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Wednesday, March 08, 2006
Black Jack
This Vanity Fair feature on Jack Abramoff is a true must-read.
And the picture on the first page of a smiling Abramoff and DeLay golfing together is priceless. Something tells me we're going to see that picture quite a bit in November, particularly if you live in DeLay's district in Texas.
Here's some of the money quotes.
"Any important Republican who comes out and says they didn't know me is almost
certainly lying."
On Newt:
Newt Gingrich, whose spokesman Rick Tyler tells Margolick that "Before
[Abramoff's] picture appeared on TV and in the newspapers, Newt wouldn't have
known him if he fell across him. He hadn't seen him in 10 years." A rankled
Abramoff says "I have more pictures of [Newt] than I have of my wife." Abramoff
shows Margolick numerous photographs: "Here's Newt. Newt. Newt. Newt. More Newt. Newt with Grover [Norquist, the Washington conservative Republican
Über-strategist and longtime Abramoff friend] this time. But Newt never met me.
Ollie North. Newt. Can't be Newt ... he never met me. Oh, Newt! What's he doing
there? Must be a Newt look-alike.... Newt again! It's sick! I thought he never
met me!"
On Senator Conrad Burns (R-MT), who is up for reelection in 2006:
Every appropriation we wanted [from Burns's committee] we got. Our staffs were
as close as they could be. They practically used Signatures as their cafeteria.
I mean, it's a little difficult for him to run from that record.
On Saint John McCain:
"Mr. Abramoff flatters himself," Mark Salter, McCain's administrative assistant,
tells Margolick. "Senator McCain was unaware of his existence until he read
initial press accounts of Abramoff's abuses, and had never laid eyes on him
until he appeared before the committee."
Abramoff says, "As best I can remember, when I met with him, he idn't have his eyes shut. I'm surprised that Senator McCain has joined the chorus of amnesiacs."
On Ken Mehlman:
Ken Mehlman, who recently claimed he didn't really know Abramoff. According to
documents obtained by Vanity Fair, Mehlman exchanged e-mail with Abramoff, and
did him political favors (such as preventing Clinton administration alumnus
Allen Stayman from keeping a State Department job), had Sabbath dinner at
Abramoff's house, and offered to pick up Abramoff's tab at Signatures,
Abramoff's own restaurant.
And President Bush:
President Bush, who claims not to remember having his picture taken with
Abramoff. According to Abramoff, at one time, the president joked with Abramoff
about his weight lifting past: "What are you benching, buff guy?"
Interestingly, Abramoff says that he considered selling his pictures with Bush to help pay off the Indian tribes but decided against it, in part because the Democrats said they would use it against Republicans politically. But Abramoff then blames Rove and others in the White House for making that more than a one-day story.
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