RNC Response to DNC Chairman Howard Dean's False Assertion on the 'Today Show'

U.S. Newswire on Yahoo ^ | 1/26/06 | Republican National Committee

[NormsRevenge]

WASHINGTON, Jan. 26 /U.S. Newswire/ -- "Howard Dean can engage in all the Clintonian word games he wants, but the bottom line is Democrats have been on the receiving end of Abramoff affiliated money," said Tracey Schmitt, Republican National Committee press secretary.

"Efforts by Abramoff Democrats to indicate otherwise only reminds Americans that their minority party is overtly hypocritical and will stop at nothing to score cheap political points. Our country expects its leaders to speak the truth, rather than engage in a partisan blame game when it behooves them politically."

The DNC's Jack Abramoff Affiliated Money:

DNC Has Received $177,273 In Abramoff Affiliated Money. (Political Money Line Website, http://www.tray.com, Accessed 1/4/06)

-- DNC Has Received $112,073 From Abramoff Affiliated Lobbying Firms. (Political Money Line Website, http://www.tray.com, Accessed 1/4/06)

-- DNC Has Received $65,200 From Abramoff Affiliated Indian Tribes. (Political Money Line Website, http://www.tray.com, Accessed 1/4/06)

GREENBERG TRAURIG: DNC -- $21,250, 2002

GREENBERG TRAURIG: DNC -- $76,323, 2004

PRESTON GATES: DNC -- $14,500, 2000

AGUA CALIENTE BAND OF CAHUILLA INDIANS: DNC -- $10,000, 2000

AGUA CALIENTE BAND OF CAHUILLA INDIANS: DNC -- $15,000, 2002

AGUA CALIENTE BAND OF CAHUILLA INDIANS: DNC -- $25,000, 2004

CHEROKEE NATION ENTERPRISES: DNC -- $200, 2000

MISSISSIPPI BAND OF CHOCTAW INDIANS: DNC -- $15,000, 2004

NOTE: The Abramoff-Associated Indian Tribes are the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, Chitimacha Tribe of Louisiana, Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan and the Tigua Indian Reservation from 1997 to 2004.

What Is An "Abramoff Democrat"?:

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV): "Law-Enforcement Authorities And Others Said The (Abramoff) Investigation's Opening Phase Is Scrutinizing ... Minority Leader Harry Reid, Nevada Democrat ..." (Jerry Seper and Audrey Hudson, "Abramoff- Linked Probe Focuses On 5 Lawmakers," The Washington Times, 1/11/06)

-- "(A)bramoff Did Hire As One Of His Lobbyists Edward P. Ayoob, A Veteran Reid Legislative Aide. Manley Acknowledged That Ayoob Helped Raise Campaign Money For His Former Boss. Lawyers Close To The Abramoff Operation Said That Ayoob Held A Fundraising Reception For Reid At Greenberg Traurig's Offices Here." (Jeffrey H. Birnbaum and Derek Willis, "Democrats Also Got Tribal Donations," The Washington Post, 6/3/05)

Sen. Byron Dorgan (news, bio, voting record) (D-ND): "Law-Enforcement Authorities And Others Said The (Abramoff) Investigation's Opening Phase Is Scrutinizing ... Byron L. Dorgan, North Dakota Democrat ..." (Jerry Seper and Audrey Hudson, "Abramoff-Linked Probe Focuses On 5 Lawmakers," The Washington Times, 1/11/06)

-- "Republicans Weren't The Only Guests In The Skybox: Senator Byron L. Dorgan (D-N.D.), Now The Top Democrat On The Indian Affairs Panel, Held A Fund-Raiser In The Abramoff-Controlled MCI Center Skybox In 2001." (Eamon Javers and Lee Walczak, "'Fear And Loathing' Among The GOP," BusinessWeek Online, 4/25/05)

-- "Dorgan Met With The Tribe's Representatives And Collected At Least $11,500 In Political Donations From Abramoff Partner Michael D. Smith, Who Was Representing The Mashpee, Around The Time He Helped Craft The Legislation, According To Interviews And Documents Obtained By The Associated Press." (John Solomon and Sharon Theimer, "Abramoff Investigator Used Lobbyist's Skybox, Helped Client," The Associated Press, 12/1/05)

Sen. Tom Harkin (news, bio, voting record) (D-IA): "(T)wice Used Abramoff's Skybox For Fundraisers - Once In 2002 And Again In 2003 - Without Reimbursing. He Also Collected $17,000 From Smith And Other Abramoff-Related Sources In 2003. 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." (Sharon Theimer, "Lobbyist Helped Sen. Write Tribal Pleas," The Associated Press, 12/3/05)

Reps. James Clyburn (D-SC) And Bennie Thompson (D-MS): "The Records State (Jack Abramoff's Firm) Preston Gates Paid Hotel And Airfare For (Rep. Bennie) Thompson (D-MS) And (Rep. James) Clyburn (D-SC) For Travel To The Island In January 1997. The Two Lawmakers Filed Reports To Congress Saying A Private, Nonprofit Group, Not Abramoff's Firm, Paid The Travel." (Larry Margasak and Sharon Theimer, "AP: Lobbyist Paid For Lawmakers Travel," The Associated Press, 5/3/05)

Sen. Blanche Lincoln (news, bio, voting record) (D-AR): "Two Members Of Abramoff's Lobbying Team - Ron Platt And Eddie Ayoob (Former Reid Staffer) - Presented The $2,000 (Check From The Mississippi Choctaw's) To Lincoln At A June 2004 Fundraising Luncheon In Washington ..." (Paul Barton, "Convicted Lobbyist Donated To Campaigns Of 2 Arkansans," Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 1/5/06)

Sen. Debbie Stabenow (news, bio, voting record) (D-MI): "Stabenow Got $2,000 From The Saginaw (Tribe In Michigan) In March 2002, Around The Time (Sen. Conrad) Burns' Sent His First Letter Requested By The Michigan Lawmakers. She Later Thanked Burns In A Senate Speech For His Help. She Received $2,000 More From The Saginaw About Six Months After Her 2003 Letter." (Sharon Theimer, "Lawmakers Helped Abramoff Tribes Get Federal Money, Collected Donations," The Associated Press, 11/25/05)

[NormsRevenge]

DNC Chairman Howard Dean on NBC Today Show ^
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1565443/posts

[TexasCajun]

Big Media refuses to set the record straight.

[samadams2000]

Hey guys...Im starting to think these Demoncats will LIE to get back into power...??

[WillT]

To the Democrats the disqualifier is the word "affliated." Abramoff "Affiliated" money as opposed to direct donations from Abramoff himself. That's the spin from the Dems.

[Cicero]

All very well.

But the DNC gets to make its point on the Today Show and on the front pages of the New York Times and the Washington Post.

In response, the RNC gets to send out a press release that the media will ignore.

[Fresh Wind]

Technically, Dean did not lie, as he claimed the Donks did not take "one dime" from Abramoff. They took a helluva lot of dimes from Abramoff.

[Christian4Bush]

Hey guys...Im starting to think these Demoncats will LIE to get back into power...??

Starting? /double sarcasm

[DCPatriot]

I thought Katie Couric was very tough interviewing Dean this morning.

[Flavius Josephus]

as he claimed the Donks did not take "one dime" from Abramoff.

That's a little scary as, IIRC, Reid said the same thing "not one dime" during the interview with Chris Wallace.

[andy58-in-nh]

I am impressed that the Republicans are actually fighting back these days, and appear to have learned a little political jujitsu - e.g. - "Abramoff Democrats". Nice touch from a historically ham-handed and tongue-tied party leadership.

[Cracker Jack]

Yes, the democrats get their point of view printed in the newspaper as "news". Republicans must purchase advertising to get their point of view printed.

That is why it is important for us to donate to Republican causes. $50 at a time adds up if enough of us do it. Republicans get way more of their funds from small donors than do democrats.

[Christian4Bush]

I will vouch for Mr. Dean in only one respect: he was right, the Democrats did not "receive one dime". However, as I am a Republican with a job, I do not have the time to calculate how many "dimes" the Democrats received. I just know that it was "not 'one' dime". /sarcasm

(Or would that be a "Clintonian word game"?)

Well, I have a job that lets me have time to post, so let's see. There are ten dimes to a dollar, one hundred dimes to ten dollars, and all of the people on the above list (and the others that aren't shown) received much more than 100 dimes.

Sorry, Dean (well, not really 'sorry') you got eaten by one of your own this morning. Sweet dreams.

[Peach]

Not to defend Howard Dean (shudder), but I think he meant to say that no money was given directly from Abramoff to a Democrat. All money given to Democrats came from PACs.

[mumps]

the bottom line is Democrats have been on the receiving end of Abramoff affiliated money

I'm sorry, but they're just taking the wrong approach to this. This is just like Bush's substitution of "WMD-related program activities" in his SOTU address when it became clear that he couldn't say WMD with a straight face anymore.

Let's face it, "affiliated" is pretty weasly wordage. If they've got the goods -- the real hard goods -- on some Democrats, then they should use it. But resorting to weasel words only weakens whatever case they may have.

[God luvs America]

bump for later usage against the rats

[ravingnutter]

Found a great website while searching this morning to use as reference material...

NoAgenda.org

They have a fascinating collection of articles about Dem corruption and hypocrisy.

[NormsRevenge]

Thanks for the link!

Screw Abramoff. The cows at the Lompoc dairy will keep him occupied soon enough.

Let's go get McDermott and Reid instead.

Can't wait for the Ethics Committee to gavel into session... and none too soon. ;-)

[Fedora]

Thanks! Looks like an interesting site.

[Cicero]

As far as I know, Abramoff didn't give the money directly to Republicans, either. He was the go-between who specified who got what, and the money went to Democrats and Republicans alike straight from the Indians.

I think a woman on TV news whose name I forget got in terrible trouble with the left a day or two ago for saying that. It's a big secret!