Loudmouth Reid & Abramhoff - Chickens Home to Roost - New England Patriots Forums

***PatsWickedPissah*** · 02-09-2006, 06:49 PM

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/02/09/D8FLR3380.html

Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid wrote at least four letters helpful to Indian tribes represented by Jack Abramoff, and the senator's staff regularly had contact with the disgraced lobbyist's team about legislation affecting other clients.

The activities _ detailed in billing records and correspondence obtained by The Associated Press _ are far more extensive than previously disclosed. They occurred over three years as Reid collected nearly $68,000 in donations from Abramoff's firm, lobbying partners and clients.

Reid also intervened on government matters at least five times in ways helpful to Abramoff's tribal clients, once opposing legislation on the Senate floor and four times sending letters pressing the Bush administration on tribal issues. Reid collected donations around the time of each action.

Ethics rules require senators to avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest in collecting contributions around the times they take official acts benefiting donors.

Abramoff's firm also hired one of Reid's top legislative aides as a lobbyist. The aide later helped throw a fundraiser for Reid at Abramoff's firm that raised donations from several of his lobbying partners.

And Reid's longtime chief of staff accepted a free trip to Malaysia arranged by a consulting firm connected to Abramoff that recently has gained attention in the influence-peddling investigation that has gripped the Capitol.

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It's clear that 'Mr Republicans = Corruption' is just as guilty of 'association' with the infamous lobbyist as those he accuses. I'm not surprised.

***Patters*** · 02-09-2006, 07:27 PM

What's the correlation between donations from Abramoff and Reid helping Indian tribes? Reid did not get donations from Abramoff. Does Reid have a track record on these issues that predate Abramoff? Yes, Reid is from Nevada. Did Reid help Indians on various issues, yes, but is he associated with any of the Abramoff crimes (Defrauding Indian tribes, tax evasion, conspiracy to bribe Congressman Bob Ney, bank fraud in the purchase of the SunCruz casino deal). No. It's the Republicans who may have been bribed. There's no evidence that Reid's been bribed, though the Republicans are trying to make tenuous connections appear like the real thing.

***PatsWickedPissah*** · 02-09-2006, 07:31 PM

Nice spin! You have a future at the DNC!

***Patters*** · 02-09-2006, 09:17 PM

Pissah, Abramoff's lobbying partners to my knowledge have not been accused or plead guilty to any crimes. If your point is that Democrats are unethical, too, who's to argue -- I oppose the power of lobbyists as much as anyone. But, if your point is that Democrats are criminal, you have a way to go. Clearly, your experience as a political strategist turned you into a hack, or maybe you were one even before you started.

All_Around_Brown · 02-09-2006, 09:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Patters

What's the correlation between donations from Abramoff and Reid helping Indian tribes? Reid did not get donations from Abramoff. Does Reid have a track record on these issues that predate Abramoff? Yes, Reid is from Nevada. Did Reid help Indians on various issues, yes, but is he associated with any of the Abramoff crimes (Defrauding Indian tribes, tax evasion, conspiracy to bribe Congressman Bob Ney, bank fraud in the purchase of the SunCruz casino deal). No. It's the Republicans who may have been bribed. There's no evidence that Reid's been bribed, though the Republicans are trying to make tenuous connections appear like the real thing.

Patters, you are right. The GOP knows they are in deep on the Abramoff scandal. They cannot defend themselves in any other way than to obfuscate the issue by suggesting that Abramoff gave to Dems. Truth is Indian Tribes have given to dems, as you say. Abramoff and Ralph Reed played games with Indian tribes. They will be shown to be wrong again. The real spin is coming from FOX and it spreads to other junk news outlets.

Next thing you know, they'll be saying that K-street was a construct of the dems.

***PatsWickedPissah*** · 02-09-2006, 09:36 PM

Gotta luv the blatant partisan hypocracy. No surprise here.

All_Around_Brown · 02-09-2006, 09:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PatsWickedPissah

Gotta luv the blatant partisan hypocracy. No surprise here.

You know. You might be right. But there is a strange thing happening here.

In the article you posted it implicates Reid in taking money from Abramoffs clients. It also states:

Quote:

While Abramoff never directly donated to Reid, the lobbyist did instruct one tribe, the Coushattas, to send $5,000 to Reid's tax- exempt political group, the Searchlight Leadership Fund, in 2002. About the same time, Reid sent a letter to the Interior Department helpful to the tribe, records show.

There would have to be intent shown for this to be bribery however. Reid would have had to change a pattern of voting, no? My guess is that more Dems vote in general in siding with issues of concern to Indian tribes than Republicans do. I only say this because of the gambling issue and the fact that the "moral highgrounders" tend to vote against gambling.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out. My bet is on the Dems on this one. Why? Because Abramoff is calling Bush a liar.

http://today.reuters.com/news/newsar...OFF.xml&rpc=22