Let me get this straight, Bush admits to taking money from someone who pled guilty to fraud in an ongoing corruption investigation that hopes to swallow the Republican party whole - and there's no diary on this yet?
Here's your link - right on the front page of Yahoo!. Hello? Hello? Bueller?
[UPDATE 1: Quoted more of original article. WH Scott McClellan may already have started the ball rolling on pooh-poohing the Bush/Abramoff links by saying they "didn't know each other". Perjury?]
Here's the lead:
WASHINGTON -
President Bush's re-election campaign is giving up $6,000 in campaign contributions connected to lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who faced more guilty pleas as part of a broad-ranging political corruption investigation.
...
Abramoff raised at least $100,000 for the Bush-Cheney '04 re-election campaign, earning the honorary title "pioneer" from the campaign. But the campaign is returning only $6,000 directly from Abramoff, his wife and one of the Indian tribes that he worked to win influence for in Washington.
Abramoff, his wife and the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan each donated $2,000 to the Bush campaign, said
Republican National Committee spokeswoman Tracey Schmitt.
"As it stands, this is what we are returning," Schmitt said.
White House press secretary Scott McClellan said Wednesday that Bush does not know Abramoff personally, although it's possible that the two met at holiday receptions. Abramoff attended three Hanukkah receptions at the Bush White House, the spokesman said.
OK, here's your homework based on this little tidbit. We all know Abramoff's tentacles reach deep in the Republican party, Tom DeLay, and Congress. The key here is: This has got to reach back to when he was governor of Texas as well.
Bush, culture of corruption, Republicans - go! The key here is to tie Bush to a long long history of corruption and influence-peddling, not just $6,000 that he just returned yesterday. We ALL KNOW IT'S THERE. We just need to google it.
Get going!
UPDATE: Gee, it took me all of 5 minutes during my busy workday to prove Scott McClellan wrong. Thank you, Howard Dean!
Jack Abramoff Has Close Ties to the Bush White House
Abramoff Is A DC Insider And Has Strong Pull With The Bush White House. Those close to Abramoff boast that he is a phone call away from the President. "Jack has a relationship with the President," Abramoff's spokesman and fellow lobbyist Michael Scanlon said. "He doesn't have a bat phone or anything, but if he wanted an appointment, he would have one." [New Times Broward-Palm Beach, 2/22/01]
Abramoff Arranged A White House Meeting With Bush And Administration Officials For Native Americans Leaders.
In the summer of 2001, Abramoff arranged a meeting between Bush and top Native American leaders to discuss tax issues. Among the attendees was one of Abramoff's top clients, Lovelin Poncho, chairman of the Coushattas. Abramoff also invited the Coushattas and other tribal clients to a fall 2001 dinner party attended by Interior Secretary Gale Norton. [National Journal, 4/20/02]
Abramoff Arranged White House Meeting in Exchange for Donation to Grover Norquist's Americans for Tax Reform.
A lawyer for the Saginaw Chippewa Indian tribe in Michigan revealed that tribal leaders had "three or four" meetings at the White House-including one with Bush and another with Rove-after they gave a $25,000 donation to Grover Norquist's Americans for Tax Reform at Jack Abramoff's request. ATR later confirmed that Norquist arranged White House meetings for Indian tribal leaders and others who were "supportive of the president's agenda." [Newsweek, 5/2/05]
Jack Abramoff Advised Department of Interior Transition.
Abramoff advised the Interior Department during the Bush transition. [Wall Street Journal, 3/19/01]
Abramoff's Former Assistant Became Rove's Gatekeeper.
In 2001 Abramoff's personal assistant, Susan Ralston, took a similar job under Karl Rove in the White House. This move essentially made Ralston "Rove's gatekeeper." [New York Times, 5/1/05]