DNC: Bush Continues The West Coast Swing Of His Smear And Fear Tour

[MaineDem]

Bush Continues The West Coast Swing Of His Smear And Fear Tour

Washington, DC - Today, in the second day of his west coast swing, President
Bush continues his Fear and Smear tour of distortions about his Administration’
s failed policies. Yesterday, he engaged in more partisan election year
rhetoric to deflect attention from his own disastrous record on the war on
terror, and a White House spokeswoman confirms that he'll do more of the same
today in California.

"This has been a bad week for President Bush and his Republican Congress, but
it's still no excuse for using fear and smear tactics in hopes of misleading
Americans to boost your party's political prospects," said Democratic National
Committee Press Secretary Stacie Paxton. "President Bush should stop ignoring
the fact that under his watch America is less safe. The national intelligence
community confirms that the war in Iraq is hurting our efforts to fight and win
the war on terror, Secretary Rice can't seem to get her story straight about
her meetings on al Qaeda threats before 9/11 and now the President is
fundraising today for two lawmakers mired in the Republican culture of
corruption. President Bush and his Republican Congress have lost all
credibility with the American people. Rather than blustery rhetoric and
election-year attacks, Democrats are offering a new direction that includes
policies that are both tough and smart."

DOOLITTLE, POMBO AND THE GOP CULTURE OF CORRUPTION

RICHARD POMBO (R-CA)

Pombo Took Campaign Contributions from Abramoff & Tribes, then Refused to
Investigate Them. Jack Abramoff, the lobbyist at the center of an influence-
peddling investigation involving Native American gambling interests, gave
$7,500 total to Pombo's campaign and RICH PAC shortly after the congressman
became chairman of the Resources Committee in 2003. In December 2005, Pombo
gave $7,000 in Abramoff contributions to charity but still has a $500
contribution given by Abramoff in 1996. During the 2004 election cycle, Pombo
received $41,750 from Indian gaming interests, making him the 8th highest
recipient in the House. In addition, while Pombo received no money from tribes
just a few years ago, he took at least $35,000 this quarter alone. Costa Times, 5/1/05; Associated Press, 4/14/05; Modesto Bee, 12/19/05; www.
opensecrets.org; www.fec.gov]

Pombo Lobbied Against Guidelines Opposed by Wind Power Industry, But Failed to
Disclose His Family Had a Personal Stake in Wind Power. In 2004, aides to Pombo
lobbied the U.S. Department of the Interior to suspend environmental guidelines
opposed by the wind-power industry without disclosing that Pombo's family had a
substantial financial stake in wind energy. The 2003 guidelines sought to
reduce the number of birds killed by the spinning blades of wind turbines. In
the letter to Interior Secretary Gale Norton, Pombo asked that draft guidelines
be suspended because of the harmful effect they would have on existing
operations. Following Pombo's letter, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
representatives subsequently withdrew from talks with environmentalists, wind
operators and local regulators. When asked if he felt any obligation to
disclose his family's income when dealing with wind-power issues, Pombo
answered: "Disclose what? That somebody in my family makes money?” Times, 4/7/05; Contra Costa Times, 4/21/05; Fresno Bee, 4/8/05]

Pombo's Parents Own a 300-acre Ranch In Altamont Pass And Have Received
Thousands in Wind Power Royalties. Just east of Oakland, Pombo's parents own a
300-acre ranch in Altamont Pass and have received hundreds of thousands of
dollars in royalties from wind-power turbines on their land over the last 17
years. According to price and production records obtained by the Los Angeles
Times, Pombo's parents' royalties for the most recent year available, 2001,
topped $125,000. That was at the peak of the California energy crisis when
prices were unusually high.
Pombo Used Taxpayer Dollars to Pay for Family Vacation. In August 2003, just
after becoming House Resources Committee chairman, Pombo took a two week
vacation in an RV with his family. "This August, my family and I rented an RV
and set out to explore the West," Pombo wrote in a 2003 article posted on the
Resources Committee's Web site. "We spent two weeks on vacation, stopping along
the way to enjoy the splendor of many of our national parks." Pombo was
reimbursed $4,935.87 to rent the RV and spent $1,500.51 on a government credit
card for "travel subsistence" during a two-week span from July 27 to Aug. 11,
2003, according to a Resources Committee spending ledger. House rules dictate
"official travel may not be for personal ... purposes," but allows for members
of Congress to bring family members along on official trips. A Committee
spokesman defended Pombo's expenses. He said Pombo spent those two weeks
visiting and meeting with officials at 10 national parks, over which his
committee has jurisdiction.

JOHN DOOLITTLE (R-CA)

Doolittle’s Office Described Abramoff as a “Close Friend,” Took $14,000 from
Abramoff and Used His Skybox and Restaurant. According to the Sacramento Bee, “
Doolittle’s office has described Abramoff as a ‘close friend’ of the
congressman.” John Doolittle took $14,000 from Jack Abramoff on 5/29/00,
11/27/00, 5/23/01, and 12/28/01. As recently as December 24, 2005, Doolittle
said that he would keep the money. In 1999, Doolittle used the luxury MCI
sports box of Jack Abramoff for a fundraiser and neither paid to rent the box
or reported its value as an in-kind contribution. Six years later, the
undisclosed fundraiser was revealed which then prompted Doolittle’s office to
file the fundraising event. According to the New York Times, former employees
of Abramoff’s restaurant Signatures, “Say Representative John T. Doolittle* was
given free meals at the restaurant. But his spokeswoman, Laura Blackann, said
Mr. Doolittle did nothing wrong. ‘To his recollection, any meal the congressman
had at Signatures was either paid for personally or paid for in compliance with
House rules by someone with whom the congressman was dining,’ Ms. Blackann
said.” The Sacramento Bee, also reported that, “Doolittle also used a popular
Capitol Hill restaurant that Abramoff once owned, Signatures, for fundraising
events.” Sacramento Bee, 2/9/05; New York Times, 7/6/05; Sacramento Bee, 11/30/05]

Doolittle Received Contributions From Wilkes and ADCS. Doolittle had a close
relationship with defense contractor Brent Wilkes who has been implicated in
the Duke Cunningham lobbying scandal. According to the San Diego Union-
Tribune, “Between 2002 and 2005, Wilkes and his associates and lobbyists gave
Doolittle's campaign and political action committee $118,000, more than they
gave any other politician, including Cunningham.” Wilkes held a fundraiser for
Doolittle at the headquarters of his company, ADCS. According to the Union-
Tribune, “The 15 guests on Wilkes' invitation were all ADCS employees or
partners on projects Wilkes was trying to get funded, together with their
spouses. Over the next four months, members of the group gave a total of
$50,000 to Doolittle's political action committee.” According to the San Diego
Union-Tribune, “Doolittle has publicly admitted that he helped Wilkes get the
$37 million in federal contracts for PerfectWave through the ‘earmark’ process,
in which legislators pencil in funding for specific projects. In October 2002,
as Doolittle pushed for funding for PerfectWave, Wilkes and his associates
donated $7,000 to his campaign and $10,000 to his political action committee."


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