Abramoff's `Equal Money' Went Mostly to Republicans

[boston bean]

Dec. 21 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. President George W. Bush calls indicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff ``an equal money dispenser'' who helped politicians of both parties. Campaign donation records show Republicans were a lot more equal than Democrats.

Between 2001 and 2004, Abramoff gave more than $127,000 to Republican candidates and committees and nothing to Democrats, federal records show. At the same time, his Indian clients were the only ones among the top 10 tribal donors in the U.S. to donate more money to Republicans than Democrats.

Bush's comment about Abramoff in a Dec. 14 Fox News interview was aimed at countering Democratic accusations that Republicans have brought a ``culture of corruption'' to Washington. Even so, the numbers show that ``Abramoff's big connections were with the Republicans,'' said Larry Noble, the former top lawyer for the Federal Election Commission, who directs the Washington-based Center for Responsive Politics.

``It is somewhat unusual in that most lobbyists try to work with both Republicans and Democrats, but we're already seeing that Jack Abramoff doesn't seem to be a usual lobbyist,'' Noble said.


more...

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000103&sid=arVHles5cKJc&refer=us#

[NVMojo]

1. but of course ...

[rodeodance]

2. well, all things said "mostly" is probably the best yet.

[NanceGreggs]

3. Bush's comment about Abramoff in a Dec. 14 ...

... Fox News interview ..."

Now, why would the (alleged) president of the United States be commenting on the conduct of someone "... he doesn't even know"?

[jsamuel]

4. 2 WP reporters said "It's a Republican scandal."

[alarcojon]

5. Nice try, Georgie

but we aren't as shit for brains as you are.

Well, the FOX viewing audience will lap it up, but we already knew that.

[MannyGoldstein]

6. Bull Crap! No Abramoff Money to Dems! None! Zero!

Not a single penney went to Democrats or Democratic entities from Abramoff, entities substantially controlled by Abramoff, or people associated with Abramoff who've been indicted.

None! Nada! Bubkes!

I keep offering cash bounties to the first Rightie that can show otherwise - they scream like stuck pigs, but can't find a single example to refute this!

[MannyGoldstein]

15. And Again...

http://newsbusters.org/node/3695

[GrantDem]

7. Mostly????

It ALL went to repukes.

:banghead:

[boston bean]

8. did you read the whole article. In a nutshell that's what it's saying. nt

[kcass1954]

9. That headline isn't just misleading - it doesn't agree with the article.

"Between 2001 and 2004, Abramoff gave more than $127,000 to Republican candidates and committees and nothing to Democrats, federal records show."

Not that we didn't already know that.

[kcass1954]

12. Just posted this on Bloomberg's feedback page...

The headline on this article is "Abramoff's `Equal Money' Went Mostly to Republicans (Update1)."

However, the second paragraph says, "Between 2001 and 2004, Abramoff gave more than $127,000 to Republican candidates and committees and nothing to Democrats, federal records show."

Which is it? Did Abramoff's money go "mostly to Republicans" or did he give all to Republicans and nothing to Democrats? I already know the answer, and I think you do, too.

The headline perpetuates the myth that this is an equal-opportunity scandal.

[LynnTheDem]

10. " nothing to Democrats" somehow equals "mostly to Republicans".

Only in America of course.

[0007]

11. junior and his fuzzy math strikes again.....LOL!

We all know junior has a paper asshole.

The Republican senatorial committee is sending information out to state campaigns and to all Republican press secretaries on Capitol Hill about the Democrat-Abramoff connections, spokesman Brian Nick said. The cover sheet asks, ``They Don't Know Jack???'' in red ink and features a picture of Abramoff surrounded by Democrats including Dorgan and Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada.

Another ploy that won't work.

[cantstandbush]

13. Why the hell doesn't some Dem call Bush on his outright lie?

We all know that the media will not. Wolf tries every day to spin this for the Republicans by always making some off hand remark about both parties being involved.

[sabra]

14. good article, though it is dated Dec. 21 ....

peace.

[killbotfactory]

16. I thought Bush didn't know him?

:crazy:

[mikeybabe125]

17. WTF! NONE WENT TO DEMS

Does anyone remember Abramoff's saying about to "spill the blood of the democrats" ya, that sounds liek someone who would let some money slip to dems.

[Pryderi]

18. "spill the blood of the democrats" ??? Where'd you hear that?

[mikeybabe125]

19. check this out...

---SNIP---

Abramoff was chairman of the College Republicans, and his lieutenants were Harvard graduate Grover Norquist, who rose to political fame as president of the American Taxpayers Association, and a young Georgia student named Ralph Reed, who would later become the face of the Christian Coalition.

In a memo from the time, Abramoff counseled his troops: ''It is not our job to seek peaceful coexistence with the Left. Our job is to remove them from power permanently."

Their favorite movie was ''Patton", based on the bellicose World War II general's life. Abramoff & Co. would pump up the College Republicans' field organizers by forcing them to memorize George C. Scott's key speech in the movie, substituting ''Democrat" for ''Nazi": ''The Democrats are the enemy. Wade into them. Spill their blood! Shoot them in the belly!"
http://www.citizensforethics.org/press/pressclip.php?view=1358


isnt is funny how ol' Reed is in this, as well and the Christian Coaltion... and he is going down... hmmm no connection there...

[Pryderi]

25. That's pretty disgusting. Thanks for the link!

[newyawker99]

26. Hi mikeybabe125!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[salin]

20. This article is more than a month old.

[Little Star]

23. Updated Dec. 21 n/t

[Hubert Flottz]

21. "helped politicians"

Bought Politicians, is closer to the truth and helped himself to the perks he bought with his bribery payments.

[formercia]

22. Let me make it really simple: Susan Ralston

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Susan_B._Ralston

Susan Bonzon Ralston, Special Assistant to the President & Assistant to the Senior Advisor Karl Rove, was Jack Abramoff's executive assistant at Preston Gates and Ellis and later at the Greenberg Traurig law and lobbying firm, where "she served as the assistant director of governmental affairs. Before moving to the nation’s capital, she was an office administrator for M&J Wilkow, Ltd., a commercial real estate firm in Chicago, Illinois." <1> (http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/week_2005_09_18.php#006598)<2> (http://www.asianfortune.com/aug04/Articles/PROFILE%20Susan%20RALSTON.htm)

"Ms. Ralston assists Mr. Rove in overseeing the strategic planning, political affairs, public liaison, and intergovernmental affairs efforts of the White House." <3> (http://www.philippinefestival.org/pfc2003ma12.html)

Ralston is cited as being the highest ranking Filipino-American in the Bush White House. The Philippine News Online reported (http://www.philippinenews.com/news/view_article.html?article_id=3e0c4851a55bc3720463f093929c619d) September 22, 2004, that "Ralston, who was promoted special assistant to the president last July, is also actively involved in courting the Asian American vote."

[Warren Stupidity]

27. WTF?

Didn't Ralston JUST RESIGN from a high level administration post? What a coinkydink!

Oh no connection between Jackamoff and Bushcabal? Has Snotty McMoonface explained away Ralston yet?

[ComerPerro]

24. But the talking point that has gained the most traction

is that this is a bipartisan scandal. The public is buying it.

[Warren Stupidity]

28. The public is mostly unaware.

You mistake constant repetition by media whores for 'public buyin'. I disagree. The public might buy it if we allow the whores to keep repeating it unchallenged. Dean has shown just how easy it is to shut that crap down, and the whole WaPOS episode indicates that we can still manage to get a media outlet to veer towards near-truth.

However the whole bipartisan meme barrage is going to be a major embarassment on the order of 'whoops no dubyaEmDee' if and when indictments are all oddly republican.