Debunking "(Bush) didn't know him (Abramoff) personally"

[CornField]

His partner in crime, Mike Scanlon told the Palm Beach newspaper in Feb. 2001:

"Jack has a relationship with the President. He doesn't have a bat phone or anything, but if he wanted an appointment, he would have one."

In addition, Abramoff was a member of the RNC executive body in the early 80s (1980 to 1984 I think). He advised the Interior Department during the Bush transition in 2001. His tribal clients gave more than $300,000 to to conservative group founded by Sec. of the Interior Gale Norton.

Also, a representative of the Chippewa tribe told Newsweek last spring that tribal leaders had at least 3 meetings at the White House, including one with Bush and a second with Rove. This was after they made a $25,000 donation to Grover Norquist's group at Abramoff's request.

The LA Coushattas paid Greenberg Traurig $1.76 million in late 2001. (Any wonder why Traurig would excuse the hundreds of thousands of dollars Bush & co. owed them after the 2000 Florida fiasco?) Within a month after the payment, the Bush White House blocked a rival tribe's attempt to construct a casino near the Coushatta's facility. (Reported in the NYT) A tribal official said he believed the administration's decision was a direct result of the Abramoff's fees.

If that wasn't enough, another tribe - Choctaws of Mississippi - gave $25,000 to the Bush inaugural committee (five days after the inauguration).

Want more? Read the reports of McCain and Nighthorse's findings in their investigation. It's all there. The ties run directly from Abramoff's underhanded dealings with the tribes to the Florida recounts and straight to the existing administration. The sleeze runs deep.

[Strawman]

1. * sure finds it necessary to say he "doesn't know" certain crooks alot

Ken Lay, this guy....

[patdem]

4. Remember he did not know Chalabi who sat next to Laura during the

SOTU speach...but after he was accused f being a Iranian spy..suddenly bush forgot he remembered him! BUSH IS DOING THE KEN LAY THING..THE DUNCE DEFENSE!

[Strawman]

6. if he is that incapacitated, we should invoke the 25th Amendment

[sui generis]

2. As far as I'm concerned

and this IS crass, if you give money to republicans, expect to get taken.

And another thing. Abramoff is crooked but not the people giving him outrageous sums of money to place bribes? They were victimized because Abramoff kept half instead of using all of it for bribes?

Hmmmmm.

I could be wrong, but it sounds like some of the victims here may have also had some criminal intent themselves.

[Dhalgren]

3. Well, in a society like the New America bribery is simply the way

things get done. Bribery works in the New America and you can't fault someone for simply doing what is necessary. Remember, we are in a long, protracted killing spree in the Middle East for no other reason than to make money and gain power; "bribery" seems like child's play by comparason...

[Sydnie]

5. Yep, there it is!

Hubris is an amazing snare, isn't it?

[Catherine Vincent]

7. is there a pic of the two of them around?

[Cha]

8. Good to know..

bush lies again about his special relationships with gutter trash.

[moondust]

9. Abramoff is a Bush Pioneer.

Just like Kenny Boy. There can be little doubt that the Bush family has known him very well for a long time and has likely worked with him very closely at some point. Just like Kenny Boy.

I think more investigatinos of more Pioneers are warranted.