And tells what we know and where we are thus far on “Foleygate.”
(8) As that story started falling apart, Ross announced he had three more ex-pages who had had IM communications with Foley, but he has not revealed their names. Apparently they do not have documentation for their claims, for ABC has posted none of their material. Presumably these ex-pages are Democrats, for unlike the first, no affiliation was given. Presumably they, like Edmunds, never contacted the Republican leadership, for no such claim was made and such a claim certainly would have been made had that been the case.
(9) ABC has now set up a tip line asking pages and ex-pages to report incidents with Foley. It is not necessary to identify oneself to report a “tip”, and one can only suppose that having hit dry wells on the prior reports, ABC is trolling for anything else it can find to prop up an increasingly suspicious story.
Anyone can try his or her hand at creative writing and create a “tip” for ABC to report.
Or anyone can just conclude, as I have, ABC is behaving extremely irresponsibly.
I dunno…something is not sitting just right with me.
I think polls are going to indicate that this messy story has not done much to affect voters (although I distrust polls…) one way or the other, and I think Democrats know that. They must know it. Otherwise why would they be so blatantly hypocritical why expose their hypocrisy like this, for all to see? Unless it is somehow “worth it” in the long run?
What is all of this really about, then?
I keep reading that the Dems are sure they’ll pick up 30-50 seats because of this oddly disseminated and weirdly twisting scandal - they sound so positive about it.
I keep thinking about misdirection…about how an illusionist will get you looking in one direction while he is doing something else, and I keep thinking about voter fraud.
Is it possible that this whole sloppy scandal, with the additional weirdness of the notion of “a list” being held over the heads of Republicans (like it means something)…is just smoke and mirrors meant to get everyone distracted and looking the other way while an immense voter fraud is being set up?
“We’re going to win 30-50 seats!”
They sound so certain. I just can’t help wondering.
Nancy Pelosi's Ethical Hypocrisy
Pelosi Trip To Puerto Rico Comes Into Question As
Minority Leader Continues Partisan Attacks Against Republicans
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Reports Indicate Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) Took Trip With Democrat Ethics Committee Member Who Listed Lobbyist As Paying For Travel:
"House Republicans ... Called On Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi To Provide Documentation To Prove That A Washington Lobbyist Firm Did Not Pay For A Trip She And Other Democrats Took To Puerto Rico In 2001." (Charles Hurt, "Pelosi Pressed For Trip Records," The Washington Times, 4/22/05)
"The Washington Times Reported Earlier This Week That Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones, Ohio Democrat And Member Of The House Ethics Committee, Listed A Registered Lobbyist As The Trip's Sponsor. ... After The Discrepancy Was Made Public, Mrs. Jones Amended Her Travel Disclosure Form To Match Those Of Mrs. Pelosi And Other Travelers." (Charles Hurt, "Pelosi Pressed For Trip Records," The Washington Times, 4/22/05)
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"A Spokeswoman In Mrs. Jones' Office Blamed The Conflicting Information On 'Human Error' But Declined To Provide Proof That The Trip Was Paid For By Todo Puerto Rico Con Vieques, Rather Than D.C. Lobbyist Smith, Dawson & Andrews." (Charles Hurt, "Pelosi Pressed For Trip Records," The Washington Times, 4/22/05)
Tubbs Jones Received $5,000 Contribution From Pelosi's PAC, PAC To The Future, In 2001. (Political Money Line Website, www.tray.com, Accessed 4/22/05)
Pelosi Refuses To Release Records To Prove That Lobbyist Did Not Pay For Puerto Rico Trip:
"Mrs. Pelosi Also Refused To Provide Any Such Documentation, And Testily Dismissed Questions ... About The Matter. 'There's No Discrepancy In The Records On My Trip,' The California Democrat Said. 'So That's All I Can Answer For.'" (Charles Hurt, "Pelosi Pressed For Trip Records," The Washington Times, 4/22/05)
- Pelosi Dances Around Jones' Ethics, Won't Provide Documentation To Clear Her Name. Q: "Republicans are calling you on [sic] to provide documentation for a trip that you and Stephanie Tubbs Jones took in July of 2001 to Puerto Rico, verifying that it was paid for by who it was paid for. There has been some discrepancy in the records there." PELOSI: "No, there is no discrepancy in the records on my trip. That is all I can answer for. I can only answer for myself." Q: "She is a member of the Ethics Committee. She obviously understands the process pretty well." PELOSI: "She corrected her report." Q: "She stated that a lobbyist paid for the trip. She now says differently." PELOSI: "Yes; right." Q: "Why not just provide documentation for it and clear it all up?" PELOSI: "It's all a matter of record. It's all a matter of record on any of our travel." (Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Press Conference, Washington, D.C., 4/21/05)
While Pelosi Attacks Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) For KORUSEC Trip, She Ignores Own Staffer Who Took Trip With Same Group:
"Literally Days Before DeLay's Trip, KORUSEC [Korea-United States Exchange Council] Had Changed Its Legal Status And Registered As A Foreign Agent ... KORUSEC Admits Failing To Report The Changes To DeLay And Other Trip Participants. ...This Did Not Stop House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Whose Own Staff Member Had Traveled With KORUSEC, From Attacking DeLay." (Eric Pfeiffer, "Target: DeLay," National Review, 4/11/05)
"The Aide To Pelosi, Eddie Charmaine Manansala, Took A Trip Sponsored By The Council From June 26 Through July 3, 2004, But Only Filed The Required Disclosure Form With The House On [March 9, 2005]." (Larry Margasak, "Nearly Two Dozen House Members And Aides Accept Improper Travel," The Associated Press, 3/10/05)
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"A Spokeswoman For Pelosi, Jennifer Crider, Said The Aide Forgot To File Her Form Last Year And Did So After Receiving A Query From A Reporter." (Larry Margasak, "Nearly Two Dozen House Members And Aides Accept Improper Travel," The Associated Press, 3/10/05)
Another Pelosi Staffer Took Trip Paid For By Pelosi Donor, As Pelosi Helped Donor Get Federal Money:
"House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi Helped Secure $3 Million Last Year For A Nonprofit Transportation-Research Organization Whose President Gave Money To Her Political Action Committee As The Group Was Paying For A European Trip For One Of Her Policy Advisers." (Stephen Dinan, "Pelosi Helped Donor To PAC," The Washington Times, 4/5/05)
"Transportation Adviser Lara Levison's Nine-Day, $4,475 Trip To Spain And Germany ... Was Primarily Paid For By WestStart-CALSTART." (Stephen Dinan, "Pelosi Helped Donor To PAC," The Washington Times, 4/5/05)
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"But Just Days Before The Trip, WestStart-CALSTART Announced That Mrs. Pelosi Had Helped The Nonprofit Group Secure $1 Million From The Federal Transit Administration For A Bus Rapid-Transit Program." "A month after the Levison trip, the group sent out a press release thanking her for a $2 million grant for a fuel-cell program." (Stephen Dinan, "Pelosi Helped Donor To PAC," The Washington Times, 4/5/05)
Pelosi Turns House Ethics Committee Into Venue For Partisan Attacks:
"While Pelosi Has Portrayed Herself Repeatedly As Having No Role In The DeLay Case, Or Anything Else Before The Ethics Committee, [Ethics Committee Ranking Minority Member] Rep. Alan Mollohan (D-W.Va.) Acknowledged In An Interview Last Week That He Has Met With The Minority Leader Recently On The DeLay Matter, Now At A Critical Juncture." (John Bresnahan, "Pelosi Monitors DeLay Probe," Roll Call, 9/27/04)
"Pelosi, Who Served For Seven Years On The Ethics Committee, Has Stated Numerous Times That She Has Nothing To Do With The Decisions Made By The Ethics Panel, And Knows Little Or Nothing Of What Is Happening Inside The Committee." (John Bresnahan, "Pelosi Monitors DeLay Probe," Roll Call, 9/27/04)
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"'As You Know, I Have A Hands-Off Approach To All Of This,' Pelosi Told Reporters On Sept. 15." (John Bresnahan, "Pelosi Monitors DeLay Probe," Roll Call, 9/27/04)
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"'As You Know, And I Have Said Over And Over Again, I Keep At Arm's Length From The Ethics Process,' Pelosi Said June 24." (John Bresnahan, "Pelosi Monitors DeLay Probe," Roll Call, 9/27/04)
"'As I Told You Before, As A Longtime Member Of The Ethics Committee, I Thought Matters Of The Ethics Committee Were Within The Ethics Committee,' The California Democrat Declared On March 18." (John Bresnahan, "Pelosi Monitors DeLay Probe," Roll Call, 9/27/04)
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