. Jack has some trick of that sort up his sleeve and has already played a trump card or two to get a sentence of just under 7 years."
Just hours after Abramoff was sentenced, the US Senate passed a bill to clean up how Congress operates. The bill requires politicians to be more open about their activities and bars them from taking gifts or meals from lobbyists.
But critics say the lobbying reform measures do not go far enough.
Arianna Huffington, founder of The Huffington Post has a suggestion for lobby reform, "one most Americans can relate to - and I do mean relate:"
Let's make it illegal for family members of legislators to work as lobbyists. The last few years have seen a surge in registered lobbyists with blood or marital ties to our nation's leaders."
