BigSqwert Posted January 7, 2006 Share Posted January 7, 2006 Taken from Think Progress: The White House maintains that Bush does not “recall” meeting Abramoff and, if they ever did meet, it was only in passing at a large gathering: MR. McCLELLAN: Yes, I said it’s possible that they would have met at a holiday reception or some other widely attended gathering. The President does not know him, nor does the President recall ever meeting him. Q But he has the special designation as a Pioneer, as Terry was alluding to, raising more than $100,000. And he attended, as you told us, three events, holiday receptions at the White House. How likely is it that the President would not have met him — MR. McCLELLAN: That’s why I said it’s possible. But I just told you what I know at this point, and the President doesn’t recall meeting him and he certainly doesn’t know him. It’s not just possible, it happened. The Texas Observer reports that Abramoff met with Bush on May 9, 2001, with his clients, the Coushatta tribe. (The chairman of the Coushatta tribe initially denied the meeting occured, but subsequently admitted that it did.) Abramoff charged his client 25,000 to arrange the meeting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EvilMonkey Posted January 7, 2006 Share Posted January 7, 2006 Do you have any idea how many people the President sees in just one day? He could have met someone several times and not remember it. Most politicians wouldn't. They would rely on staff to give them notes about people they are meeting, so they sound like they remember. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigSqwert Posted January 7, 2006 Author Share Posted January 7, 2006 QUOTE(EvilMonkey @ Jan 7, 2006 -> 11:30 AM) Do you have any idea how many people the President sees in just one day? He could have met someone several times and not remember it. Most politicians wouldn't. They would rely on staff to give them notes about people they are meeting, so they sound like they remember. Ok. Keep your blinders on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rex Kickass Posted January 7, 2006 Share Posted January 7, 2006 Evil, I agree with you, he probably has forgotten meeting this guy. It's been four years, and I'm pretty sure more important stuff has crossed his mind than a piss-ant influence peddler. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EvilMonkey Posted January 7, 2006 Share Posted January 7, 2006 QUOTE(BigSqwert @ Jan 7, 2006 -> 04:31 PM) Ok. Keep your blinders on. And you keep your horns showing and hatred flowing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigSqwert Posted January 7, 2006 Author Share Posted January 7, 2006 http://www.texasobserver.org/showArticle_n...sp?ArticleID=13 Four months after he took the oath of office in 2001, President George W. Bush was the attraction, and the White House the venue, for a fundraiser organized by the alleged perpetrator of the largest billing fraud in the history of corporate lobbying. In May 2001, Jack Abramoff’s lobbying client book was worth $4.1 million in annual billing for the Greenberg Traurig law firm. He was a friend of Bush advisor Karl Rove. He was a Bush “Pioneer,” delivering at least $100,000 in bundled contributions to the 2000 campaign. He had just concluded his work on the Bush Transition Team as an advisor to the Department of the Interior. He had sent his personal assistant Susan Ralston to the White House to work as Rove’s personal assistant. He was a close friend, advisor, and high-dollar fundraiser for the most powerful man in Congress, Tom DeLay. Abramoff was so closely tied to the Bush Administration that he could, and did, charge two of his clients $25,000 for a White House lunch date and a meeting with the President. From the same two clients he took to the White House in May 2001, Abramoff also obtained $2.5 million in contributions for a non-profit foundation he and his wife operated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kapkomet Posted January 7, 2006 Share Posted January 7, 2006 QUOTE(BigSqwert @ Jan 7, 2006 -> 04:40 PM) http://www.texasobserver.org/showArticle_n...sp?ArticleID=13 Four months after he took the oath of office in 2001, President George W. Bush was the attraction, and the White House the venue, for a fundraiser organized by the alleged perpetrator of the largest billing fraud in the history of corporate lobbying. In May 2001, Jack Abramoff’s lobbying client book was worth $4.1 million in annual billing for the Greenberg Traurig law firm. He was a friend of Bush advisor Karl Rove. He was a Bush “Pioneer,” delivering at least $100,000 in bundled contributions to the 2000 campaign. He had just concluded his work on the Bush Transition Team as an advisor to the Department of the Interior. He had sent his personal assistant Susan Ralston to the White House to work as Rove’s personal assistant. He was a close friend, advisor, and high-dollar fundraiser for the most powerful man in Congress, Tom DeLay. Abramoff was so closely tied to the Bush Administration that he could, and did, charge two of his clients $25,000 for a White House lunch date and a meeting with the President. From the same two clients he took to the White House in May 2001, Abramoff also obtained $2.5 million in contributions for a non-profit foundation he and his wife operated. That well may have happened. But, at least it wasn't money from the Chinese government. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vandy125 Posted January 7, 2006 Share Posted January 7, 2006 QUOTE(BigSqwert @ Jan 7, 2006 -> 10:31 AM) Ok. Keep your blinders on. Do you remember who you had a meeting with four years ago? I have trouble remembering meetings from a few months back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigSqwert Posted January 7, 2006 Author Share Posted January 7, 2006 QUOTE(vandy125 @ Jan 7, 2006 -> 12:47 PM) Do you remember who you had a meeting with four years ago? I have trouble remembering meetings from a few months back. I remember everyone I had a meeting with that also happened to donate over $100,000 to me and was on my Presedential Transition Team. Better chance that I'd remember that person if they were a friend to my advisor Karl Rove. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NUKE_CLEVELAND Posted January 7, 2006 Share Posted January 7, 2006 QUOTE(EvilMonkey @ Jan 7, 2006 -> 10:33 AM) And you keep your horns showing and hatred flowing. Unfortunately for people like him hatred of Bush is the only message they have and they will never get anywhere with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NUKE_CLEVELAND Posted January 7, 2006 Share Posted January 7, 2006 QUOTE(kapkomet @ Jan 7, 2006 -> 10:42 AM) That well may have happened. But, at least it wasn't money from the Chinese government. Oh but that was the golden boy Al Gore. Thats ok. Nothing wrong with that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S720 Posted January 7, 2006 Share Posted January 7, 2006 QUOTE(BigSqwert @ Jan 7, 2006 -> 11:54 AM) I remember everyone I had a meeting with that also happened to donate over $100,000 to me and was on my Presedential Transition Team. Better chance that I'd remember that person if they were a friend to my advisor Karl Rove. BigSqwert, the Bush supporters are completely right. There is no way Bush can remember, since Bush is so STUPID to remember anything that he ever did wrong! That's the fact. Abramoff is only a friend of Karl Rove who donated $100,000.00 to Bush's campaign. There is no way he can remember. He got no brain! Sometimes, supporting can be so blind! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NUKE_CLEVELAND Posted January 7, 2006 Share Posted January 7, 2006 (edited) QUOTE(S720 @ Jan 7, 2006 -> 01:05 PM) BigSqwert, the Bush supporters are completely right. There is no way Bush can remember, since Bush is so STUPID to remember anything that he ever did wrong! That's the fact. Abramoff is only a friend of Karl Rove who donated $100,000.00 to Bush's campaign. There is no way he can remember. He got no brain! Sometimes, supporting can be so blind! YEAH YEAH.......BUSH IS STUPID.......HES CORRUPT.......YEAH YEAH That kind of message is really going to get your side somewhere. Edited January 7, 2006 by NUKE_CLEVELAND Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kapkomet Posted January 7, 2006 Share Posted January 7, 2006 QUOTE(NUKE_CLEVELAND @ Jan 7, 2006 -> 07:14 PM) YEAH YEAH.......BUSH IS AN STUPID.......HES CORRUPT.......YEAH YEAH That kind of message is really going to get your side somewhere. They keep trying. That's for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rex Kickass Posted January 7, 2006 Share Posted January 7, 2006 "BUSH IS AN STUPID." That's funny. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NUKE_CLEVELAND Posted January 7, 2006 Share Posted January 7, 2006 QUOTE(Rex Kickass @ Jan 7, 2006 -> 02:01 PM) "BUSH IS AN STUPID." That's funny. Thats what I get for changing what I wanted to say in mid flight. I was originally going to say "Bush is an idiot" Being hungover sucks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vandy125 Posted January 7, 2006 Share Posted January 7, 2006 (edited) QUOTE(BigSqwert @ Jan 7, 2006 -> 11:54 AM) I remember everyone I had a meeting with that also happened to donate over $100,000 to me and was on my Presedential Transition Team. Better chance that I'd remember that person if they were a friend to my advisor Karl Rove. Yeah, I would remember every person on here that I met 4 years ago. Especially if they were a friend of a friend... http://www.tpj.org/docs/pioneers/pioneers_...00PioneersMajor Major-League Pioneers for 2000 David G. Albert Anthony J. Alexander Joe B. Allen III A. Paul Anderson George Leon Argyros Jorge L. Arrizurieta Jeanie Austin Alfred S. Austin Joe L. Barton Lee Bass Lawrence E. Bathgate II George S. Bayoud Jr. Henry C. Beck III Louis A. Beecherl Jr. Dennis R. Berman Wayne & Lea Berman Roland W. Betts Teel Bivins James J. Blosser Joseph H. Bogosian Michael M. Boone Rudy Boschwitz Katherine E. Boyd Daniel H. Branch Stephen & Kimmy F. Brauer Tim Bridgewater Nancy Goodman Brinker William O. Brisben Leslie J. Brorsen C. David Brown II W. L. Brown Jr. Christopher B. Burnham William H. T. 'Bucky' Bush Jonathan Bush Joseph C. Canizaro Stephen G. Canton Alvin "Pete" R. Carpenter Alice Clement Carrington Charles M. Cawley G.W. "Bill" Ceverha Elaine Chao Martha Chayet Robert B. Chernin Chris Christie Esq. James H. Click Leonard S. Coleman Jr. Herbert F. Collins Peter R. Coneway James Michael Connolly Natale "Nat" G. Conti Bob Corker James B. Culbertson William J. Danhof Robert Addison Day Jr. Robert H. Dedman Jr. Robert M. Devlin William O. DeWitt Jr. Jennifer Dunn Patrick J. Durkin James Dwyer Richard J. Egan John Engler Melvyn J. Estrin Charles "Tre" W. Evers III J. Nelson Fairbanks Robert Fee Thomas Martin Fiorentino Jr. C. Edward Floyd Thomas C. Foley William P. Foley II Matt Fong Jose Angel Fourquet Sam Fox James B. Francis Jr. Bradford M. Freeman Russell F. Freeman Jeff Fuqua George R. Gilmore Tony Gioia David F. Girard-diCarlo Charles L. Glazer D. Stephen Goddard Jr. Stephen Goldsmith William Gormley Robert T. Grand Maurice 'Hank' R. Greenberg Mark A. Guzzetta Fred Jones Hall Adele Hall Tim Hammonds James "Buck" Harless James A. Haslam II Ellsworth G. Havens Joyce A. Haver Richard Heath David V. Hedley John M. Hennessy Hans H. Hertell R. Steven Hicks Michael R. Hightower J. Roger Hirl Alfred Hoffman Jr. Robert B. Holland III David Horowitz Nevils Dudley Horton Jr. Allan B. Hubbard Kathy Hubbard Randall D. Hubbard James R. Huffines Richard E. Hug Gaylord T. Hughey Jr. John C. Huizenga Chris Jenny Walter E. Johnson Thomas L. Johnson Sr. Robert Wood Johnson IV Karen Alexandra Johnson Don D. Jordan Sheldon B. Kamins Stephen Kass Munr Kazmir Craig Keeland E.G. "Ken" Kendrick Bobbie & William Greene Kilberg Nancy Kinder James Louis Kittle Jr. Robert "Bob" K. Kjellander Jr. Dorothy Bush Koch C. Michael Kojaian Hersh Kozlov Thomas R. Kuhn E. Floyd Kvamme David M. Laney James (& Sandy) C. Langdon Jr. Franklin L. Lavin Kenneth & Linda Lay Fred 'Ted' W. Lazenby Howard H. Leach Ronald Steve Letbetter Tom & Nancy Loeffler Jeff B. Love John B. Mahaffey Thomas P. Marinis Jr. Robert & Mary Jane Martinez William Martini Sharon L. McCutchin Colin Riley McMillan Andrea & Dean McWilliams Gualberto Medina Jules Frank Mermoud David A. Metzner Vance C. Miller David Miner Stephan M. Minikes Suzan Mitchell Philip O'Bryan Montgomery III H. Gary Morse Dennis Muchmore Robert Madison Murphy Palmer N. Murray Charles D. Nash Jr. Patrick M. Nesbitt Andres R. Nevares James B. Nicholson Dennis E. Nixon Alan P. Novak Erle A. Nye Robert J. O'Connell Joseph J. O'Donnell Joseph I. O'Neill III John Ong Bill Owens Patrick C. Oxford William J. Palatucci John N. Palmer Sr. Anthony & Margaret W. Parker James E. Paul Jr. Bill Paxon Marshall B. Payne Stephen P. Payne Tom Petway III Robert H. Pickens Donald E. Powell Heinz C. Prechter John Price Chesley Pruet John S. Rainey Ralph E. Reed Jr. James M. Reynolds III Mercer Reynolds III Tom Ridge A. W. Riter Jr. Sig Rogich Raul Romero John D. Rood Evans Rose Jr. Edward W. Rose III Larry Ruvo John "Chip" Saltsman Jr. A. R. "Tony" Sanchez Jr. Dwight C. Schar William R. Scherer Jr. Joel A. Schleicher Rockwell A. Schnabel Peter Secchia Nicholas T. Serafy Jr. Allan "Bud" Shivers Jr. Ned L. Siegel Martin & Audrey J. Silverstein James P. Simmons Gregory Slayton Barbara Sobel Alex G. Spanos Ronald P. Spogli John R. Stafford Manuel N. Stamatakis Dorothy Stapleton Roger T. Staubach Glenn Dale Steil Charles J. Swindells Peter Terpeluk Jr. Sol Trujillo Jack C. Vaughn Jr. Rene Vazquez Botet Thomas E. Wagner Raymond & Ann Wagner Jr. Martha C. Walda Roger Windham Wallace Frederick L. Webber Ronald Weiser William F. Weld Paul F. Welday Jimmy Westcott Robert H. Whilden Jr. Jack Roger Williams George M. Williams Robert Jones Wright Charles J. Wyly Jr. Zachariah P. Zachariah Kenneth B. Zangara Edited January 7, 2006 by vandy125 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigSqwert Posted January 7, 2006 Author Share Posted January 7, 2006 Wow vandy! All those people were part of the Bush Transitional team? Must have been a big team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vandy125 Posted January 7, 2006 Share Posted January 7, 2006 QUOTE(BigSqwert @ Jan 7, 2006 -> 02:13 PM) Wow vandy! All those people were part of the Bush Transitional team? Must have been a big team. Just saying that there are a lot of people who have donated a lot of money to his campaigns. There are also a ton of people involved in getting him to the position that he is in. According to this Washington Post article, there are 474 members of the "transition team." http://www.commondreams.org/cgi-bin/print....s01/0117-02.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigSqwert Posted January 7, 2006 Author Share Posted January 7, 2006 QUOTE(vandy125 @ Jan 7, 2006 -> 03:25 PM) Just saying that there are a lot of people who have donated a lot of money to his campaigns. There are also a ton of people involved in getting him to the position that he is in. According to this Washington Post article, there are 474 members of the "transition team." http://www.commondreams.org/cgi-bin/print....s01/0117-02.htm Touche! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Bartman's my idol Posted January 7, 2006 Share Posted January 7, 2006 Ok. Keep your blinders on. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> "Selective amnesia"? Hmmmmm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted January 7, 2006 Share Posted January 7, 2006 QUOTE(S720 @ Jan 7, 2006 -> 02:05 PM) BigSqwert, the Bush supporters are completely right. There is no way Bush can remember, since Bush is so STUPID to remember anything that he ever did wrong! That's the fact. Abramoff is only a friend of Karl Rove who donated $100,000.00 to Bush's campaign. There is no way he can remember. He got no brain! Sometimes, supporting can be so blind! How much money did the Bush campaign raise in that election? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balta1701 Posted January 8, 2006 Share Posted January 8, 2006 Sadly here I think I agree with the Republicans, George W. Bush is only 1 man, and not a smart man at that. If you expect him to remember every person he's met over the last 6 years, you're pushing it. This is not like Ahmad Chalabi, where the guy not only met with Bush, he sat behind Laura at the SOTU speech right before the Admin denied ever meeting him. In this case, you're talking about 1 contributer among hundreds. I need more than proof that Bush met with the guy 1-2 times to care that Bush met with him 1-2 times. Thus far, I've basically come to believe that the Abramoff mess is fundamentally a Congressional one, because Abramoff really used his influence on Congresspeople. When you get multiple free skyboxes, free golf functions, and free flights to Saigon, along with $100,000+ all bundled because of 1 guy, you will know who he is if you're a congressman winning election based on a few million dollars. However, if he's just donating to the President, that's not proving the President was involved. Show me proof of multiple sessions between the Pres and the guy, or travel for the President arranged for the guy, or other meetings arranged by the guy, and I'll change my opinion, but thus far I haven't seen full evidence that the Bush Admin knew what Abramoff was doing like, say, Delay did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rex Kickass Posted January 8, 2006 Share Posted January 8, 2006 I think Abramoff and Bush knew each other and Bush knew of him, but didn't give him the level of access that would taint him. To say that there were 400+ people on the transition team and that the President couldn't be expected to know all of them is a bit disingenuous. Learning a little about how that works, I'm fairly certain that Abramoff wouldn't be at the level of transition teamness that I would be, were I on the team, but rather at the level of the top 50 or so people that Bush would know. Or at least know of. The people Bush wouldn't have known would be the circles that I run in, the community organizers who put together events and basic idea of policy, the low level press and political hacks who feed at whatever comes down. Jack Abramoff was not one of those in 2000-2001. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlaSoxxJim Posted January 8, 2006 Share Posted January 8, 2006 I agree that it's of little consequence whether they knew each other. But for me the point is, again, the administration getting caught in a deceit. For Scotty Mac to be given marching orders to tell the press 'He doesn’t know him. He doesn’t know him . . . He never met him except maybe at a party . . . ' just shows how little they care about looking stupid. How can there not be a searchable record of all the scheduled meetings the president has? No, I don't expect he's going to remember them all, but I assume there is a way staffers can turn up a record of the meeting by typing Abramoff's name into a White House database or something. As for the meeting itself, I'm sure it was inoccuous as far as the president's side of things. So why not arm Scotty with the correct information so he can say, 'The President has met with thousands of individuals on official presidential business. ThePresident has met with Mr. Abrammoff and a client on at least one occassion as far as we can tell, on this date, and that's the extent of their relationship beyond Mr. Abrammoff's membership in the Bush Pioneers.' At least then he'snot going to be blindsided when a reporter takes five minutes to check the claim that the two dodn't know each other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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