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You are here: Home / Politics / Today’s Abramoff News

Today’s Abramoff News

by Tim F|  November 15, 20052:21 pm| 35 Comments

This post is in: Politics

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Harsh criticism of Abramoff’s eagerness to deal with brutal dictators, from the Weekly Standard. Seriously. (subscription only)

You can’t make this stuff up, alas: In 2003, according to Philip Shenon’s November 10 story in the New York Times, ex-lobbyist and onetime GOP wunderkind Jack Abramoff–who, besides being under indictment in Florida on wire fraud and conspiracy charges, is the subject of ongoing investigations by the Justice Department and the Senate Indian Affairs and Finance committees–offered to arrange a meeting between President Bush and Omar Bongo, president of the West African nation of Gabon since 1967. Abramoff’s price: $9 million.

…

Bongo didn’t accept the offer. But the letter got us thinking: What sort of man earns Jack Abramoff’s “high regard” and “admiration”?

From the State Department’s Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, Gabon edition, circa 2003:

The Government’s human rights record remained poor; although there were some improvements in a few areas, serious problems remained. The Government continued to limit citizens’ ability to change their government. Security forces reportedly beat and tortured prisoners and detainees, prison conditions remained harsh, and security forces sometimes violently dispersed demonstrations. Arbitrary arrest and detention were problems. Authorities routinely infringed on privacy rights. The Government continued to restrict freedom of the press and movement. Violence and societal discrimination against women and noncitizen Africans continued to be problems. Forced labor, child labor, and trafficking–particularly in children–remained problems.

It’s not all bad, though: According to the State Department report, “there were no political killings during the year.” Fine company Abramoff was keeping.

Abramoff is a blight. That the Weekly Standard sees the problem shows just how badly the Republican party needs to get unstuck from this gooey mess of a scandal.

***Update***

Now with links.

* Safavian won’t go down quietly

* Polunatic has a casting list of the whole sordid drama, with the odd exception of members of Congress. It’s the sort of list where if you assembled all of the people into one room, they might manage to cheat, brutalize and swindle each other to death and thereby save the courts of the world a great deal of trouble.

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Reader Interactions

35Comments

  1. 1.

    ppGaz

    November 15, 2005 at 2:30 pm

    We are not hearing about the positive things that Jack has done. Has the left completely taken over at this blog now? Sheesh, can we have some balance? Why does everything have to sound like it is copy coming from the Bash Bush Society?

  2. 2.

    Boombo

    November 15, 2005 at 2:40 pm

    I’m proud to announce that we’ve turned a corner on political killings.

  3. 3.

    yet another jeff

    November 15, 2005 at 2:42 pm

    Casinos are considered a school of hard knocks, are they not? What about all the schools of hard knocks he’s built?

  4. 4.

    Krista

    November 15, 2005 at 2:42 pm

    Government continued to limit citizens’ ability to change their government. Security forces reportedly beat and tortured prisoners and detainees, prison conditions remained harsh, and security forces sometimes violently dispersed demonstrations. Arbitrary arrest and detention were problems. Authorities routinely infringed on privacy rights.

    shit…now why does that sound so familiar???

  5. 5.

    Krista

    November 15, 2005 at 2:49 pm

    Abramoff is a blight. That the Weekly Standard sees the problem shows just how badly the Republican party needs to get unstuck from this gooey mess of a scandal.

    It also shows that they should probably not have associated with amoral reptiles like Abramoff in the first place. Judged by the company you keep, and all that rot. I wonder how many politicians are currently (and quietly) trying to disentangle themselves from similar “blights” in a pre-emptive effort to cover their asses.

  6. 6.

    Geek, Esq.

    November 15, 2005 at 2:57 pm

    Abramoff violated the 11th Commandment: Thou Shalt not get Caught.

    See also Libby, Scooter; cf. Rove, Karl.

  7. 7.

    Horshu

    November 15, 2005 at 3:40 pm

    Why is it necessary to attempt to balance discussion of a very, very large criminal investigation into a man by additionally mentioning the good things he may have done? Do I care if Abramoff adopts kids or gives to charity? Well, I wouldn’t regardless, but even if I did, it would not matter in the context of his criminal case.

  8. 8.

    John Cole

    November 15, 2005 at 3:46 pm

    Because one DougJ is not enough. Thanks PPGAZ.

    Doug J’s Army of Snarkness strikes again.

  9. 9.

    ppGaz

    November 15, 2005 at 3:59 pm

    If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em, I say.

  10. 10.

    stickler

    November 15, 2005 at 3:59 pm

    If the Weekly Standard has turned on a Bush Administration insider, it’s a sign that they recognize the threat he poses. This, coming from a neocon journal, is of course too late and the aftereffect of a stupid choice. But it’s verification of just how serious Abramoff must be to the Bush cabal.

  11. 11.

    Faux News

    November 15, 2005 at 4:02 pm

    ppGaz: I just received an email begging me to help a Mr. Lindsay or Nelson (he used both names) Chucks with $25 Million dollars belonging to ex President Charles Taylor of Liberia.

    Which brings me to your style of pertinent and timely questions:

    Why are we not hearing about the POSITIVE things Prez Taylor did for Liberia? You are correct, the LIBRUHLS have taken over the blogs. Thank God for you and Darrell.

  12. 12.

    Polunatic

    November 15, 2005 at 4:08 pm

    Thanks for the link. Consider the post a work in progress. I’m trying to find time to go through the 300 odd pages of Abramoff related e-mails and other exhibits released to the public as part of the Senate’s Oversight Hearing on Lobbying Practices at http://indian.senate.gov/ (although it looks the link to the documents is not working). Glad I downloaded and printed them!

  13. 13.

    John S.

    November 15, 2005 at 4:08 pm

    Doug J’s Army of Snarkness strikes again.

    LOL

    Perhaps DougJ is really Bruce Campbell.

  14. 14.

    Tim F.

    November 15, 2005 at 4:11 pm

    Why are we not hearing about the POSITIVE things Prez Taylor did for Liberia? You are correct, the LIBRUHLS have taken over the blogs. Thank God for you and Darrell.

    …and again.

  15. 15.

    ppGaz

    November 15, 2005 at 4:14 pm

    Why is it necessary to attempt to balance discussion

    Yee haw! I caught my first fish!

    Hot damn.

  16. 16.

    Derek Flint

    November 15, 2005 at 4:54 pm

    Why is it necessary to attempt to balance discussion

    Yee haw! I caught my first fish!

    Hot damn.

    LOL! This blog is turning into a much needed daily source of hilarity, first Dougj and now ppGaz,too funny…
    Thanks John!

  17. 17.

    pmm

    November 15, 2005 at 5:15 pm

    It would be an interesting experiment in absurdity if all commenters on balloon-juice went for the ‘satire’ approach pioneered by DougJ. In some cases, the quality of the arguments would actually improve…

  18. 18.

    DougJ

    November 15, 2005 at 5:22 pm

    This is just further evidence of the left-wing bias at the Weekly Standard. I don’t mind their steadfast opposition to the war and their cozying up to the Michael Moore crowd, but now they’re trying to criminalize bribery, wire fraud, and execution-style slayings. Have they no shame?

  19. 19.

    Steve S

    November 15, 2005 at 5:27 pm

    Why are we not hearing about the POSITIVE things Prez Taylor did for Liberia?

    Let’s find what Pat Robertson has to say about President Taylor…

    http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/07/11/national/main562915.shtml

    “How dare the president of the United States say to the duly elected president of another country, ‘You’ve got to step down,'” Robertson said Monday on “The 700 Club,” broadcast from his Christian Broadcasting Network.

    Of course the United States ought to assassinate that guy from Venezuela, right Pat?

    “So we’re undermining a Christian, Baptist president to bring in Muslim rebels to take over the country,” he said in the broadcast.

    They probably eat toads, too.

    Robertson told The Washington Post in an interview published Thursday that he has “written off in my own mind” an $8 million investment in a Liberian gold mining venture he made four years ago, under an agreement with Taylor’s government.

    Oh dear, now we get to the heart of the matter.

    A U.N.-backed tribunal indicted Taylor on June 4 for war crimes in neighboring Sierra Leone.

    Robertson told the Post that the war crimes indictment “is nonsense and should be quashed.”

    He said Taylor has “become such a lightning rod” that he should leave office, but in an orderly transition accompanied by the insertion of U.S. peacekeepers.

    “Frankly, the president’s call for Taylor to step down immediately is not wise, because if Taylor leaves immediately, the country will descend into chaos,” he told the paper.

    Thank God for moral clarity.

  20. 20.

    Krista

    November 15, 2005 at 5:59 pm

    Actually, Horshu, DougJ (and his disciples) tend to post satirical comments not to elicit a solely emotional response, but to stir debate, and to prod people to defend their viewpoints with renewed vigour. There’s a difference between what they’re doing (stirring the pot) and what you just did (looking for a fight.)

  21. 21.

    Steve S

    November 15, 2005 at 6:02 pm

    Now about them schools…

  22. 22.

    Steve S

    November 15, 2005 at 6:55 pm

    But I do still think that “fishing” for flame wars is not very productive in the grand scheme of things.

    DougJ is not fishing for a flame war. He’s basically repeating Republican talking points in a context which makes them just sound absurb and funny.

    I think humor is the most powerful weapon in politics. People don’t listen to logic, they prefer emotional arguments and humor has the best chance of persuading people to your side of an argument.

  23. 23.

    John Cole

    November 15, 2005 at 7:12 pm

    A series of comments has been deleted by request. No more mention from anyone.

    And DougJ is not just reciting GOP talking points, for goodness sakes.

  24. 24.

    Sojourner

    November 15, 2005 at 7:48 pm

    Doug J’s Army of Snarkness strikes again.

    They are true patriots. I salute them.

  25. 25.

    DougJ

    November 15, 2005 at 8:21 pm

    Thanks you John.

  26. 26.

    Jcricket

    November 15, 2005 at 9:38 pm

    A series of comments has been deleted by request. No more mention from anyone.

    Nothing to see here folks. Move along :-)

    Oh, and a 2% conviction rate for Iraqi’s we’ve jailed. More specifically, a 50% conviction rate for those that have been tried (about 650 convictions), while the remaining 13,000+ rot in jail.

    So, let’s say those stats hold. That means 7,000 potential insurgent recruits. America, fuck yeah.

  27. 27.

    DougJ

    November 15, 2005 at 10:53 pm

    I’m actually a little freaked out by the deleted comments that dare not speak their name. I probably won’t be back for a few weeks.

    But keep snark alive.

  28. 28.

    Steve S

    November 15, 2005 at 11:01 pm

    And DougJ is not just reciting GOP talking points, for goodness sakes.

    Of course not! He’s reciting them in a context that makes them sound absurd and funny. :-)

  29. 29.

    ppGaz

    November 16, 2005 at 12:13 am

    It would be an interesting experiment in absurdity if all commenters on balloon-juice went for the ‘satire’ approach pioneered by DougJ

    We were going to try to teach it to Darrell. However, it was found to be easier and cheaper to teach a gorilla to play Hamlet.

  30. 30.

    jaime

    November 16, 2005 at 1:45 am

    Ambramoff was just being generous to the tribes: A real indian giver.

  31. 31.

    Krista

    November 16, 2005 at 9:38 am

    I’m actually a little freaked out by the deleted comments that dare not speak their name. I probably won’t be back for a few weeks.

    But keep snark alive.

    O Captain, my captain!

  32. 32.

    Faux News

    November 16, 2005 at 9:52 am

    Steve S: but this Mr. Lindsay/Nelson Chucks from Nigeria personally assured me that the $25 he was holding for Prez. Taylor was untainted money and he merely needed my bank account numbers to transfer this money back to Taylor :-)

    Doug J: You have a lad with a bright future on the conservative radio/tv talk circut. I can see you on Faux News sitting next to SERIOUS big minds of the right such as Jeff Gannon as you both easily and eagerly shred the pitiful Librhuls. For a small fee perhaps Mr. Abramoff can introduce you around the DC talk circut.

Comments are closed.

Trackbacks

  1. Balloon Juice says:
    November 22, 2005 at 9:32 am

    […] You can read our ongoing Abramoff coverage at these links: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 […]

  2. Balloon Juice says:
    December 2, 2005 at 2:01 pm

    […] Read our previous coverage: You can read our ongoing Abramoff coverage here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 […]

  3. Balloon Juice says:
    December 29, 2005 at 11:11 am

    […] More Abramoff coverage here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 […]

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