Posted on 01/25/2005 12:30:14 AM PST by kattracks
WASHINGTON — A blistering letter written by former vice-presidential candidate Jack Kemp to congressional leaders, criticizing the 1998 U.S. bombing of Iraq, has raised new questions about whether he was promoting a secret agenda on behalf of Saddam Hussein's oil spy in the United States, The Post has learned.[snip]
In a statement issued by Kemp's office, Empower America, over the weekend, the former upstate GOP congressman and Buffalo Bill football star said he believed Vincent was "motivated by the national security of the United States and thought the Iraqi government believed the sanctions could never be lifted, which he said he believed was leading them to obstruct inspectors from coming into the country."
One congressional official involved in the U.N. oil-for-food investigation said, "Knowing what we know now, the question is: Where did Jack Kemp get this stuff?
"It looks like Samir Vincent did a very good lobbying job."
[snip]
Kemp denied there were any business or financial dealings with Vincent, who is Iraqi-born, saying they talked only about "policy."
Kemp's lawyer, Lanny Davis, said last week that he believes Kemp was duped by Vincent and did not know Vincent was on Saddam's payroll.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Jack, first shoot your lawyer. O.K., you've done that? Good, now... Oh, well, that was it actually.
Say it ain't so, Jack, say it ain't so.
In a statement .... Kemp's office, Empower Americaclaimed he] "believed Vincent was "motivated by the national security of the United States and thought the Iraqi government believed the sanctions could never be lifted, which he said he believed was leading them to obstruct inspectors from coming into the country."
.... "Knowing what we know now, the question is: Where did Jack Kemp get this stuff?
"It looks like Samir Vincent did a very good lobbying job."
..... Kemp's lawyer, Lanny Davis, said last week that he believes Kemp .... "did not know [He, Kemp] was [Effectively] on Saddam's payroll.
Yair.
Right.
The whiny little career-politician bastard.
Where did Kemp get that idea? Well, that line about Iraq not believing sanctions could ever be lifted comes from Maddie Albright, who told the Iraqis flat out that even if they complied with the UN demands sanctions would ever be lifted.
It's going to get real interesting....this goes deep into the halls of power.
At this point I am inclined to believe Kemp was talked to by Vincent to promote a certain point of view and had no idea about his ties to Saddam and real agenda.
Let's also keep in mind that his "blistering letter" of Dec. 18, 1998 was the original day the impeachment vote was to take place and many believed Clinton bombed in order to avoid the vote, which was held the next day instead.
I am interested but not surprised that out of the whole list of oil recipients, the one person who is getting all the press right now is a Republican who all evidence to date shows was motivated by policy and philosophy, not by a desire to aid Saddam and work against the U.S.
I don't think it is fair to assume that because someone met with Samir Vincent they therefore were aware he was really working on behalf of Saddam Hussein and also was paid via the Oil for Food scam for their positions. Is there any evidence Kemp received money for this? I do not think there is.
Is there evidence Kemp received proceeds from the Oil for Food scam...much less that he took money at all to take the positions he held?
Any bets on which side of the aisle this "congressional official" hails from?
This pushing Kemp to the forefront of a scandal in which he seems to have been at worst a useful fool (as opposed to intentionally undermining the U.S. and actually pro-actively helping Saddam Hussein, which is--let's keep in mind--what the real scandal and the long list of barrels of oil recipients is all about) is meant to obfuscate and when the dem names start getting attention, meant to be used as "they all do it".
But they don't all do it, and it would be wise to keep in mind what this investigatin and scandal are all about.
Now we know that he was - is - another greedy guy that hides in a Liberal closet wearing the mantle of a conservative. Hope his speaking tours are all cancelled.
We know he's "greedy"???
To date there has been no report that he took money (much less have we been presented with any evidence that he received money from the Oil for Food scam) for taking his (misguided) Iraq policy position.
Kemp has no brains. Pimp for oil, hire Davis as a lawyer? Best Kemp be put away in old fools home before he hurts himself.
Once again, Jack Kemp is shown to have made the kind of bone head mistake that spoiled his political career. Against that, Kemp's single great accomplishment nevertheless endures: his passionate and successful advocacy of massive, across the board tax cuts spurred Reagan's candidacy in 1980 and, when those cuts were enacted, reversed an era of American pessimism and decline.
It would have spared the Republican Party a lot of unnecessary headaches.
Long ago I cut up my Empower America card. I know them not.
I didn't realize Kemp had stood in for Quayle during the 1992 VP debate.
Bob Dole's running-mate back in '96. Very poor choice on the part of Bob Dole. Yup, Bob Dole has many regrets. Bob Dole's bad.
My date may be off - what I ment was the Gore Kemp debate. Now that happened when Kemp ran with Dole in 1996 if I put 92 that was a finger error - but Gore said what he said and KEMP took credit for being the Good Republican - even Rush has commented on this debate and Kemp's response. It PO me then and even more as I see Kemp lining his pockets with corrupt money.
I knew what you meant, of course. Actually, I remember Quayle doing quite well against Gore in 1992. Alas, it wasn't enough.
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