Originally Posted By ecdc <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10925175/" target="_blank">http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10 925175/</a> Abramoff's presence at meetings Confirmed; White House admits to the convicted GOP lobbyist's access Until recently, members of Congress couldn't resist accepting money and gifts from super lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Now that Abramoff has pleaded guilty to bribery and conspiracy, lawmakers are trying to pass lobbying reform as quickly as possible. But as they scramble to convince voters they care about the smell coming from Abramoff and his associates, the scandal continues. HARDBALL correspondent David Shuster reported about the recent events leading up to the White House's admission about Abramoff's access to staff meetings.
Originally Posted By StillThePassHolder <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/01/29/bush.abramoff.ap/index.html" target="_blank">http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITI CS/01/29/bush.abramoff.ap/index.html</a> Today, several GOP leaders have asked Bush to release any Abramoff records so there can be no doubt as to the type of contacts Bush had with him. Characteristically so far, Bush is refusing.
Originally Posted By gadzuux Of course he is. Anytime congress asks for ANY records from the white house they refuse. Even lieberman, bush's "poodle" is being stymied in his investigation into the katrina response. Bush promised a "thorough investigation" into that too. Guess what, he lied. He promised a "marshall plan" type response to rebuilding from the devestation, and then cut the funding proposed by congress. On abramoff, bush said repeatedly "I don't know the guy". Out and out lie, that will be exposed - eventually, once the justice department starts obtaining court-ordered subpeonas.
Originally Posted By gadzuux And you keep hoping that the GOP is able to obstruct justice for another two years. Otherwise your guy is gonna stink even more than he does already.
Originally Posted By DouglasDubh There's nothing to obstruct. Wild partisan accusations are not justice.
Originally Posted By gadzuux So when bush says "I don't know the guy" you believe him, right? What's going to happen if it's definitively shown that bush in fact DOES know him? What will you believe then?
Originally Posted By DouglasDubh <So when bush says "I don't know the guy" you believe him, right?> Yes, I do. <What's going to happen if it's definitively shown that bush in fact DOES know him? What will you believe then?> If that happens, then I will change my opinion of the President. However, the far left have been accusing the President for years of this sort of things, and haven't shown anything yet. Chances are the same thing will happen here.
Originally Posted By Beaumandy The desperation just keeps rolling along. I have an idea for the left. Get some IDEAS on how to better the country and people will stop laughing at you.
Originally Posted By TomSawyer Here's an idea: prosecute lobbyists who break the law, and the government officials who take illegal contributions.
Originally Posted By DouglasDubh <Here's an idea: prosecute lobbyists who break the law, and the government officials who take illegal contributions.> Yeah, I remember when VP Gore was prosecuted for taking illegal contributions. Oh wait, he wasn't, was he?
Originally Posted By DouglasDubh Wasn't prosecuted. He definitely took some. <a href="http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cgi-bin/getcase.pl?court=dc&navby=case&no=983114a" target="_blank">http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/ cgi-bin/getcase.pl?court=dc&navby=case&no=983114a</a>
Originally Posted By Spree Photo of Bush and Abramoff together...... <a href="http://www.mapplus.com/show/satellite/21/148" target="_blank">http://www.mapplus.com/show/sa tellite/21/148</a>
Originally Posted By wahooskipper If every politician who broke the law was actually punished Washington DC would be a nice museum of our history but not much else would go on there.
Originally Posted By TomSawyer There's the "the other guys do it, too" defense. I thought the GOP was going to bring ethics and morality back to government? Last time I checked, "the other guys do it" wasn't a defense for bad behavior.
Originally Posted By cape cod joe Tom-------wahoo is unfortunately right as they all "break the law." People like Al Gore, Ted Kennedy, et al are just plain embarrassing for most Americans to stomach.
Originally Posted By TomSawyer So by that reasoning we shouldn't prosecute some criminals because other criminals have also broken the law?
Originally Posted By wahooskipper I think many of them (maybe not most) break the law and when they are caught they should be convicted ala James Trafficant from Ohio. Tom, I have no problem with penalizing Democrats OR Republicans when they break the law. In fact, I encourage it. But, just because I don't agree with a policy or a decision doesn't necessarily mean the other guy is breakign the law. If someone had a case against Bush by now I think he would be prosecuted. I'm all for ethics and morality being returned/restored to American government. But, I would like to know the last time ethics and morality were present on a wide scale.
