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Audacity of Truth
Big Government- Hot Air
- Michelle Malkin
- Wheeling & dealing: Snowe pow-wows with Obama; Landrieu, Schumer, Daschle behind the scenes
- Saturday in the Senate: Cash for Cloture; Reid gets 60; Update: 8:15pm Eastern cloture vote – 60-39; Voinovich absent; Dems invoke Teddy Kennedy; Reid: “Ted would be happy.”
- Another day, another Berkeley tantrum
- Jake Tapper
- Lynn Sweet
The Harry Reid-Jack Abramoff connection
Is the loudest voice on alleged Republican corruption related to lobbying not practicing what he preaches? Via AP:
Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid wrote at least four letters helpful to Indian tribes represented by Jack Abramoff, and the senator’s staff regularly had contact with the disgraced lobbyist’s team about legislation affecting other clients.
The activities _ detailed in billing records and correspondence obtained by The Associated Press _ are far more extensive than previously disclosed. They occurred over three years as Reid collected nearly $68,000 in donations from Abramoff’s firm, lobbying partners and clients.
Reid’s office acknowledged Thursday having “routine contacts” with Abramoff’s lobbying partners and intervening on some government matters _ such as blocking some tribal casinos _ in ways Abramoff’s clients might have deemed helpful. But it said none of his actions were affected by donations or done for Abramoff.
“All the actions that Senator Reid took were consistent with his long- held beliefs, such as not letting tribal casinos expand beyond reservations, and were taken to defend the interests of Nevada constituents,” spokesman Jim Manley said.
Reid, D-Nev., has led the Democratic Party’s attacks portraying Abramoff’s lobbying and fundraising as a Republican scandal.
But Abramoff’s records show his lobbying partners billed for nearly two dozen phone contacts or meetings with Reid’s office in 2001 alone.
Most were to discuss Democratic legislation that would have applied the U.S. minimum wage to the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. territory and Abramoff client, but would have given the islands a temporary break on the wage rate, the billing records show.
Reid also intervened on government matters at least five times in ways helpful to Abramoff’s tribal clients, once opposing legislation on the Senate floor and four times sending letters pressing the Bush administration on tribal issues. Reid collected donations around the time of each action.
Ethics rules require senators to avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest in collecting contributions around the times they take official acts benefiting donors.
Abramoff’s firm also hired one of Reid’s top legislative aides as a lobbyist. The aide later helped throw a fundraiser for Reid at Abramoff’s firm that raised donations from several of his lobbying partners.
And Reid’s longtime chief of staff accepted a free trip to Malaysia arranged by a consulting firm connected to Abramoff that recently has gained attention in the influence-peddling investigation that has gripped the Capitol.
Stay tuned ………
Reminder: Here’s the chart on how Abramoff spread the wealth.
Read more commentary via Gary Gross at California Conservative, California Yankee, Generation Why? , Austin Bay, Pundit Guy, No Agenda,
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- Yeh Steve…. you’d be a real beauty in a court trial. With ideas like that you’d be reclused the moment you opened your mouth. Tell you what. when I see ANY substitive proof that Bush did anymore than shake the mans hand or be in the same room with him, anything more than the word of a self professed felon, then I promise you I’ll be the first to sit up and take notice.
- Bang
Hunter, you still don’t believe that bush lied about his illegal invasion of Iraq and that has been proven in a million ways. Why just yesterday ex-CIA analyst Pillar said bush & co, “cerry-picked” intelligence so he could justify invading Iraq. Peace
You lie everyday Steve.
What was different about Bush’s statements than Hillary’s, Kerry’s, Bill’s, Albrights?
You know why there was nothing different. Because they along with the intelligence agencies of France, Germany and Russia and Britian also thought Saddam had WMD’s. And Saddam did. Just not in the quantity of Stockpiles. He either moved them or was less successful than most people thought.
That my attacking/accusing/belligerent friend does not make a lie.
Why are you so belligerent?
- The legal liberation of Iraq was authorized by a full Congressional vote, giving the President the AUMF under art. II war powers. The Majority approved, including Hillery and most other Dem. leaders. Even LurchKerry voted for it before he voted against it.
- Later lefties like yourself decided to repent your vote because you think you can make hay on the fundemental truth that everyone hates war, and use that to depopularize Bush by rewriting history.
- The problem is it isn’t working. Instead, the public is seeing you as unsupportive, working against a good outcome in the WOT, trying to undermine our troops in the field, illegally leaking national secrets, and just basically attacking Bush in every possible way for partisan gain. You’re continuing to alienate people every day, and just in time for the upcoming elections.
- People are seeing the left as a group of traitors. Good luck with that at the ballot box. What ever mental midget thought this would be a winning formula for the Dems should be fired….
- Wonder if Canada is going to release a list of the names of those 13,000+ military deserters. I wouldn’t prosecute them, just strip them of their citizenship and deny them re-entry. You don’t want to fight for your country, no problem. But then why should you expect the benefits of living here.
- The USA. One of the few places where people like Steve can spew his anti-American rhetoric and not get his head cut off or thrown in prison….
- Bang
“Wonder if Canada is going to release a list of the names of those 13,000+ military deserters. I wouldn’t prosecute them, just strip them of their citizenship and deny them re-entry. You don’t want to fight for your country, no problem. But then why should you expect the benefits of living here.”
What are you talking about?
“The USA. One of the few places where people like Steve can spew his anti-American rhetoric and not get his head cut off or thrown in prison….”
HOw about canada?
Sure Andrew – All the more reason for them to stay there….
- Bang