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How to Really Say Thank You
It's apparent that Jack Abramoff's crew was really thankful for the help of key Justice Department officials in helping out their client, the Mississippi Choctaw. One of those officials, Robert Coughlin, has pleaded guilty. Others are apparently under investigation.
But when it comes to brainstorming among the lobbyists on just how they ought to show their appreciation, I think this takes the cake:
Kevin Ring was exuberant. It was Feb. 4, 2002, and Ring, a young member of Jack Abramoff's lobbying team at Greenberg Traurig, was laying plans to attend a Dave Matthews Band concert at the MCI Center. It was to be a celebration."I have the suite filling up with DOJ staffers that just got our clients $16 million," he gushed in an e-mail to his colleague, Padgett Wilson. "Come to the show, baby."
"Are there any tickets left?" asked Wilson, now director of governmental affairs for Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue. He then submitted: "And as for those DOJ staffers, those guys should get anything they want for the rest of the time they are in office -- opening day tickets, Skins v. Giants, oriental massages, hookers, whatever."
Josh
Zachary
What the hell else is there to say about these cretins? As for justice, forget it.
May 1, 2008 11:00 AM | Reply | Permalink
Nothing says cronyism quite like a little DMB and some hookers!
Louisiana Bay-OOOOOh!
May 1, 2008 11:31 AM | Reply | Permalink
your tax dollars, hard at work.
May 1, 2008 11:52 AM | Reply | Permalink
Ouch! That's gotta be embarrassing for Dave Matthews.
May 1, 2008 12:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Did John McCain's Indian Affairs Committee sit on this e-mail?
(I don't recall that one ever being released).
Hookers - my that would be mighty embarrassing!
May 1, 2008 12:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hmm, change a few names, convert the dialog into Latin, and we've got the Roman Empire on the Potomac, under Caligula Bush.
All that remains is to identify the Horse's Ass Senator. Do I hear the name McCain?
May 1, 2008 3:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
I made a feeble attempt to post about the Matthews Band connection at DailyKos.
The only thing I can add to the post is that ex-Tom DeLay aide Tim Berry went on to work as a lobbyist for Time Warner.
It was assumed at the time that the move served two purposes. T-W wanted more friends in Congress, and, that Berry, with the parent company, could somehow put pressure on CNN News to dampen the coverage on the illegal exploits of his former boss.
Part of my post tried to connect DeLay to Mitch Wade's doings in Charlottesville. I'm allowed.
I don't work for CNN & I'm not briefed by the Pentagon.
May 1, 2008 4:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
We are hearing down our way (Austin Texas ) that more will be forthcoming about corrupt DOJ officials , ex Delay staffers, and former Traubig employees being indicted for mail fraud, perjury & official malfeasence relating to MZM , Texans for a Republican Majority , & the Texas Association of Business . Apparently in some type of more current plea bargain former DeLay aide Scanlon has ratted out several staff insiders for false testimony given by those not yet convicted,
Any former Hill Staffers for DeLay -especially those that went to work for the DOJ or Abramoff are being advised to come in and amend their testimony to the newest Travis County Grand jURY ..
Its being whispered down here in Centex that some more email has surfaced that makes the Ring missive look mild ....
(Paging disgraced ex Congressman DeLay
May 1, 2008 6:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
I ♥ Ronnie Earle! Thanks, Al.
May 1, 2008 8:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
Just going through some old notes and found that Steven Berry was the guy involved with the 1992 snooping into Bill Clinton's passport records.
He went on to become a lobbyist for the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet folks.
Sort of fits right in there with Tim Berry at Time Warner.
Steven was just hired by Merrill Lynch when the 2008 passport snooping scandel broke.
And, glad to hear the good news from Texas.
May 2, 2008 6:03 AM | Reply | Permalink
Mrs Penstreppon ,
FYI Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle has retired -his number two Ms Lemberg most likely will be replacing him - as she has won the Democratic Primary here . The usual suspects have been very quietly talking about this new grand jury etc - it certainly sounds credible about Scanlon ratting "them" out some more . And its long been held that many many more e-mails might surface as the Texas Association of Business, Texans for a Republican Majority , & even staffers for Congressman Tom Delay were quite open -some say even boastful about the gerrymandering that they were undertaking & funding with Abramoff dirty money -such as the Tigua Indian lobbying -when they were also doing the very same with the Alabama Coushatta tribe.
Anyway there is supposed to be quite a "digital forensic footprint " regarding the coordination of the gerrymandering. I can tell you I know one lifetime member of the Tx Association of Business that resigned from that organization because it became a "wholly owned subsidary of the TX GOP "
But if even half of whats being whispered is true ( the new grand jury story has not been confirmed or denied which is pretty standard down here) -its going to be one great big sh--t storm down here for all these local Republicthugs .."so stay tuned sports fans "
And as a side bar has anybody hard from testing lately ?
May 2, 2008 5:56 PM | Reply | Permalink