Des Moines Register NOT reporting Iowa Sen. Harkin ethics investigation... e-mail the paper!!

IowaPresidentialWatch.com ^ | 12/16/2005 | IPWGOP

[IPWGOP]

Justice Department investigating Harkin
Why isn’t the Des Moines Register reporting it?

Editorial by: Roger Wm. Hughes

On Dec. 2, the Associated Press reported that Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) was under investigation for corruption connected to the Jack Abramoff scandal. However, The Des Moines Register has not printed a word about it.

The Register failed to report for more than two weeks about the fact that Harkin finally admitted to breaking ethics laws by not reimbursing Jack Abramoff for the use of his skybox at the Washington D.C. MCI Center. As it turned out, a client of Abramoff's -- the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians -- was paying for the skybox, so Harkin reimbursed the tribe $1,800 for the 2002 event and $1,900 for the 2003 event.

Now once again, the Register is covering for Harkin. This time the allegations are even more serious and the Register is not letting Iowans know.

The Associated Press reported that Michael D. Smith, a member of Jack Abramoff's tribal lobbying team at the Greenberg Traurig law firm, drafted letters that Harkin sent to the Interior Department and National Indian Gaming Commission between June and November 2003. During that very time, Harkin raked in $17,000 from Smith and other Abramoff-related sources. The Sac & Fox gave $4,000 more to Harkin in 2004 -- about six months after the federal government allowed the tribe's casino to reopen.

It is clear that Harkin was involved in the controversial takeover of the Mesquaki Casino on the side of Abramoff. It is also clear that he reaped considerable donations for his actions in the matter. He also broke ethics rules by not reimbursing Abramoff for the use of his skybox.

What is not clear is why the Register is covering this up.

Americans need to send an e-mail to the Register’s Managing Editor Rick Tapscott at: rtapscott@dmreg.com and ask why is the Register covering up the Justice Department’s corruption investigation of Sen. Tom Harkin.

I hope that many Americans and Iowans take up the call to ask for old media to do its job.

Roger Hughes is chairman of the IowaPresidentialWatch PAC
e-mail: sixstrategies@wmtel.net

 

[IPWGOP]

I am the webmaster and political cartoonist for www.iowapresidentialwatch.com We are appalled at the Des Moines Register NOT reporting on Iowa Senator Tom Harkin's ethics violation investigation. Please email the Register's Managing Editor Rick Tapscott at: rtapscott@dmreg.com and ask why is the Register covering up the Justice Department’s corruption investigation of Sen. Tom Harkin.

[Unicorn]

BTTT

[IronJack]

The Des Moines Dregsister. Pravda's Midwest office.

Once again, the commie press is guilty of sins of omission.

[z3n]

silence is propaganda too.

[bkepley]

I tried but it bounced.

[Sybeck1]

I visited Iowa this past year. My wife's uncle is head pastor of Grace Church in Altoona. Beautiful area. I hope the truth gets out.

[IPWGOP]

It bounced? As in, your email was returned?

[bkepley]

yes...couldnt deliver

[CaptRon]

Nothing would give me more pleasure than seeing Harkind doing the perp walk, hunched over with his raincoat over his head.

[IPWGOP]

Okay, thanks for letting me know. I just sent one. Let's see if it bounces back to me, too.

[cgbg]

I sent a couple of emails... :-)

[IPWGOP]

Nothing would give me more pleasure than seeing Harkind doing the perp walk, hunched over with his raincoat over his head...

Oh, me too!!!!

[bkepley]

Tried again. Maybe we just overwhelmed his server or something.

[Polyxene]

"Nothing would give me more pleasure than seeing Harkind doing the perp walk, hunched over with his raincoat over his head."

I would love to see Harkin, the Clintons, Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton and a lot of our other so-called "legislators" do the perp walk, frog march, or whatever in orange jumpsuits and shackles!

[IPWGOP]

Grrr, mine came back too. I'm trying the Vice President/Editor who is Carolyn Washburn: cwashbur@dmreg.com

[CROSSHIGHWAYMAN]

Without a doubt, there are fewer simpletons in the Senate than Tom Harkin.

The man is an imbecile!!

[desherwood7]

The reason they're not investigating this because they're objective! LOL

[IPWGOP]

the email address in the article doesn't work. Please use this one:

cwashbur@dmreg.com

[Dems_R_Losers]

Unbelievable - earlier this week the Washington Post ran a full page story on the Abramoff network and listed "all" the pols they or their clients had given money to. I am sure that Harkin was not mentioned anywhere.

[Conservativegreatgrandma]

Nothing would give me more pleasure than seeing Harkind doing the perp walk, hunched over with his raincoat over his head.

I hope you're not holding out hope. RATS are above the law, you know. NOTHING will come of this.