"Scottish Tories helped to convict US lobbyist Abramoff" ... about DELAY!

[in_cog_ni_to]

The Sunday Times - Scotland



The Sunday Times January 08, 2006

Scottish Tories helped to convict US lobbyist Abramoff
Jason Allardyce



EVIDENCE from Conservative MSPs helped to bring down Jack Abramoff, the American lobbyist on corruption charges.
David McLetchie, the former Scottish Tory leader, and Brian Monteith, were asked by the Crown Office to provide details of a dinner they attended with Abramoff in 2000.



It coincided with a golf trip at St Andrews organised by the lobbyist for Tom DeLay, the former Republican leader of the American House of Representatives and a close ally of George Bush.

Also at the dinner were native American Indian tribesmen with gambling interests. Two months after the trip DeLay voted against legislation that threatened to damage the casino interests of native American Indians, although he denies there was any connection.<snip>


http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2090-1975599,00.html

[melody]

1. To where can we send 'thank you' notes? n/t

[aquart]

2. Kind of them to help out.

Let's all buy something plaid.

Or scotch.

[rox63]

4. Or you can play golf

Since it was invented in Scotland. You can wear a kilt and drink scotch while you golf. Probably a lot more fun than eating haggis.

[McKenzie]

5. haggis ...hmmmm

with apologies to Homer Simpson...

My local butcher makes loverly haggii...you don't want to know what's in them though...

Mck...an occasional kilt-wearing, and frequent malt drinking Scot. As a boy, I used to pee in the burn (stream to you guys and girls) that one of my fav malts draws its water from...avoid anything bottled between 1966 and 1974 from the distillery in question... I know bugger all about golf though although I have owned a Mk II, a Mk III and a MkIV

As for the Scottish Tories...we keep them as pets.

Slainthe!

[aquart]

8. Golf. Haggis.

Personally, not an easy decision.

[Cha]

3. Thanks for calling and

providing information..,Monteith and McLetchie! I bet Galloway is happy ya did that, too!

To the Scots! :toast: They're brilliant!

[Mme. Defarge]

6. Is there a way for us

to become honorary Scots?

[autorank]

7. Well, isn't this ironic. What about the "special relationship"--which

I think is now defunct. The Labour Party sides with * and betrays itself and its alliance with the US Democrats. The Torries provide information to trash the Republican Party. It's time we stoop this "special relationship" crap anyway. It doesn't do the people of either country any good and I don't see GB as particularly special; no more so than lets say our relationships with Germany, France, and Amsterdam (now that's special!). In addition, since WWII, which was truly a special relationship, there has been little that's provided much other than chest thumping and bad foreign policy alliances.

[chat_noir]

9. Alex Koulakovsky: What's this Russian connection

Only 2 Google news items, but more...

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=HPIC,HPIC:2005-21,HPIC:en&q=Alex+Koulakovsky++Tom+DeLay

In that period, prominent Russian businessmen, as well as the Russian government, depended heavily on a flow of billions of dollars in annual Western aid and so had good reason to build bridges to Congress. House Republicans were becoming increasingly critical of U.S. and international lending institutions, such as the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) and the International Monetary Fund, which were then investing heavily in Russia's fragile economy.

Unlike some House conservatives who scorn such support as "corporate welfare," DeLay proved to be a "yes" vote for institutions bolstering Russia in this period. For example, DeLay voted for a bill that included the replenishment of billions of dollars in IMF funds used to bail out the Russian economy in 1998.

A DeLay aide said he tried to reform these institutions through the legislative process. DeLay voted to fund these agencies because their financing was usually included in appropriation bills that he generally supported, the aide said. They also noted that OPIC had the strong backing of the energy industry, including companies from Texas that received OPIC financing.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A28319-2005Apr5.html

More scandal here?