Lawmakers Push Bush on Abramoff Contacts

[emad]

Lawmakers Push Bush on Abramoff Contacts

Sunday January 29, 2006 4:01 PM


By NEDRA PICKLER

Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - Republican lawmakers said Sunday that President Bush should publicly disclose White House contacts with Jack Abramoff, the lobbyist who has pleaded guilty to felony charges in an influence-peddling case.

Releasing the records would help eliminate suspicions that Abramoff, a top fundraiser for Bush's re-election campaign, had undue influence on the White House, the Republicans said.

``I'm one who believes that more is better, in terms of disclosure and transparency,'' said Sen. John Thune, R-S.D. ``And so I'd be a big advocate for making records that are out there available.''

The president has refused to reveal how much access Abramoff had to the White House, but has said he does not know Abramoff personally. Bush has said federal prosecutors are welcome to see the records of Abramoff's contacts if they suspect something inappropriate, but he has not released them publicly.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,,-5579228,00.html

[Talismom]

1. Yeah, right John, more is better IF you're innocent! LOL! n/t

[central scrutinizer]

2. and explain the "coincidences"

of removing prosecutors once they start sniffing around Abramoff.

[boobooday]

3. Releasing the records would help eliminate suspicions

or NOT.

But when have these guys ever released records.

[Joe Chi Minh]

7. There is a hilarious saying of police spokesmen on TV in the UK,

when they are appealing to the individual who appears to be the obvious culprit of a certain crime, and also appears to be "on the run", effectively to give themselves up to the police.

"We would request this man to report to his nearest police station, so that we can eliminate him from our enquiries...".

[Jade Fox]

4. The longer Bush is in office...

the more damage he will do to the Republican Party. It's amazing how few GOPers get this. They should have turned on him months or even years ago. Their corporate leaders clearly have them on a very short leash.

By asking for candidness re: Whitehouse/Abramoff, Thune etc. may actually be trying to take Bush out. Or maybe they're just stupid enough to think he's innocent!

[salin]

5. One of three possibilities:

strategy 1) Let Bush play the "they are just general photoops" card to then give cover to scads of GOP congressmen/women to use the same line.

strategy 2) Gop on hill to bush - "You are making us squirm by pushing very unpopular votes and putting our reelections in jeopardy; back off or we will pull off any cover/support for you and watch you squirm, as well."

strategy 3) For non Abramoff connected GOPers - get the limelight off congress and on president; make it look limited to those most closely aligned with DeLay and with the Pres - so the rest of us can get reelected.

[Demeter]

6. Very Interesting!

I think the game is changing, folks, or perhaps just the rules?

The GOP Senators can't possibly believe that those photos will have no effect....nor the records, in the event they ever see the light of day.

Maybe Thune should file an FIOA request? Or a Congressional Subpoena, that would be faster.

[rodeodance]

11. yes, Thune needs to sign the official letter sent by Dems--then this harp-

ing will have some validity.

[Ilsa]

8. Even Frist said he should get it over with and release the pix.

Not doing so increases speculation by the public as to how tight they really are. Of course, maybe Frist doesn't know how tight shrub is with Jack-moff.

[DoYouEverWonder]

9. This is the same sort of thing that destroyed Nixon

It's not the crime, it's the cover up and when your own party starts saying you broke the law, you're done.

[MannyGoldstein]

10. Agreed - He May Be Toast

The Rethugs may be evil, but they're not all stupid. They don't want to be next to this hand grenade when it goes off.

[HuffleClaw]

12. and they, unlike bush, have thoughts of being reelected.

and bush is rapidly becoming a liability, a fact they are seemingly only now realising.

[PhilipShore]

13. ABC News/REUTERS: Republicans urge Bush to release records on Abramoff

ABC News
REUTERS
Republicans urge Bush to release records on Abramoff
By Thomas Ferraro
Jan 29, 2006

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=1554507

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican lawmakers urged President George W. Bush on Sunday to release records of White House contacts with convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff, the center of a mushrooming probe into influence peddling.