What do you think about the CBS "Abramoff gave to Democrats " SPIN?

[in_cog_ni_to]

This was from CBS in response to a piece they did on Abramoff where CBS
said that Abramoff donated to the Democrats. The reporter was Gloria Borger from CBS news(?) The viewer was an angry REPUBLICAN who called them on the bullshit piece and the LIE about Democrats receiving donations from Abramoff and asked for some TRUTH....... and THIS is their response. Link below has his letter and this response.
NEW spin?




<snip>We spoke to Steve Chaggaris, a CBS News producer who works with Borger, about this question. Here’s his response (figures courtesy of The Center for Responsive Politics):

“Abramoff may have never personally given money to Democrats but that's not the issue here -- the issue is that Abramoff convinced several Indian tribes that he was working for to donate money as part of his regular business.

Look at any analysis of ‘Abramoff donations’ and they include not only contributions from Abramoff but donations from the Indian tribes.

In fact, donations directly from Abramoff and his wife represent barely 5% ($204,253) of the total money considered ‘Abramoff donations.’ ($4,454,261). The remaining 95% or so are donations from the Indian tribes he represented ($4,215,508) or from SunCruz Casinos ($34,500).

While twice as much was given to Republicans than Democrats, Democrats still received over $1.5 million from Abramoff-related entities - a significant amount of money.”<snip>

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2006/01/09/publiceye/entry1190170.shtml

[soothsayer]

1. 'that's not the issue here"

Really? I thought it was.

[C_U_L8R]

2. It's total BS and...

the proof will be in the indictments and convictions.

The republican spin machine is getting itself worked up in one hell of a knot.
The press is foolish and lazy if they are actually buying into the reichwing BS.

[yourout]

3. The trick phrase is.....

"....Abramoff-related entities "

Because Abramoff had dealings with the Indians AFTER there had been donations to Dems does NOT mean
Abramoff donated to Dems.

[xray s]

4. The issue is did Abramoff get Democrats to break the law

And right now the resounding answer to that question is NO.

[troubleinwinter]

5. Abramoff did NOTTTTTTT donate to Dems. Period.

Donor: Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela

Recipient Donor Total Cycle
Frank A. LoBiondo (R-NJ) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela ($1,000) 2006
Eric Cantor (R-Va) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $8,000 2004
Republican Majority Fund, Leadership PAC of Don Nickles (R-Okla) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $5,000 2004
Rich PAC, Leadership PAC of Richard Pombo (R-Calif) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $5,000 2004
Americans for a Republican Majority, Leadership PAC of Tom DeLay (R-Texas) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $5,000 2004
Arlen Specter (R-Pa) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $4,000 2004
George W. Bush (R) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $4,000 2004
John Ensign (R-Nev) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $4,000 2004
Johnny Isakson (R-Ga) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $4,000 2004
Keep Our Majority PAC, Leadership PAC of Dennis Hastert (R-Ill) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $2,500 2004
Charles H. Taylor (R-NC) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $2,000 2004
Chris Cannon (R-Utah) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $2,000 2004
Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $2,000 2004
Mark Foley (R-Fla) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $2,000 2004
Leadership PAC 2004, Leadership PAC of Michael G. Oxley (R-Ohio) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $2,000 2004
Richard Pombo (R-Calif) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $2,000 2004
Senate Victory Fund, Leadership PAC of Thad Cochran (R-Miss) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $2,000 2004
Christopher S. 'Kit' Bond (R-Mo) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $1,500 2004
Curt Weldon (R-Pa) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $1,000 2004
Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $1,000 2004
Doug Ose (R-Calif) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $1,000 2004
Ernest J. Istook (R-Okla) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $1,000 2004
George R. Nethercutt Jr. (R-Wash) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $1,000 2004
Jim Bunning (R-Ky) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $1,000 2004
Richard C. Shelby (R-Ala) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $1,000 2004
Rely on Your Beliefs, Leadership PAC of Roy Blunt (R-Mo) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $1,000 2004
Tom DeLay (R-Texas) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $1,000 2004
Tom Feeney (R-Fla) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $1,000 2004
Americans for a Republican Majority, Leadership PAC of Tom DeLay (R-Texas) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $10,000 2002
Friends of the Big Sky, Leadership PAC of Conrad Burns (R-Mont) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $5,000 2002
Republican Party of New Jersey Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $5,000 2002
Senate Victory Fund, Leadership PAC of Thad Cochran (R-Miss) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $5,000 2002
Dan Burton (R-Ind) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $3,000 2002
Eric Cantor (R-Va) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $3,000 2002
Suzanne Terrell (R-La) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $3,000 2002
American Liberty PAC, Leadership PAC of Bob Ney (R-Ohio) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $2,500 2002
Rob Simmons (R-Conn) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $2,250 2002
Charles W. "Chip" Pickering Jr. (R-Miss) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $2,000 2002
Connie Morella (R-Md) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $2,000 2002
Gordon H. Smith (R-Ore) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $2,000 2002
James M. Inhofe (R-Okla) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $2,000 2002
James M. Talent (R-Mo) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $2,000 2002
John T. Doolittle (R-Calif) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $2,000 2002
John Thune (R-SD) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $2,000 2002
Tim Hutchinson (R-Ark) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $2,000 2002
Tom DeLay (R-Texas) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $2,000 2002
Bob Smith (R-Fla) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $1,240 2002
Bob Ney (R-Ohio) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $1,000 2002
C. L. "Butch" Otter (R-Idaho) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $1,000 2002
Carolyn W. Grant (R-NC) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $1,000 2002
Denny Rehberg (R-Mont) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $1,000 2002
Elizabeth Dole (R-NC) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $1,000 2002
Frank A. LoBiondo (R-NJ) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $1,000 2002
Heather Wilson (R-NM) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $1,000 2002
J. Randy Forbes (R-Va) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $1,000 2002
Jack Kingston (R-Ga) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $1,000 2002
James V. Hansen (R-Utah) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $1,000 2002
John Cornyn (R-Texas) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $1,000 2002
Battle Born PAC, Leadership PAC of John Ensign (R-Nev) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $1,000 2002
Kimo Kaloi (R-Hawaii) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $1,000 2002
Marilyn Musgrave (R-Colo) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $1,000 2002
Mike Ferguson (R-NJ) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $1,000 2002
Mike Simpson (R-Idaho) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $1,000 2002
Ralph Regula (R-Ohio) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $1,000 2002
Ric Keller (R-Fla) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $1,000 2002
Rely on Your Beliefs, Leadership PAC of Roy Blunt (R-Mo) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $1,000 2002
Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $1,000 2002
Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $1,000 2002
Thad Cochran (R-Miss) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $1,000 2002
Dave Camp (R-Mich) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $500 2002
Phil Gingrey (R-Ga) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $500 2002
Tom Young (R-Ala) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $500 2002
Bill Janklow (R-SD) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $250 2002
Rely on Your Beliefs, Leadership PAC of Roy Blunt (R-Mo) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $6,500 2000
Americans for a Republican Majority, Leadership PAC of Tom DeLay (R-Texas) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $4,000 2000
Tom DeLay (R-Texas) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $4,000 2000
Fund for a Free Market America, Leadership PAC of Phil Crane (R-Ill) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $2,750 2000
Bob Ney (R-Ohio) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $2,000 2000
Craig Thomas (R-Wyo) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $2,000 2000
Dan Burton (R-Ind) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $2,000 2000
Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $2,000 2000
Eric Cantor (R-Va) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $2,000 2000
George W. Bush (R) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $2,000 2000
John Ashcroft (R-Mo) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $2,000 2000
John T. Doolittle (R-Calif) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $2,000 2000
Spencer Abraham (R-Mich) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $2,000 2000
William L. Gormley (R-NJ) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $2,000 2000
Bill McCollum (R-Fla) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $1,000 2000
Bill Redmond (R-NM) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $1,000 2000
Bob Riley (R-Ala) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $1,000 2000
C. L. "Butch" Otter (R-Idaho) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $1,000 2000
Claude B. Hutchison Jr. (R-Calif) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $1,000 2000
Denny Rehberg (R-Mont) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $1,000 2000
Francis E. Flotron (R-Mo) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $1,000 2000
George Allen (R-Va) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $1,000 2000
Team PAC, Leadership PAC of J. D. Hayworth (R-Ariz) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $1,000 2000
Mike Enzi (R-Wyo) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $1,000 2000
Walter B. Jones Jr. (R-NC) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $1,000 2000
Paul Ryan (R-Wis) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $949 2000
Bob Smith (R-Fla) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $920 2000
Joe Pitts (R-Pa) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $894 2000
Charles H. Taylor (R-NC) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $750 2000
Bob Ehrlich (R-Md) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $500 2000
Charles R. Gerow (R-Pa) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $500 2000
Charles W. "Chip" Pickering Jr. (R-Miss) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $500 2000
Ed Royce (R-Calif) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $500 2000
Elia Vincent Pirozzi (R-Calif) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $500 2000
Jerry Weller (R-Ill) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $500 2000
Mark Emerson (R-Utah) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $500 2000
Tom Davis (R-Va) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $500 2000
Van Hilleary (R-Tenn) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $500 2000
Rick A. Lazio (R-NY) Abramoff, Jack A & Pamela $250 2000

http://www.capitaleye.org/abramoff_donor.asp

[in_cog_ni_to]

13. WHEN will the freakin' media get that through their thick skulls???

They are doing everything in their power to turn this into a bi-partisan scandal and it just ISN'T. It's such BULLSHIT.

[Bob3]

6. well for one thing please define Abramoff Related Entities

Otherwise that's a subjective hole you can drive a truck through. Do these include the Indian tribes themselves who did give money separate from the money they gave to Abramoff? This is the BS Wolf tired with Dean last night.

[Loonman]

7. Stop being like Dan Rather, CBS

C'mon.

[JuniperLea]

8. Total Bovine Excrement!

Check history! Indian Tribes give money directly to Dems all the time and have for years! And why shouldn't they support a party that is in keeping with their beliefs and causes?

Desperate people grasping at straws. Wait for the indictments.

[Mz Pip]

9. Why would Abramhoff

tell his clients to donate to Democrats? That makes no sense. He is a partisan Republican.

Seems more likely that some of Abramoff's clients gave money to Democrats without being pressured by Abramhoff. Someone posted an Abranhoff quote where he said something to the effect that these people were stupid for giving to Dems.

Mz Pip
:dem:

[in_cog_ni_to]

14. It makes no sense and Abramoff DETESTS Democrats.

It sounds like CBS producer SPIN to me. :grr:

[seabeyond]

10. how many tribes prior to abromoff donated to democrats

lots of them. these same tribes have always donated to democrats. so because they continued to do the same thing they always did, becuase they had abromoff representing them now, dems where suppose to know????? and reject a donation from the same group they had always received from?

[WeRQ4U]

11. This is so ridiculous.......why the hell WOULD Abramoff donate to Dems?

He's so anti-left that even insiuating that he would have ANYTHING to do with ANY money being sent to the Dems is ludicrous. He would have eaten his own spleen before allowing money to pass on to any Dems.

[librechik]

24. ntonly that, but Dems aren't in power;can't come up with the favors

the bribes would be intended to elicit.

[WeRQ4U]

27. Exactly

And I highly doubt that Abramoff specifically ordered or allowed "some" money to filter through to Dems simply to smokescreen his process. He hated them too much.

[MADem]

12. I think we need to stop carrying GOP water and smack 'em like Howie did

http://www.canofun.com/blog/videos/2006/DeanAbramoffDemocrats.asx

Anyone who tries to sell you that shit, come back at 'em like Howard Dean did to Blitzer. Watch this, and follow Dean's lead. Dean wiped the floor with that cheesy former 700 Club "correspondent."

Props to CANOFUN for putting this clip up--I never tire of it!!!!!!!!

[Disturbed]

16. RW Corp Media does it's best to..

keep the Neo Fascists in power because it benefits the Corp. Moguls.

[in_cog_ni_to]

17. I saw in when it happened! It was so sweeeeeeeet!

:thumbsup:

[msgadget]

22. Blitzer could only wordlessly expel hot air! n/t

[MADem]

26. Yep, we'll have to start calling him Wheezy Blitzer! n/t

[Vinca]

This whole thing is starting to drive me nuts.

It doesn't matter if Abramoff, Native Americans or anyone else gave money to anyone in Congress. What matters is whether the donation was really payment for a specific action in the donor's favor. Investigators will be connecting the dots of when a donation was made and if an action was taken. In all honesty, I don't even know why anyone's returning the money if they haven't done anything wrong. If anything, it makes them look guilty.

[in_cog_ni_to]

18. I AGREE! ALL the Democrats should have kept their money.

There was no reason to return it/donate it.

[SoCalDem]

15. Dean needs to delegate a HUGE posse of dems that are ready

to show up at CNN/MSRNC/wherever and DEMAND air time to refute the lie.. a lie unanswered, becomes "truth"..

Dean cannot do it alone, but it needs to be done ON-AIR all the time, until they stop doing it..

Just like the "democrat-senator/congressman" shit.. at first, you could tell they were a bit hesitant at the grammatically incorrect appellation, but when no one complained vehemently, it became the "common" way to name democrats..even democrats do it now..

[sui generis]

19. I think they're going to have to research their assertions first

instead of repeating republican talking points with no basis in reality.

It's not "balanced" reporting unless they can show how it flowed and through whom and to how many.

In fact, CBS, here's a challenge: why don't you compare and contrast Abramoff's dealings with republicans to democrats? Are you skeert to? Here are some data points:

Direct contribution
Sub contribution
Total dollars
Number of republicans and number or dems in each category.

(crickets chirp)

[Vinnie From Indy]

20. LOL!

CBS is so full of crap on so many levels. The Abramoff "related entities" were not created or run by Abramoff. I am quite sure that the Indian tribes being marked as "related entities" existed far earlier than ol' Jackie. Can there be any doubt that the mainstream press is compromised and that as a group they consistently lie, distort, deceive and misdirect? They KNOW that personal donations and client donations are in different universes yet they continue to consciously and deliberatly peddle these falsehoods.

[LisaM]

21. "Meet the Press" was the same way

Somehow the whole issue became Harry Reid. It was unbelievable.

[Hamlette]

23. True, but they haven't indicted the "Abramoff-related entities"

(by which I assume they mean the tribes) and until they do, there are NO Dems under suspicion.

There has to be more to this than the wink-wink-nudge-nudge of ALL campaign contributions or Abramoff would not have pleaded guilty. Abramoff made promises...and the suspicion is Congresscritters did too.

[Lorien]

25. Since most Native Americans are Dems, they'll need to prove that

Ambramoff INSTRUCTED the tribes to give to specific candidates, otherwise they have nothing.

[Warren DeMontague]

28. 'abramoff-related entities'..

UNBELIEVABLE.

The bigger question is, WHY does CBS have such a hardon to parrot some RNC line verbatim?

[Imagevision]

29. The issue is which repus Abramoff will cause to be indicted ?

thats what bottomline is and they scurry to dump Abramoff contributons to these already corrup republican Senators and their staffers!