Josh Marshall has posted a PDF of Terry McAuliffe's letter to John Ashcroft insisting that bribery and extortion allegations during the vote on the Medicare bill be investigated. It's worth a read, but for those of you who can't stand dealing with PDF files:

According to multiple media accounts, Congressman Nick Smith (R-MI) was offered $100,000 in campaign contributions for his son’s congressional campaign, in exchange for an affirmative vote on Medicare reform. Not only was this bribe offered to a member of Congress, it was offered on the floor of the House of Representatives, by another member of Congress. Conservative columnist Robert Novak wrote in a November 27 column, "On the House floor, Nick Smith was told business interests would give his son $100,000 in return for his father's vote. When he still declined, fellow Republican House members told him they would make sure Brad Smith never came to Congress. After Nick Smith voted no and the bill passed, Duke Cunningham of California and other Republicans taunted him that his son was dead meat."

This is a clear violation of USC Title 18, Section 201 which addresses the bribery of public officials and witnesses. The law states, a person commits bribery if he or she "directly or indirectly, corruptly gives, offers or promises anything of value to any public official or person who has been selected to be a public official, or offers or promises any public official or any person who has been selected to be a public official to give anything of value to any other person or entity, with intent to influence any official act...:"