"Sam’s got the intellect necessary to bring a lot of class to that Court." (My thoughts: Are we to believe that up to this point that the Supreme Court has acted in an irresponible, classless, or degrading manner?)
"It’s very important that members of the Senate conduct a dignified hearing."
(Did the President think that Senators would turn these hearings into a circus? Have they acted silly or undignified before in any case? Does the President consider anyone opposed to this nomination undignified, or wrong?)
I think that people getting into a Senate hearing room and touching seats to "bless them" is undignified, ridiculous, and dangerous to security. (WSJ)
The Cincinnati Enquirer:
Rep. Steve Chabot said Friday that he'll give the $5,000 his campaign received from Indian tribes represented by former Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff to Over-the-Rhine's Joseph House for Homeless Veterans.
The donation comes three days after Abramoff pleaded guilty to defrauding the Indian tribes he represented out of millions of dollars and trying to use gifts and campaign contributions to get official favors.
Chabot, R-Westwood, told The Enquirer Friday that he doesn't know Abramoff and, to his recollection, has never met the former lobbyist or spoken with him.
But Chabot was one of 26 lawmakers who signed a Feb. 27, 2002, letter asking the Bush administration to stop the Jena Band of Choctaw Indians from opening a casino in Louisiana....
Isn't it amazing that no one knew Jack Abramoff, but they were willing to take his money, and write a letter on his behalf?
While every Republican is trying to erase any records of contacts they've had with Abramoff, there is an old (5/7/2005) article from USA Today that provides some information. This was posted today at Raw Story:
In President Bush's first 10 months, GOP fundraiser Jack Abramoff and his lobbying team logged nearly 200 contacts with the new administration as they pressed for friendly hires at federal agencies and sought to keep the Northern Mariana Islands exempt from the minimum wage and other laws, records show.
The meetings between Abramoff's lobbying team and the administration ranged from Attorney General John Ashcroft to policy advisers in Vice President Dick Cheney's office, according to his lobbying firm billing records.
Abramoff, a $100,000-plus fundraiser for Bush, is now under criminal investigation for some of his lobbying work. His firm boasted its lobbying team helped revise a section of the Republican Party's 2000 platform to make it favorable to its island client.
In addition, two of Abramoff's lobbying colleagues on the Marianas won political appointments inside federal agencies....
Abramoff and his friends had real access to the Executive and Legislative Branches of this government. It shows that if you have money, you can see anyone in Washington, DC.
