CHAIRMAN HOWARD DEAN, MEET YOUR ABRAMOFF DEMOCRATS

RNC Research ^ | January 30, 2006 | RNC Research Briefing

[CyberAnt]

Democrats Do Have A "Big" Abramoff Problem

"Chairman Dean set a new standard for Abramoff Democrats today and it's clear that Sen. Reid did not make the cut. Dean specifically stated it was 'a big problem' if any Democrats wrote letters on behalf of Abramoff Indian tribes, which is exactly what Harry Reid and other Democrats did. Howard Dean has displayed a stunning level of hypocrisy on this issue, however it now appears that he may be interested in holding his fellow Democrats accountable."

- RNC Communications Director Brian Jones

DNC Chair Dean: If Any Dems Wrote Letters On Behalf Of Indian Tribes Jack Abramoff Represented "That's A Big Problem":

Fox News' Chris Wallace: "[I]f We Find That There Were Some Democrats Who Wrote Letters On Behalf Of Some Of The Indian Tribes That Abramoff Represented, Then What Do You Say, Sir?" (Fox News' "Fox News Sunday," 1/29/06)

DNC Chair Howard Dean: "That's A Big Problem, And Those Democrats Are In Trouble, And They Should Be In Trouble, And Our Party, If The American People Will Put Us Back In Power In '06, We Will Have On The President's Desk Things That Outlaw All Those Kinds Of Behaviors." (Fox News' "Fox News Sunday," 1/29/06)

FACT: Democrat Leaders Did Write Letters On Behalf Of Indian Tribes Jack Abramoff Represented:

Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV): "Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid Of Nevada Sent A Letter To [Interior Secretary Gale] Norton On March 5, 2002 ... The Next Day, The Coushattas [An Indian Tribe Represented By Abramoff] Issued A $5,000 Check To Reid's Tax-Exempt Political Group, The Searchlight Leadership Fund." (John Solomon, "Lawmakers Pressured Interior While Getting Large Donations," The Associated Press, 11/18/05)

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA): "Harkin Wrote At Least Three Letters In 2003 Pressing The Government To Release Federal Money To Help The Sac & Fox Tribe In His State Cope With The Temporary Closing Of Its Casino Due To A Tribal Dispute, According To Interior Department Documents Obtained By The Associated Press And Records Provided By Harkin's Office." (Sharon Theimer, "Lobbyist Helped Sen. Write Tribal Pleas," The Associated Press, 12/3/05)

"[Team Abramoff Lobbyist Michael D.] Smith Met With The Senator And Also Offered Suggestions For The Letters, Harkin Spokeswoman Allison Dobson Said. 'Absolutely, He Did Contribute To Those Letters,' Dobson Said, Adding That She Wasn't Sure What Smith's Suggestions Were." (Sharon Theimer, "Lobbyist Helped Sen. Write Tribal Pleas," The Associated Press, 12/3/05)

"The Letters To The Interior Department And National Indian Gaming Commission Between June And November 2003 Came As Harkin's Campaign And Political Action Committee Harvested Donations From Smith And Greenberg Traurig Tribal Clients." (Sharon Theimer, "Lobbyist Helped Sen. Write Tribal Pleas," The Associated Press, 12/3/05)

"Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., Who Was Engaged In A Tight Re-Election Race In 2002, Sent Her Letter March 6, 2002. That Same Day, The Coushattas Sent $2,000 To Her Campaign And She Received $5,000 More By The End Of That Month. By Year's End, The Total Had Grown To At Least $24,000." (John Solomon, "Lawmakers Pressured Interior While Getting Large Donations," The Associated Press, 11/18/05)

Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI): "[There Were] Half-Dozen Letters Written Or Signed By 14 Lawmakers On Behalf Of The Tribes. One Was Written Jan. 23, 2003 By [Democrat Sen.] ... Debbie Stabenow ... On The Saginaw's Behalf." (Sharon Theimer, "Lawmakers Helped Abramoff Tribes Get Federal Money, Collected Donations," The Associated Press, 11/25/05)

"Stabenow Got $2,000 From The Saginaw In March 2002, Around The Time [Sen. Conrad Burns (R-MT)] 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)

Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI): "[There Were] Half-Dozen Letters Written Or Signed By 14 Lawmakers On Behalf Of The Tribes. One Was Written Jan. 23, 2003 By [Democrat Sen.] Carl Levin ... On The Saginaw's Behalf." (Sharon Theimer, "Lawmakers Helped Abramoff Tribes Get Federal Money, Collected Donations," The Associated Press, 11/25/05)

DNC Chair Dean Falsely Claims No Democrats Have Been Accused Of Delivering Anything For Jack Abramoff:

DNC Chair Howard Dean: "[B]ut The Point Is That Not One Democrat Either Knew It Or Acted On It. Nobody Got Anything Out Of The Democrats From Jack Abramoff. No Democrat Delivered Anything And There's No Accusation And No Investigation That Any Democrat Ever Delivered Anything To Jack Abramoff, And That's Not True Of The Republicans." (Fox News' "Fox News Sunday," 1/29/06)

FACT: Dems Have Been Repeatedly Implicated In The Abramoff Investigation:

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

"Democrats Have Taken A Special Interest In [Team Abramoff Lobbyist And Former Reid Staffer Eddie] Ayoob's Clients. Of The Eight Tribes Ayoob Represented When He Was With Greenberg Traurig, Reid Acted In Behalf Of Or Moved Legislation Benefiting Six." (Rebecca Adams, "The Game's The Thing: Reid Has Been A Ready Ally To Abramoff-Linked Interests," Congressional Quarterly Weekly, 1/16/06)

Larry Noble, Executive Director And General Counsel For The Non-Partisan Center For Responsive Politics: "I Would Say, Broadly Defined As A Question Of The Tribes' Buying Influence In Washington, It Includes Democrats." (Donald Lambro, "Dean Denies Party Ties To Abramoff," The Washington Times, 1/11/06)

CNN's Ed Henry: "I Want To Underline Again, There Are Democrats Implicated In [The Abramoff Scandal] As Well. So [Democrats'] Argument About A Culture Of Corruption May Not Resonate With People Across The Country." (CNN's "CNN Live Today," 1/3/06)

Henry: "[D]emocrats Like Byron Dorgan Of North Dakota ... [Are] Returning The [Campaign] Money Because They've Been Implicated At Least Generally In This Investigation ..." (CNN's "CNN Live Today," 1/3/06)

DNC Chair Dean Falsely Claims Dems "Pretty Clean" On Abramoff Affiliated Money:

Fox News' Chris Wallace: "[I]t Is Certainly True That Republicans Got Twice As Much Money From Abramoff-Related Contributions Than Democrats Did, But Democrats Aren't Clean In This Area Either, Are They?" (Fox News' "Fox News Sunday," 1/29/06)< /P>

DNC Chair Howard Dean: "Yeah, They Are Pretty Clean, Chris. And I'll Tell You Why." (Fox News' "Fox News Sunday," 1/29/06)

FACT: Democrat Campaign Committees Received Over $1.2 Million In Abramoff Affiliated Contributions:

"[A]bramoff Was Careful To Add At Least Two Democratic Lobbyists To His Group During His Five Years At Greenberg Traurig. By The End, Seven Of His Lobbyists Were Democrats." (Jeffrey H. Birnbaum and Derek Willis, "Democrats Also Got Tribal Donations," The Washington Post, 6/3/05)

"According To Documents And Tribal Officials Familiar With The Abramoff Team's Methods, The Lobbyists Devised Lengthy Lists Of Lawmakers To Whom The Tribes Should Donate And Then Delivered The Lists To The Tribes. The Tribes, In Turn, Wrote Checks To The Recommended Campaign Committees And In The Amounts The Lobbyists Prescribed." (Jeffrey H. Birnbaum and Derek Willis, "Democrats Also Got Tribal Donations," The Washington Post, 6/3/05)

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

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

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

DCCC Has Received $629,246 In Abramoff Affiliated Money. (Political Money Line Website, www.tray.com, Accessed 1/4/06)

DCCC Has Received $103,746 From Abramoff Affiliated Lobbying Firms. (Political Money Line Website, www.tray.com, Accessed 1/4/06)

DCCC Has Received $525,500 From Abramoff Affiliated Indian Tribes. (Political Money Line Website, www.tray.com, Accessed 1/4/06)

DSCC Has Received $434,123 In Abramoff Affiliated Money. (Political Money Line Website, www.tray.com, Accessed 1/4/06)

DSCC Has Received $111,143 From Abramoff Affiliated Lobbying Firms. (Political Money Line Website, www.tray.com, Accessed 1/4/06)

DSCC Has Received $322,980 From Abramoff Affiliated Indian Tribes. (Political Money Line Website, www.tray.com, Accessed 1/4/06)

** NOTE: The Jack Abramoff Affiliated 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. Abramoff Affiliated Lobbying Firms Are Preston Gates From 1997-2000, And Greenberg Traurig From 2001-2004. **

A Product Of The RNC Research Department

[GOPJ]

LOL

[Bigg Red]

Gotta lov'it!

But, of course, the Rats took lobbying money with good intentions, while the Republicans are evil and took money with bad intentions.

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

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[Dinah Lord]

LOL. Abramoff was an Equal Opportunity Corrupter. If you look at the amount of money he spread around - it looks like he was hedging his bets...

The whole place is full of back stabbing, backroom dealers. feh.

[jackv]

bump

[RedBloodedAmerican]

Bad day to wake up and be a Democrat today, wasn't it?

[StAnDeliver]

"Now Dean has spent all the money and is dumb enough to make a general statement about 300+ Democrats who all have to raise funds for re-election - and no one elected official has every dime of their campaign funded by the Nuns of St Mary's."

A good point but even Deano painting himself into a corner isn't going to get him fired.

[upchuck]

Why Do These Idiots Insist On Capitalizing Every Word They Write? Since When Is This An Accepted Style?

Damned Hard To Read!

[GW and Twins Pawpaw]

I hope he stays!! Howie the Screamer is the gift that keeps on giving!! He is an idiotic a person that I have ever seen. How he got through med school is completely beyond me. I wonder if he still remembers that lidocaine is metabolized in the liver???

[nutmeg]

But, of course, the Rats took lobbying money with good intentions, while the Republicans are evil and took money with bad intentions.

But, of course... ;-)

[teletech]

I was just lurking over at DU (shame on me) and the "F" word is really flyin' around! :)

They are beating up on the RATS that voted for cloture. LOL!!

[IrishRainy]

The problem for Dean with that analogy is that the personal money from Abramoff IS NOT UNDER INVESTIGATION. The money being investigated is the money donated by his clients - the tribes.

Thank you for breaking that down into a cogent argument. I swear, between the nuances of the Plame case, domestic "spying," and this, my head is swimming!

[george76]

"Reid is going around the country talking about a 'Republican scandal' — about Republicans accepting one- and two-thousand dollar contributions from Jack Abramoff, when his own PAC took in $60,000," ...

[Road Warrior ‘04]

Speaking of Dean: He will be out as chairman by weeks end. Book it.

Word has it that Reid will also be removed from his Senate Minority leadership. The hits just keep on comin'!

[cricket]

What was that about NO DEMOCRATS GOT ANY ABRAMOFF MONEY.

It is about the who and what of Demrats. . .liars telling lies. . .and as many as they can pack in a 'soundbite' for public consumption.

[Rebelbase]

"He will be out as chairman by weeks end. Book it."

James Carville for DNC Chair!

[kempster]

Wow. A twofer for Michigan. Both our illustrious Senators are implicated. Couldn't happen to two nicer people.

[ElkGroveDan]

Well That's An Interesting Writing Style If Nothing Else. Is This Brian Jones Guy German?

[Vaquero]

"He will be out as chairman by weeks end. Book it."

Damn I hope not...he's the best (for us that is)

[edcoil]

This week he told Catie Curick at GMA no dem took any money, two days later on fox he made this statement.

Is he the idiot or does he think we are?