Democrats press White House on Abramoff contacts

[rodeodance]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060929/pl_nm/abramoff_dc;_ylt=Ap14IOyBb.6Vavz4.y7Ffous0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA3b2NibDltBHNlYwM3MTY-
Democrats press White House on Abramoff contacts

By Caren Bohan 1 hour, 6 minutes ago

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats called on the White House on Friday to explain a congressional report showing many contacts with Jack Abramoff, but aides to
President George W. Bush dismissed the notion the disgraced lobbyist wielded any influence.


Abramoff and his associates have pleaded guilty to conspiracy, fraud and related crimes, in an influence-peddling scandal that Democrats are using this election season to wrest control of Congress from the Republicans.

"For months, White House officials have refused to be straight with the American people about Jack Abramoff," said House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi of California.

"Now we know the truth: a disgraced lobbyist traded perks and campaign contributions for special access to the Bush White House," she said.

[babylonsister]

1. Pound them, be relentless, on every issue! nt

[DoYouEverWonder]

2. In the old days

they called it consorting with known criminals.

I think there are still laws against it.

[OrangeCountyDemocrat]

3. We Already Got The Spin....

Abramoff made it up, because he wanted to increase billable hours.

KKKarl met with him maybe once, if even that. Jack who?

We don't really know how he accomplished so much WITHOUT ANY help from us, but we never even knew the guy. What did you say his name was again?

You know, it's wrong to believe everything you hear in the media. Next question please.

[brentspeak]

4. "Jack who?"

[Monkeyman]

5. Pelosi hit today read it on her site

http://democraticleader.house.gov

[rodeodance]

6. Waxman wants to widen the investigation:

Rep. Henry Waxman (news, bio, voting record) of California, senior Democrat on the government reform panel, said he planned to talk with the committee's chairman Rep. Tom Davis, a Virginia Republican, to seek a wider investigation.

"We need to know more from the White House ... we need to hear more clearly from the White House on the questions raised," Waxman said.

Among the questions Waxman said he wanted answered were whether officials accepted items like concert tickets and whether they reported them on financial disclosure forms.

The Democratic lawmaker also said he wanted to know if the contacts with Ken Mehlman -- who was then head of political affairs at the White House -- had anything to do with the federal allotment of $16 million for a jail for the Mississippi Choctaw Indian tribe, an Abramoff client.

[rodeodance]

7. kick

[rodeodance]

8. the name Abramoff needs to be put back on the RADAR SCREEN

[Hawkowl]

9. Torture vote irrelevant

This is another shining example why we must put aside the vote by the traitorous twelve Democratic Senators and hold our noses and just vote D. Period. With that vote we can win back at least one house and this country will see an unprecedented Category 5 shit storm destroying the rethuglicans like Katrina through New Orleans. By voting dem we open the floodgates of subpoena power, hearings, investigations, and criminal convictions. Stay focused. It looks like Pelosi is.

[C_U_L8R]

10. it would be refreshing if the press

pressed em on it too

(along with the hundred other scandals
that the media has given out free passes
to Bush and his henchmen)

[gratuitous]

11. Yeah, Abramoff had no influence

That's why Duke Cunningham, Tom DeLay and Bob Ney are all out of Congress. No influence whatsoever. Nope. Hardly even came to Washington at all. In the cosmic sense of Deep Time, why Abramoff was in Washington for an infinitesimally short time. What's the big hoo-hah, anyway?