Mr. Abramoff's Meetings (WH refusal to disclose is not a tenable position)

[papau]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/24/AR2006012401532_pf.html

Mr. Abramoff's Meetings

Wednesday, January 25, 2006; A18

HERE ARE SOME things we know about Jack Abramoff and the White House: The disgraced lobbyist raised at least $100,000 for President Bush's reelection campaign. He had long-standing ties to Karl Rove, a key presidential adviser. He had extensive dealings with executive branch officials and departments -- one of whom, former procurement chief David H. Safavian, has been charged by federal prosecutors with lying to investigators about his involvement with Mr. Abramoff.

We also know that Mr. Abramoff is an admitted crook who was willing to bribe members of Congress and their staffs to get what he (or his clients) wanted. In addition to attending a few White House Hanukkah parties and other events at which he had his picture snapped with the president, Mr. Abramoff had, according to the White House, "a few staff-level meetings" with White House aides.

Here is what we don't know about Jack Abramoff and the White House: whom he met with and what was discussed. Nor, if the White House sticks to its current position, will we learn that anytime soon. Press secretary Scott McClellan told the White House press corps: "If you've got some specific issue that you need to bring to my attention, fine. But what we're not going to do is engage in a fishing expedition that has nothing to do with the investigation."

This is not a tenable position. It's undisputed that Mr. Abramoff tried to use his influence, and his restaurant and his skyboxes and his chartered jets, to sway lawmakers and their staffs. Information uncovered by Mr. Bush's own Justice Department shows that Mr. Abramoff tried to do the same inside the executive branch.<snip>

[Sparkman]

1. Only tribes "contributions" to Dems & even those declined IF he "helped"

Non-Abramoff tribes contributed more to Dems from year to year, while tribes that hired Jack GAVE LESS to Dems than they did BEFORE he "directed" the contributions to the Dems.
This is as laughable as the Repubs that went after Clinton for sex and white water, same level of incompetence and political dirty tricks.
I'm no law-n-order fanatic, but when Repubs in congress are so blatantly abusive and selectively directing their prosecutorial abuses, we need to do a little more than watching and hand wringing.
I was banned from calling Repub Gary Miller's offices, complaining about the Iraq war and the lies of the administration. They did suggest emailing...which NEVER gets a reply for my directed accusations and demands for answers about things anti-Republican Reichstagg.