In a bombshell diary Friday night, Dengre exposed McCain's machinations in his rise to be the presumptive nominee of the Republican party. By using his Chairmanship on Senate Indian Affairs Committee to gather evidence on the Abramoff/Norquist/Reed axis infiltration of the Republican Congress and White House, McCain had amassed the ability to expose the deepest wrongdoings of the Republican Administration and the Republican Congress.
But McCain chose to drip out only 3% of the 750,000 Abramoff-related documents delivered to the Committee - enough to send a scare up and down Pennsylvania Ave. - but not enough to damage Republican electoral opportunities. The remaining documents are still sequestered, and have avoided the scope of Congressional investigation.
And did McCain know he was obstructing the rest of the Republican corruption story by withholding those other 720,000 Abramoff-related documents? Did he willingly withhold release of this evidence? Was it his intent to protect his Republican colleagues?
YES, YES, and YES.
Read McCain's own words from March 2, 2005 below the fold.....
Roll Call, March 10, 2005: (emphasis added)
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has assured his colleagues that his expanding investigation into the activities of a former GOP lobbyist and a half-dozen of his tribal casino clients is not directed at revealing ethically questionable actions by Members of Congress.
At a Senate Republican luncheon last Wednesday, McCain told the gathering that his own probe, being run through the Indian Affairs Committee, is simply looking into potential "fraudulent" activities perpetrated against the tribes by Jack Abramoff and his associates.
"It’s not our responsibility in any way to involve ourselves in the ethics process [of Senators]," McCain said Wednesday, explaining the comments he made to his fellow GOP Senators. "That was not the responsibility of the Indian Affairs Committee."
Because of those stories — and several other news reports touching on Abramoff’s relationship with Members — McCain said he wanted to let Senators know that he was not trying to air any of their dirty laundry.
"There were all kinds of rumors that were flying," he said. None of the stories were sourced to the committee and McCain said he played no role in them.
His investigation, in which a new round of hearings are expected later this spring, would continue to instead center on "where Indian tribes were defrauded," and focus specifically on the $82 million that Abramoff and his public relations associate, Mike Scanlon, charged to six tribes over a three-year period, McCain said.
Another trip on the "Double Talk Express". "It’s not our responsibility in any way to involve ourselves in the ethics process [of Senators]". John McCain has managed to publicly rebut his own claims to high standards of ethics.
What is McCain's record here?
Sitting on evidence. Protecting colleagues from the bright lights of justice. And, if Dengre's reporting is accurate, trading protection for power.
Mr. McCain, America is ready and waiting to hear your side of this story.