Abramoff's plea renews focus on Hastert's '03 casino letter

[sabra]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0601050072jan05,1,7234190.story?coll=chi-news-hed

Abramoff's plea renews focus on Hastert's '03 casino letter

WASHINGTON -- This week's guilty plea by lobbyist Jack Abramoff could renew scrutiny of a letter by House Speaker Dennis Hastert urging Interior Secretary Gale Norton to block an Indian casino opposed by rival tribes represented by Abramoff.

Hastert's letter was sent just one week after Abramoff hosted a fundraiser for the Illinois Republican's political action committee.

...

Hastert, the top-ranking Republican in the House, was joined in his letter to Norton by three powerful House Republicans: Tom DeLay, who was then majority leader; Roy Blunt, who was majority whip; and Eric Cantor, chief deputy House whip. All three also got campaign funds from Indian tribes represented by Abramoff.

Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada, the Democratic leader in the Senate, and Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.) also were among recipients of large contributions from tribes represented by Abramoff. Asked about Abramoff, Reid told the Las Vegas Sun, "I don't know him. I don't want to know him. I know nothing about it other than what I read in the newspaper. ... This is a Republican scandal."

[stop the bleeding]

1. Hmmmmm - very interesting indeed...

Hastert better get some good sleeping pills.

[NI4NI]

2. "This is a Republican scandal"

Plenty more democrats should be saying that loud; It should be the first thing out of their mouth everytime they go on tv or a press reporter asks them a question about the weather.

[katinmn]

3. Hastert -- you need to step down

today, you asshole.

[wordpix]

4. FatAssturd will say there's no quid pro quo but 3rd-in-line for prez

is no doubt sleepless in DC

[rodeodance]

5. would love to see Hasturd wiggle and squirm!!!1

.This week's guilty plea by lobbyist Jack Abramoff could renew scrutiny of a letter by House Speaker Dennis Hastert urging Interior Secretary Gale Norton to block an Indian casino opposed by rival tribes represented by Abramoff.

[HuffleClaw]

6. they are soooo desperate to link democrats to this that they are

adding a 'degree of seperation' to the scandal. as in this; "recipients of large contributions from tribes represented by Abramoff", the dems in question received NOT one thin dime from abramoff. not one. their 'crime'? to have received money from 'tribes represented by Abramoff", which is a rather different thing. this reminds of the photo of kerry WITH jane fonda. he wasn't WITH her, but in the audience, probably fifty feet away. but with the republicans, thats enough for an over the top accusation.