What’s the over/under on Republicans going to jail during this glorious period of American history? How many church-goin’-tough-on-crime righties have to go down before corruption becomes a bigger story than this bullshit ‘War on Christmas’?
Sen. Conrad Burns – R – Montana, Sweatshop Enthusiast
Sen. Conrad Burns and his staff met Jack Abramoff’s lobbying team on at least eight occasions and collected $12,000 in donations around the time that the lawmaker took legislative action favorable to Abramoff’s clients in the Northern Mariana Islands, records show. The 2001 donations to Burns, a Montana Republican, included money directly from Abramoff and a key garment company executive in the Pacific islands who was part of the coalition paying Abramoff’s firm to fend off stronger U.S. regulations on the islands. In addition, two Burns staffers had accepted a trip arranged by Abramoff to attend the Super Bowl in Florida earlier that year.
Records Show Burns’ Abramoff Meetings
By MARY CLARE JALONICK
The Associated PressWASHINGTON – Sen. Conrad Burns and his staff met Jack Abramoff’s lobbying team on at least eight occasions and collected $12,000 in donations around the time that the lawmaker took legislative action favorable to Abramoff’s clients in the Northern Mariana Islands, records show.
The 2001 donations to Burns, a Montana Republican, included money directly from Abramoff and a key garment company executive in the Pacific islands who was part of the coalition paying Abramoff’s firm to fend off stronger U.S. regulations on the islands.
In addition, two Burns staffers had accepted a trip arranged by Abramoff to attend the Super Bowl in Florida earlier that year.
At the time, Burns served on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee that was considering legislation the Marianas opposed. He also ran a Senate appropriations subcommittee that controlled spending for the Interior Department, which regulates U.S. territories including the islands.
On May 23, 2001, Burns voted against a bill in the Senate Energy Committee that would have phased out a nonresident contract worker program benefiting the Marianas’ garment industry. The committee approved the bill, but it never saw action on the Senate floor. In 1999, it had moved through the same committee by unanimous consent without objections from Burns or any other member.
Burns’ office told The Associated Press this week that he could not recall why he didn’t object to the bill in 1999 but that his opposition in 2001 was prompted by a report indicating changes to immigration laws could hurt the islands’ economy. He said it wasn’t influenced by Abramoff or any donations.
Abramoff’s billing records, which AP obtained from the U.S. territorial islands under an open records request, show that in the three months before the vote, the lobbyist’s team met twice with Burns and several more times with his Senate aides to discuss Marianas issues.
One of those meetings, between Burns’ staff and Abramoff associate Todd A. Boulanger, occurred just six days before the vote.
Abramoff donated $5,000 to Burns’ political action committee in February, just before the meetings started. His firm, Greenberg Traurig, donated $2,000 to Burns in March and Eloy Inos of Saipan donated $5,000 in April.
The Inos donation was first reported by The Billings Gazette on Dec. 3. Inos listed his employer as Tan Holdings, a member of the Saipan Garment Manufacturers Association, another Abramoff client.
The Justice Department is investigating whether Abramoff, already charged with fraud in a Florida case, won any undue influence through donations and favors.
Burns defended the meetings, saying they are part of the democratic process.
“Advocates, paid and unpaid, exercising their right to petition their government provide information on many issues but you always know that they are representing a particular position based upon their client or issue preference,” he said Dec. 5.
In all, AP stories over the last few months have documented how more than four dozen lawmakers, Republicans and Democrats, took actions favorable to Abramoff clients around the time that they received large donations from the lobbyist and his clients.
Burns, who is up for re-election to a fourth term in 2006, received about $150,000 in donations from Abramoff, his firm and his clients between 2001 and 2004.
In addition to the Marianas, Burns wrote a letter backing an Indian school building program sought by Abramoff’s tribal clients and helped arrange for Congress to provide money for it.
Burns said he hasn’t been contacted by federal investigators in the Abramoff probe nor received any subpoenas. On Nov. 28, Burns wrote to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, urging that his conduct be reviewed so he could be cleared of wrongdoing.
“I welcome your thorough and expeditious review of this matter so that it may be disposed of officially once and for all and these outrageous and wrongful allegations may be put to rest before we get into the 2006 re-election cycle,” Burns wrote.
The billing records detail several meetings regarding the Marianas.
For instance, Abramoff associates met at least five times with Burns’ staff as well as members of the Interior appropriations subcommittee staff he oversaw in spring 2001. At least some of the meetings, the billing records say, involved a federal matching funds program that helped the island with local construction projects.
The Marianas wanted relief from a requirement that the islands match some of the federal money it received.
In June, Burns’ Senate subcommittee approved a committee version of the legislation including a provision that urged the Interior Department to re-evaluate the requirement, citing hard economic times in the islands.
Burns spokesman James Pendleton said he doesn’t know whether Burns inserted the provision, but he did support it.
December 6, 2005 6:59 PM
Chris I agree to a point . There are some Democrats who have flies on their faces too Bubba ! LOL
The heart of the countries problems is the rampant corruption. Iraq might even be going better if Haliburton was not involved, same for the Katrina response. Some people will say it is OK because Democrats have done it as well, maybe we should aim a little higher.
Another thing for repubs to be proud of:
Michael Schiavo wants to make sure voters don’t forget Terri Schiavo.
The husband of the Pinellas County woman who became the focus of a national end-of-life controversy has started a political action committee to keep the heat on politicians who tried to intervene in the case and fight his efforts to remove her feeding tube.
“The easiest thing would be to move on and let the headlines fade,” Schiavo said in a statement. “But my experience with our political leaders has opened my eyes to just how easily the private wishes of normal Americans like me and Terri can be cast aside in the destructive game of political pandering. The best way to hold them accountable is to make sure voters know where the candidates stand when they come looking for votes next November.”
I am against any politico who is corrupt and immoral! Period!
Paul, I don’t see any Democrats being brought up on charges. How about indictments and convictions during the Nixon and Reagan years?
Republican administrations are inherently corrupt. This group lies constantly, and apparantly a lot of them were on the take…all the while pandering to the yahoo religious folk and claiming some moral high ground they had no business referring to at all.
Cunningham, Delay…two of the most arrogant and stereotypically in lock step with the evangelicals as we’ve seen in recent time.
They’re supposedly ‘holy men’…bullshit! These people are frauds, and leverage the gulability of evangelicals and other special interests to get elected.
They’re the ones who honor God, they’re the ones that honor freedom, they’re the patriotic ones…bullshit. They’re criminals!
Don’t say, “Well Dems are just as bad”, when there’s no comparison at all. These guys’ first instinct is to cheat. Bill Frist is the same way, as is Hassert and Blunt and Reed and many others out there in DC looking out for everyone but the folks to pay their salary!
Oh, and when someone like Howard Dean says he thinks Iraq is unwinable…well, here come the gestapo…
The right-wing makes it’s living by twisting words…they’re always SO OFFENDED by what so and so SAID…forget about what anyone has DONE!
In the political mind of a right-winger, Dean saying something they deem controversial is more important than one of their own stealing money. It’s a fact.
What has Bush or the Republicans DONE to improve this country in the 5 years they’ve had TOTAL power of the government? We’re caught in lies internationally just about every day now. These jerks don’t know whether they’re coming or going…example:
Series of Events
1. abu gharib
2. torture memo
3. rendition is exposed
4. mccain puts an ammendment in baning torture
5. cheney fights to keep torture legal
6. renditioned prisoners being held in old cold-war facilities in romania and poland, the information concerning our use of these prisons becomes a hot issue around the world
7. condi tells europe to back off
8. the prisoners are moved from the gulags to somewhere else before condi has to speak w/ europe face to face
They take a step in the wrong direction and are told, warned…fate issues them a wake up call…what do they do? Ignore it all until finally the thing blows up in their faces and they have to back off out of political necessity.
Meanwhile, journalists and foreign officials can taste the blood in the water, which only manages to intensify the scrutiny we face going forward.
They have absolutely no idea of how to DO THIS JOB! They can’t win a war, balance a budget, fix health care…nothing gets done by these people unless it’s on behalf of the upper 1% of the bible thumpers.
Paul, I don’t see any Democrats being brought up on charges. How about indictments and convictions during the Nixon and Reagan years?
Just look out your window.
And here are Clinton’s claims to fame:
– The only president ever impeached on grounds of personal malfeasance
– Most number of convictions and guilty pleas by friends and associates*
– Most number of cabinet officials to come under criminal investigation
– Most number of witnesses to flee country or refuse to testify
– Most number of witnesses to die suddenly
– First president sued for sexual harassment.
– First president accused of rape.
– First first lady to come under criminal investigation
– Largest criminal plea agreement in an illegal campaign contribution case
– First president to establish a legal defense fund.
– First president to be held in contempt of court
– Greatest amount of illegal campaign contributions
– Greatest amount of illegal campaign contributions from abroad
– First president disbarred from the US Supreme Court and a state court
At least Reagan, and for the most part, Nixon, were good for the country and advanced our society and culture.
And, AND!!! Even though Clinton is out of office his people are still commiting crimes, i.e. Sandy Berger and the breach of national security.
Pelosi should keep her mouth shut about the “culture of corruption” that surrounds Delay, he is only one guy. The entire Democratic party is in on the take.
JUST DELAY?!? Cunningham ring a bell? How about the Abramoff bribes?
Right, on that list – – – – I’m willing to adress every bullet point. You know I will take the time to do it.
But without a source for the list – or qualification of the items you listed – it’s impossible for me to do so. I was in the Army and in high school during Clinton’s two terms, and I wasn’t up on the news that entire time.
I did hear that about 880$ million was spent during Ken Starr’s investivation, which equalled how many convictions?
Fitzgerald acutally indicted the first administration official busted in over 100 years, and he hasn’t yet spent over 2$ million.
I do know that Clinton’s every move was politicized and any dead end would be blown up in the media, and after months of investigations, nothiung would happen.
On campaign financing…a case in Ohio is already in the books (R-contibutor), and others are under indictment – so the books are far from being closed on that bullet(s).
I did hear that about 880$ million was spent during Ken Starr’s investivation, which equalled how many convictions?
Can you put a price tag on justice?
I do know that Clinton’s every move was politicized and any dead end would be blown up in the media, and after months of investigations, nothiung would happen.
This sounds a lot like the Rove/Libby fiasco.
On campaign financing…a case in Ohio is already in the books (R-contibutor), and others are under indictment – so the books are far from being closed on that bullet(s).
And in Florida the Democrats did the same thing but were actually convicted.
Don’t say, “Well Dems are just as bad”, when there’s no comparison at all.
Yeah, looks like they are worse.
“Republican administrations are inherently corrupt” eh Chris? Poppycock! Take your valium and be objective !
Paul:
The main purpose of the repubs are to lower taxes and help out their corporate pals. The idea is that helping the rich makes things better for the poor and the dissapearing middle class. The end result is a political party that panders to people with money. Corruption in a case like this is very likely.
Oh I forgot the other pillar of the Repubs is tell the American Taliban what they want to hear and get them to vote.
I guess the end result is a corupt Theocracy, you know like Saidi Arabia only stupider.
Karl both political parties pander to money if the truth be told and they play “loose” with the facts along the way. It is an old established pattern in American politics. Let’s not be hypocritical here. The Democrats use the poor to their advantage too – sad to say!!
Paul – how does what you just said make any sence? Are you suggesting that the poor make bribes to Democrats for favorable legislation?
Where are poor people coming up with the money to bribe Democrats?!?
Democrats are the only ones who do ANYTHING for the poor. It doesn’t mean they’re getting bribed by them, it means they CARE about them.
There’s a difference. It’s not six of one and half a dozen of the other.
Democrats are the only ones who do ANYTHING for the poor. It doesn’t mean they’re getting bribed by them, it means they CARE about them.
Sorry, I had to step in on this one. Democrats only care about the poor, minorities, religion, whatever during an election. The rest of the time they care about promoting the socialist agenda, whether it works or not. (not in California’s Grey Davis days)
You only see Al Gore faking a southern accent, reminiscing about things he did as a child that were not invented yet. Democrats trumpet free government wellfare money to the poor to buy their votes and then let the legislation fail in the senate then blame republicans for voting it down.
I can assure you, Senator Reid hasn’t asked any of us how we feel about him making Nevada look like a bunch of morons. He is an embarrassment here in Nevada, Reid’s kingdom we call it because, like a king, he never does anything for us and he’s always off fighting some obscure battle we care nothing about but have to pay for with taxes.
Enabling worthlessness though wellfare and excessive welfare programs is not caring for the poor, it’s taking advantage of them by buying their votes with empty promises.
No the poor do not make bribes -they have no capital to do it even if they wanted to do it. Democrats use the poor and we all know it. It makes political sense and has been done for years. The only real advocates the poor have are the poor themselves !
How do they ‘use’ them exactally? Did Clinton ‘use’ the poor?
Poverty went down while he was President. I mean, do the poor get less from Dems than the rich get from Republicans? I’m sure they do – – – but someone has to mind the store after the cut-and-spend frenzy is finally over.
Clinton had to fix the defecit monster left over from Reagan and Bush 1. I’m sure that if he had given the poor everything they wanted, he wouldn’t have been able to balance the budget!
Defecits hurt the poor. Just look at LA and Miss…they’re never getting that back…why? The government can’t afford it. No rainy day fund. In fact, food stamps, medicare and child support enforcement are going bye-bye we’re so far in debt.
Tax cuts on dividends though…that’s still happening.
So I don’t really see hoe Dems ‘use’ the poor as much as Republicans get aggrivated when the subject comes up…because they have NO RECORD to speak of when it comes to the poor besides their patented:
MAKE THEM POORER initiative
Become poor Chris and learn instead or just talking !
Chris:
You make a good point about poverty going down under Clinton. In fact everything improved under Clinton, which I think is the problem, in the 90’s things went so well that people started fixating on trivial stuff, like what other people were doing with their reproductive systems and what say during the christmas season. My point is that Clinton made it look to easy and people started thinking that anyone could lead so they elected Bush who focuses on trivial crap, while we lose wars and let terrorists strike in the US.
Hopefully by 2008 people will realize that not just anyone can be president.
Paul says:
Become poor Chris and learn instead or just talking !
Paul, I have been poor. That’s why some people, such as myself, think of the military as a great idea when they’re 17. Tuition assistance is being cut as well.
People Come UP – – – – just not all of them!
Paul – poor isn’t completely different. We all go to school, some go to better ones than others, we all have jobs, some pay better than others, we all raise families, some in bigger homes than others.
It’s the things like…who has to budget well so they can afford the mortgage payment and who has to budget well so they can afford milk. Making sure you wake up in time to drive to work and making sure you wake up in time to take a bus-train-bus to work.
I’ve had people working for me in the past, and the surburban kid, first year out of college, can’t get to work on time. Yet 6 others in the group had a trip to and from each day like, bus in Dorchester to a green line train to a red line train, out at Quincy Station and then a 40 minute bus ride to Canton.
The poor people had to commute 3.5-4 hours so they could make 12/hour, because nothing close paid that much.
They didn’t sell drugs or kick back and take it easy.
So the idea that a guy who had it made…”was born on third base and thought he’d hit a triple”, our President, DOESN’T WANT TO DO A THING FOR THE POOR. And I’d bet never had to sit or stand up on 4 buses and 4 trains to get to and from work on a single day.
That’s the kind of sin the Bible is all about. And the truth is, we’re all guilty for allowing it to happen in OUR representative democracy. FoxNews had a poll that said 95% of the country was Christian.
If that’s true, then a lot of people need to consider talking less and reading that Bible of theirs more. I’ve read it, and what I walked away from it in my head had nothing about cuting food stamps and child support recovery while cuting taxes for the rich.
It’s the story of Robin Hood – – – just a little different.
Man I was poor when I was small !