White House Silent on Abramoff Meetings

[wicket]

LINK

The White House is refusing to reveal details of tainted lobbyist Jack Abramoff's visits with
President Bush's staff.

Abramoff had "a few staff-level meetings" at the Bush White House, presidential spokesman Scott McClellan said Tuesday. But he would not say with whom Abramoff met, which interests he was representing or how he got access to the White House.

Since Abramoff pleaded guilty two weeks ago to conspiracy, mail fraud and tax evasion charges in an influence-peddling scandal, McClellan has told reporters he was checking into Abramoff's meetings. "I'm making sure that I have a thorough report back to you on that," he said in his press briefing Jan. 5. "And I'll get that to you, hopefully very soon."

McClellan said Tuesday that he checked on it at reporters' requests, but wouldn't discuss the private staff-level meetings. He has said Abramoff attended three Hanukkah receptions at the White House, but corrected himself Tuesday to say there were only two — in 2001 and 2002.

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[truebrit71]

1. Dance Snotty, DANCE!!!

..oh dear, poor Snotty got caught out again.....

[henslee]

8. We cant comment on ongoing investigations that might fry our ass.

[MADem]

2. They need to get to the White House photographer's office

And have a look at the photos taken on the dates that Jackie was in da House.

I have a feeling there is at least one grip-n-grin in the bunch....

[savemefromdumbya]

6. been shredded long ago

[MADem]

double clickitis, pardon me....

[MADem]

10. They'd have to re-serialize all the photos

They're numbered, filed, and e-filed. It would be a helluva lotta work. I think they prefer to stonewall and hope people have short memories.

[arcane1]

18. sounds like a job for Winston Smith n/t

[savemefromdumbya]

30. where are they?

[MADem]

45. In the office of the WH photog, and at the Library of Congress

...and it would not surprise me if there were other files elsewhere, say, the National Archives. And then there's the "courtesy copies" that people get, that are signed with the WH autopen--they do "Happy Birthday" or "Best Wishes" in hand-lettered print, followed by the signature with the autopen. Someone, somewhere, has to have an incriminating snap or two. The media is just too friken lazy (or afraid) to look....

[savemefromdumbya]

47. Abramoff may have a birthday one?

[MADem]

48. Or a Happy Chanukah, or just a Best Wishes

They're stock items, and they go out by the truckload. The autopen gets heavy use at the WH.

The photog's office sends out the copies in a nice manila envelope, return address THE WH in very formal lettering, with a piece of cardboard in it to keep the photo from bending. I have a few (not this administration). The standard poses usually include the prez (often several different shots--formal and casual), the prez and the missus, and then, the motherlode photos, which are of course more individualized and go up on walls all over America to prove that YOU were THERE--the "grip and grins." These are the ones you see with the prez standing in the Oval Office shaking hands with some bozo he clearly hardly knows. It is only a big deal to those who don't know how pedestrian the process really is--they line 'em up, pose 'em quick, and shuffle them off--ten to twenty seconds, max. If you have a pal in that shop, you can get 'em like candy!

[savemefromdumbya]

50. I wonder since Abramoff is doing the deal

maybe he'll go the whole hog and expose the lot of them?

[wordpix2]

36. Fitzie, where is Fitzie???!!!

[Rex]

3. Simple Scotty - worst presidentual spokesman EVER!

His mom should be ashamed of him and his 24/7 liefest.

[central scrutinizer]

4. Uh, Scotty, 200 is not a "few"

200 meetings, by most definitions, would be considered a lot of meetings.

[MADem]

49. Hell, MONICA didn't have 200 meetings!!!

Judy MILLER didn't have 200 meetings!!!!

That IS the point--two hundred is a BIG NUMBER. I wish the press would focus on it.

[Botany]

5. Hey Puffy

Facts:

Rove's admin assistant used to Abramoff's personal secretary (Susan Ralston)
Abramoff was on the bush transition team in 2000/2001
David Safavin (arrested and charged with theft a bribery) and Pizzella both worked
with and for Abramoff and were appointed by the President to high staff level white house jobs.
The president off Gabon gave Abramoff $1 million and got a meeting w/ bush.
A tribal leader gave Abramoff $25,000 and had a meeting w/ bush.

Puffy is going to have a hard time w/ his song & dance from now on.
That damn google ....... people can find out all kinds of things.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-05-06-abra...

[donkeyotay]

19. Puffy's only had 12 days, and it's an extensive list

Here's a few to add to it:

Check for any dates prior to the African president who paid big bucks for face time with the prez.

Check for dates around the firing of Att. Gen Black.

PS - Dear Scotty, Don't tell Al Gore to bring it on. I think he just did. Good luck with your job in 2006!

[hang a left]

20. link gone

[Tin Man]

7. Awfully hot in the Whitehouse for mid-January, ain't it?

although it's nothing compared to what hell's gonna be like, eh Smirky? :evilgrin:

[barb162]

12. very hot and very quiet (calm before the storm)

[sabra]

9. just played a little dreidel, had some latkes, and a few hand shakes

later....

[samhsarah]

11. well surprise surprise surprise

:rofl: :rofl:

[pinerow]

13. They just don't have their talking points down...

:woohoo:

[lovuian]

14. Wheres the outrage...

there isn't any cause they are part of it!!!

[goforit]

15. "Shhhhhh......hush,hush now" says the big bad wolf!

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

16. K&R! Suh-weeeet!

[grateful581]

17. Puffy McMoonface Is a great comic

Lets call the White house press conference the Puffy McMoonface comedy hour!
:rofl:

[PegDAC]

28. Another Stephanie Miller Fan!!

I love it!:D :toast: :hi:

[wordpix2]

32. roflmao

:kick:

[HuffleClaw]

21. "McClellan said Bush does not know Abramoff personally..."

suuuure he doesn't. these clowns sure have a LOT to hide.

[rustydog]

22. Gore said the Abramoff scandal was the "tip of the iceberg"

It looks like Bush's white house (Titanic) has run smack into Abramoff.

This bribery scandal reaches directly into the white house..how many degrees of separation to the Oval Office?

[wordpix2]

33. another big scandal: outsourcing U.S. military & no accountability

on part of the companies like Halliburton Spawn, KBR. Reporter's questions weren't answered and KBR head honcho VERY EVASIVE.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/warriors/

[ET Awful]

23. Bush has this terrible habit of having secret meetings with people he

doesn't know.

:P

[wicket]

25. It's just like when he pretended to not know Kenny Boy!

:rofl: :rofl:

[wordpix2]

34. yeah, * & his pal, secret energy policy man VP Dickhead

[Miss Chybil]

24. Maybe they were having orgies in the Lincoln bedroom with Guckert?

Eh, just a thought...

[zonkra]

26. Maybe

Scott doesn't want to talk about this because Jack and Karl were just renewing their "casual relationship" on Der Fuhrer's desk? Maybe they asked Scott, Ken Mehlman, and Ralph Reed if they wanted to play, too? Maybe Dave Dreier and Lindsey Graham would be pissed they weren't called, especially if Jeff Gannon Guckert was the centerpiece of the "meeting"? Just wondering. Anybody seen "Brokeback Mountain"?

[wordpix2]

35. "Brokeback," the movie the Christian right loves to hate? he, he

[Thor_MN]

27. No wonder they can't find bin Laden, they can't find the F#@&ing criminals

walking repeatedly into their own damn White House!!!

[rainbow4321]

39. In a time when toddlers are on the national "no fly list"

They want us to believe that they can't keep track of who comes and goes into the WH???

Someone find/subpoena the Native American people PLEASE..the ones that gave $$ to have the meetings w/ chimp and Abramoff. Maybe THAT will refresh chimp and Scotty's memory a little??

[pinniped]

29. Not exactly, the First Idiot says the accusations are not true.

I believe her.

Pickles, er...the First Idiot, is the foundation of the WH, solid like the Rock of Gilbraltar.

Her star power simply overwhelmed me.

Go Laura 08!

[wordpix2]

31. Best Grill Award goes to WH correspondent David Gregory who had Snotty

huffing, puffing and blustering with stupid, obviously evasive "anwers" at WH News Conf. Gregory was trying to get Snotty to give details of the "senior staff" visits and Snotty told him to get the details ----Snotty would make comment on them!!!

David Gregory wasn't buying this idea.
Thanks, David!

[PinkyisBlue]

37. How can you tell when Scotty is lying?

When his lips are moving.

[rainbow4321]

38. How soon before we hear he's stepping down to help his mom

in Texas..with the gov race?? Gives him an out from the chimp regime. Rat. Jump. Ship.

[stickdog]

40. Before the Dick crows you will disown him three times. (nt)

[PuppyBismark]

41. All that is needed is a FOI

The secret service has very complete details of all visitors to the White House. Each visit to the White House is logged, as to time, date, and the person seen. One has to give their SSN to get in, so false names don't work except the spooks.

In prior times, a Freedom of Information request has generated such a list. Back in the Ollie North days, a list of his visitors was in the news. Some news organization should be able to do this.

[me b zola]

42. The WH has a "backlog" of FOI requests

The bush* administration has not been complying with FOI requests for some time now. The respond to some, but they simply don't respond to the ones that are potentially damaging to them. bush* recently made an executive order addressing the "backlog" of FOI requests, I kid you not. Meetings with Abramoff seems to fit into the catagory of those that would not be responded to.

[wicket]

51. " bush* recently made an executive order addressing the "backlog" of FOI"

Oh man, I hadn't heard that, what a piece of shit :grr:

[f-bush]

43. Of course they're silent

If it all came out as to what they've been up to, the entire administration would be doing life!

[wicket]

44. kick

:kick:

[realFedUp]

46. They need a big fat Fitzsubpoena. nt

[dryan]

52. Saw today on Imus show....

could someone get a list of WH visitors using a Freedom of Information request? Just curious.

[greiner3]

53. a few staff-level meetings

And they met to discuss global warming, I bet. :rofl:

[JWS]

54. surprise surprise... n/t