"Jack Doubles Down" - You have to see this Nov 2002 promo for

[cyberpj]

Jack Abramoff.

In fact, we should probably note this or keep a copy since it's likely to disappear before much longer.



Jack Doubles Down

Greenberg Traurig’s Jack Abramoff is the most unlikely establishment Washington lobbyist: he made his bones producing a Dolph Lundgren movie, working with Indian casinos and doing a riverboat gambling deal that turned messy. Now Abramoff has emerged as an insider’s insider, with close ties to top Republicans and a hefty book of business. But even with his ally Tom DeLay poised to become House Majority Leader, Abramoff’s still found time to go into the restaurant business. Don’t bet against him.
by John Bresnahan - PHOTOGRAPH BY WELTON DOBY III



Most people in this town, even many who work in politics, have never heard of the tiny African nation of Eritrea. But if lobbyist Jack Abramoff has his way, they’re about to.

Abramoff, a partner with Miami-based law firm Greenberg Traurig, says he believes in the free-market principles espoused by the Eritrean government and wants to help open the door to U.S. investment in this Red Sea country, which fought a bloody two-and-a-half-year border war with its larger neighbor, Ethiopia, that ended in 2000. Eritrea was part of Ethiopia until 1993.

Abramoff is scaling back his standard $150,000-per-month fee, one of the highest in Washington, in order to represent the impoverished Eritrea for the bargain-basement rate of $50,000 per month. Why? “That’s a very exciting client,” Abramoff says. “They want to be the Singapore of Africa — that’s their goal. They want to set up policies that encourage investment, encourage free markets. They want to be a U.S. base.”

Much more...
http://www.bizforward.com/wdc/issues/2002-11/government/abramoff/

[cyberpj]

1. Greenberg Traurig info and a connection to White House:

There’s a backstory that lurks behind Bush’s decision to stand by DeLay. It involves Greenberg Traurig, the firm that employed the powerful lobbyist who paid for palatial DeLay junkets, and Abramoff staffers, who were footsoldiers in the Florida recount. Greenberg Traurig has yet to receive more than $314,000 in legal fees charged to a Bush committee during the 2000 Florida recount, RAW STORY can confirm.

As a corporation, Greenberg’s unpaid tab represents a massive in-kind campaign contribution, far larger than anything that went unreported by DeLay. But it appears to be legal: corporations are allowed to donate any amount to the nebulous type of committee employed during the recount. It would, however, violate the committee's self-imposed $5,000 contribution limit from individual donors.

http://www.pamspaulding.com/weblog/2005/05/scandalous-threesome-chimpy-delay-and.html

[MidwestTransplant]

2. I have read that we have a military presence in Eriteria

for going after Al Qaeda in the Horn of Africa (Somalia, etc.).

[cyberpj]

5. I'd never heard of it until now. I guess it was the next place to abuse.

[Dawgs]

3. Well the writer was right about one thing.

Last line...

"Beyond the political world, it’s Abramoff himself who’s a bit unheard of, but that won’t last for long."

[cyberpj]

4. Such fun reading this 2002 promotionial PR about Jack and his skill set.