McCain puts ex-official on hot seat...

[Peter Frank]

(snip)
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has called on the former No. 2 official at the Interior Department to testify before a Senate panel investigating lobbyist Jack Abramoff and his involvement with Indian gambling tribes.

The official, J. Steven Griles, who served as deputy interior secretary from 2001 to the beginning of this year, was involved in efforts to help two of Abramoff’s clients — the Louisiana Coushatta tribe and the Saginaw Chippewa tribe of Michigan — fend off casino proposals from rival tribes and may have done so while engaged in employment negotiations with Abramoff, recent news reports have said. Griles has said through spokespeople that he did not play a major role in endeavors to aid the tribes.

The development marks the first time McCain has taken direct aim at the administration...

http://www.thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/110105/news3.html

[Burried News]

1. I wonder how many Native American voters there are in Arizona.

Not that this would influence John's enthusiasms. Well as Al Cappone would say - a man has to have enthusiasms.

Bet Abramoff didn't see that one coming.

[existentialist]

2. Native American voters in Arizona

Native Americans comprise about 5.7% of the population of Arizona.

[readmylips]

3. McCain's mansion for sale in AZ...what's he cooking?

Maybe moving closer to D.C. or wife filing for divorce. It's a big mystery.

[karynnj]

8. or buying a new house - This is sick

Why on earth suggest that he is divorcing based on a house sale. Maybe he and his wife want a different AZ residence. He just won re-election so I assume he still would want an AZ residence - I assume he also has a DC one.

I strongly dislike McCain because I think he is a phony who has been able to hoodwink way too many people.

[stlsaxman]

18. He's spending the "bonus" he got from the RNC for....

giving W. so many hugs.


Blood money, pure and simple.

[alcibiades_mystery]

4. We've gotten to the part of the story wherein Republicans

pretend that they had no dealings at all with the awful man Abramoff, and doncha know he's probably a Demon-crat and definitely a...cough...Jew?

These nuts will stoop to any level whatever.

[merwin]

5. McCain is an oddball. Every once in a while he does something right.

[Peter Frank]

6. Actually He Does Allot of Things Right...

...he's more like a moderate Democrat than a Republican.

[Jackpine Radical]

16. Oh, bullshit.

I'm tired of people beatifying that bush-hugging creep. Other than maybe campaign finance reform and opposing torture, name three progressive things he's done.

[ErisFiveFingers]

22. 3?

1. Normalizing relations with Vietnam.
2. Arguing that we should scap money being spent on an Aircraft carrier, and spend it on our troop families living on food stamps.
3. Anti-tobacco, tobacco bailouts, etc.
4. Opposed *'s tax cuts.
5. Opposes pork-barrel spending.
6. Supports expanded immigration, as well as immigration controls.
7. Demanded Rumsfeld resign.
8. Supports hate-speech laws. "However, we must not allow the First Amendment to be abused as a shield for those who advocate or conspire to commit acts of violence."
9. Worked with Lieberman to close gun-show loophole.
10. Pro- Americorps
11. Tried to get anti-global warming legislation introduced.
12. Pro background check on guns
13. Proposed national recognition of Cesear Chavez historic sites.
14. Favors pharmaceutical imports

Sure, it's possible to argue (depending on what kind of progressive someone is) that some of the above are not progressive stances, but it's quite easy to come up with more than 3... he's called a RINO for the same reasons Lieberman is called a DINO. Both have views that are progressive, and both have views that are conservative.

[howmad1]

17. Yea, like sticking his nose so far up Bush's ass, Bush dare not...

make a turn without signaling. C'mon, McCain is one of Washington's all time phonies.

[Peter Frank]

19. If McCain Falls Down on the Job Here...

...I'll agree with you. Keep a close eye on the Abramoff investigation -- he may surprise you.

[AlCzervik]

7. I think Gale Norton is also under investigation regarding Abramoff

[liveoaktx]

26. McCain, in his opening statement attempted to exonerate Norton

and said something like there wasn't a question she wasn't involved.

[drb]

9. I would rather have a person of honor and integrity who...

...happens to think different things than I do, rather than a slimy person who pretends to be my friend.

My fondest hope is that McCain just might be that person of integrity.

[JoFerret]

10. Erm...Keating ..Savings and loans?

Check it out. Integrity? Not then at least

[Peter Frank]

12. That was a long time ago...

He apologized, and since has fought a good fight against the radical elements in his party.

[Peter Frank]

11. It Should Make You Feel Good About McCain to Know That...

The Bush machine slimed his integrity and millitary record in the 2000 primary race -- exactly the way it did Kerry in '04.

[karynnj]

15. Why should I feel good about it?

The Bush machine slimed his integrity and millitary record in the 2000 primary race -- exactly the way it did Kerry in '04.

But then, McCain hugged Bush through the summer and fall while Bush tacitly allowed the lies to continue. Remember LAURA said she thought they were fair. In contrast, within a day of the slurs on McCain, Kerry had a letter signed by all the Senate vets defending McCain and he had called friends in Vietnam Veterans of America, (which he co-founded with Bobby Mueller and others when VVAW became too radical.)which got out their veterans in support of McCain.

McCain is ambitious, but he could have endorsed Bush, condemned more than once the SBVT (or at least not call Kerry and ask him to not use the one comment he made.) and taken a more passive role in supporting Bush than Hagel. Who do you think is the source of all the McCain as VP stories? - the one thing Kerry had said at that point was he would say nothing about possibilities or disscuss who he talked to until he made an announcement - then he would only announce the VP. That it is told in a way that makes McCain sound calm and wise and Kerry visibly angry and screaming (both counter to the men's normal demeanors) suggest a McCain source.

[CardInAustin]

13. I agree about McCain....

I may not agree with him on many issues, but I do respect him a great deal. In fact, my only real misgiving about him is that he didn't stand up to Bush and say stick it up your azz during the '04 election. Of course, that is easy for me to say.

[goforit]

14. Why don't you have him investigate the WH as well.

But McCain.....You are really a whimp.

[0rganism]

20. This is a sign of a major power struggle brewing within the GOP

Sen. McCain is trying to neutralize the Bushista kingmakers from the inside. It's the only way he can get a clear shot at winning the primary in 2008 without kissing their collective arse, an act which I'm convinced fills him with loathing even when he excels at it. Every day that McCain had to stump for that ridiculous buffoon in 2004 sticks in his craw, and now he's figuring to get the leverage to shift the balance of power within the party.

[Peter Frank]

21. That was my take...

...and I could not have said it better.

[goforit]

23. McCain has a long way to go if this is considered an aim @ the *junta!

[Peter Frank]

24. It's Hitting the Fan on C-Span Now!...

...the Abramoff congressional investigation.

[WiseButAngrySara]

25. Thanks again Peter Frank for a great Abramoff article!

:kick:

[Peter Frank]

27. Kick...

:kick: