GOP Dirty Work - Hard Evidence *Ralph Reed *John Cornyn *Abramoff *Scanlon

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That evil piece of shit would be honestly flattered to be called a dirty bastard. Hell, his own mom probably calls him worse.

God, I hate that man.

He was once considered a fairly moderate judge, but he went further, and further to the right as he progressed further, and further in the party.

If there are details showing how he cheated his way to the top, I'd be interested in knowing those details.

The shit in Houston with Kirk's name "magically" disappearing on straight D tickets which was subsequently written off as a glitch or stupid voters who don't understand computers.

once already. It definitely happened. That was my first time voting on the machines. I made many phone calls to complain about it. Apparently, I wasn't the only one who had called, the people running the elections were "aware of the problem" and told me "I wasn't the only one who had called about it." That's about all they would say.

The pollworkers were absolutely useless on this issue.

You mean that the travesty of absence of paper trails permeated right down to local elections?

for. I don't know if they steal at any level lower than that.

If, come next election, people who are disenfranchised by a "glitch" have a good old fashioned sit-in?

Passive resistance sure raises awareness. You see your vote change before your eyes -- you're prepared to make yourself comfortable and stay 'till the cops & maybe the press comes.

You contact election officials to no avail after the "glitch" -- you alert the press that you're going to physically visit the proper office, and stay there past closing hours if need be to get your demand for transparency heard.

If you know of others who've shared your experience -- you network and make this move together.

Local news agencies love controversy -- it breaks up the boredom for themselves & their audience. National news is a friggin' joke when it comes to controversy, unless it picks up a controversial local story -- whereby it can deflect criticism.

I'll say this -- If I'd been hoodwinked like it appears that you & others in your community were, there would be no statute of limitations on my reaction. If you believe that you & others were robbed of your vote, why not make a stink now?

You won't get your last vote back -- but you might insure that your (and others') next vote will count.

secret source code, the secret software, etc. I might have done it then. It was my first time to vote E-vote.

If enough people did sit in it could get enough attention to help.

fix a tight, important race (Bush-Gore in FL '00, Bush Kerry in OH in '04, etc.), but wasn't Cornyn comfortably ahead of Kirk in the polls? If so, why would they run the risk of getting caught rigging an election which they were very likely to win?

Caveat: please do not mistake this post as implying that I believe they are above rigging the Cornyn-Kirk election -- I'm just wondering why they would under the circumstances of that race.

Kirk had been a successful mayor of Dallas--a moderate Republican who got along with businessmen. Also an African-American.

An old-style conservative (non-wingnut) co-worker said he was voting for Kirk. Lots of us did. Now Cornyn ensures that K B Hutchison can keep her role as the less-insane Texas Republican Senator.

Let's hope this story grows!

Here's a clip --

http://undergroundclips.com/video/cornyn_cspan.wmv


"I don't know if there is a cause-and-effect connection but we have seen some recent episodes of courthouse violence in this country. Certainly nothing new, but we seem to have run through a spate of courthouse violence recently that's been on the news and I wonder whether there may be some connection between the perception in some quarters on some occasions where judges are making political decisions yet are unaccountable to the public, that it builds up and builds up and builds up to the point where some people engage in - engage in violence."

the AJC is the villain for merely reporting Reed's actions with Abramoff and the National Indian Gaming Commission.
How do these self-proclaimed Christians manage to totally dismiss the facts?
It's Jon Stewart on Bush: the facts are now against him.
The facts are against Reed.
Yet his supporters blame the media.
For the facts.
I just don't get these people.

I knew they were gay. (Not that there's anything wrong with that...)

Woo!

I was served for back child support. Over a thousand dollars later, I finally got a court hearing. I walked in with a stack of paper over an inch thick showing I'd overpaid. One rather massive calculation (nearly a hundred pages of printout) undeniably showed an error in the state's accounting. The AG's agent brushed off my argument with "Oh, yeah, we're aware of a software glitch." WTF! I'm paying this guy on my left $125 an hour and you're "aware" of the problem.

I walked out of court that day after the judges decision that I was owed over a thousand bucks. Thanks to Cornyn and his corrupt, incompetent stooges, it only cost me $1600 dollars to prove it.

Fuck that corrupt, evil bastard.

I wasn't aware that the useless piece of shit had ever worked for the evil piece of shit.

I was just guessing, based on the level of competence. ;)

We need to develop a democratic strategy to fight these bastards. We don't have much of one now.

We can at least thank God or The Great Goddess or Whatever (Whoever) for Earle and Fitzpatrick, Dean, Boxer, Conyers, Kennedy, and a handful of other wonderful people of conscience who do truly love this country and aren't in politics or 'public service' to rape, plunder, and pillage.

What will it take for the truth to get as much airtime, as much print time, as the lies have???????

Kick.

You're right; we need to work hard to get the hard facts and keep them in the public eye long enough to wear down the denial mentality some voters.

It would also help, if we bridle our emotions out of respect; and let the facts speak for themselves. I don't believe that visceral anger has, or ever will -- change one mind.

the guy with the cherubic face and saintly facade. But read the guy's emails. He knew exactly what he was doing.
And yet people just can't see it. Or won't.
Maddening.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abramoff-Reed_Indian_Gambling_Scandal

Abramoff-Reed Indian Gambling Scandal
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This article documents a current event.
Information may change rapidly as the event progresses.

The Abramoff-Reed Indian Gambling Scandal (a.k.a. the "InGam Scam") is a U.S. political scandal involving the work done by political lobbyists Jack Abramoff, Ralph E. Reed, Jr., Grover Norquist and Michael Scanlon on behalf of Indian casino gambling interests. The lobbyists are accused of orchestrating lobbying against their own clients in order to force them to pay for lobbying services.

In the course of the scheme, the lobbyists are accused of illegally giving gifts and making campaign donations in return for political favors to several senior Republican politicians, in particular Tom DeLay, Conrad Burns and Bob Ney.

In addition to his involvement in the Indian Gambling scandal, Abramoff is under investigation by a grand jury in Guam over possibly illegal contract payments and money laundering and was indicted on August 11, 2005 by a third grand jury in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for a $23 million bank fraud arising out of the purchase of the SunCruz casino boat company. Abramoff is also a 'person of interest' in the murder investigation of Konstantinos Boulis, the original owner of SunCruz.

Contents
1 Background
2 Allegations of corrupt lobbying practices
2.1 Allegation of double dealing
2.2 Alleged spending irregularities
2.3 American international center
2.4 Insulting references to clients
2.5 Comments by politicians
2.6 Reed's denial
3 Alleged influence peddling
3.1 House majority leader Tom DeLay
3.2 Ohio congressman Bob Ney
3.3 Senator Conrad Burns
3.4 Arrest of David Safavian
3.5 Timothy Flanigan
3.6 Deputy United States Secretary of the Interior J. Steven Griles
3.7 Senator John Cornyn
3.8 Senator David Vitter
3.9 Tom Feeney III
3.10 Richard Pombo
3.11 Mike Ferguson
3.12 William Gormley
3.13 Robert L. Ehrlich Jr./Edward Miller
4 Returned donations




Background
Abramoff, Reed and Norquist all served as officers in the College Republican National Committee (CRNC). In College, Reed would sleep on Abramoff’s couch. According to his book "Active Faith," he also introduced Abramoff to his future wife.

Abramoff was elected Chairman of the CRNC in 1983, and appointed Reed Executive Director of the CRNC in the same year, succeeding Norquist. Norquist had managed Abramoff's campaign for National Chairman and would later found Americans for Tax Reform, an anti-tax group that would serve as a fundraising conduit in the Indian gaming scandal.

At the CRNC, Abramoff, Norquist and Reed formed what was known as the "Abramoff-Norquist-Reed triumvirate." Upon Abramoff's election, the trio purged "dissidents" and re-wrote the CRNC's bylaws to consolidate their control over the organization. Reed was the "hatchet man" and "carried out Abramoff-Norquist orders with ruthless efficiency, not bothering to hide his fingerprints." (Nina J. Easton, Gang of Five, page 142)


Allegations of corrupt lobbying practices
Abramoff and partner Scanlon are alleged to have engaged in a series of corrupt practices in connection to their lobbying work for various Indian Casino gambling tribes. The fees paid to Abramoff and Scanlon for this work are believed to exceed $85 million.

In particular Abramoff and partner Scanlon are alleged to have conspired with Washington power broker Norquist and Christian activist Reed to co-ordinate lobbying against his own clients and prospective clients with the objective of forcing them to engage Abramoff and Scanlon to lobby against their own covert operations. Reed was paid to campaign against gambling interests that competed with Abramoff clients. Norquist served as a go-between funneling the money to Reed.


Allegation of double dealing
Reed repeatedly denied knowing the source of the funds used to campaign against the casinos until prosecutors released emails exchanged between Reed and Abramoff. According to emails, Reed and Norquist contacted Abramoff separately in 1999 to say they wanted to do business. Norquist complained about a "$75K hole in my budget from last year." Reed said he was counting on Abramoff "to help me with some contacts."

On February 7, 2000, Abramoff warned Reed that an initial payment for antilottery radio spots and mailings would be less than Reed thought. "I need to give Grover something for helping, so the first transfer will be a bit lighter," Abramoff wrote. The transfer was apparently lighter than even Abramoff expected. In a note to himself on February 22, Abramoff wrote, "Grover kept another $25K!" Norquist claims he had permission.

In 2000, Abramoff forced the Choctaws to give the Alabama Christian Coalition $1.15 million in installments. Norquist agreed to pass the money on to the Coalition and another Alabama antigambling group, both of which Reed was mobilizing for the fight against a proposed Alabama state lottery.

and there's more......
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abramoff-Reed_Indian_Gambling_Scandal

...for the Abramoff scandal; and there are some names I'm not familiar with on the list:

3.1 House majority leader Tom DeLay
3.2 Ohio congressman Bob Ney
3.3 Senator Conrad Burns
3.4 Arrest of David Safavian
3.5 Timothy Flanigan
3.6 Deputy United States Secretary of the Interior J. Steven Griles
3.7 Senator John Cornyn
3.8 Senator David Vitter
3.9 Tom Feeney III
3.10 Richard Pombo
3.11 Mike Ferguson
3.12 William Gormley
3.13 Robert L. Ehrlich Jr./Edward Miller

Your not familiar with Tom Delay? You're kidding right?

Just kidding ;) I simply reposted the entire list in order to bring attention to the players.

Actually, I believe there are some names missing. ...will do some more research.

Keep this visible folks. This is the information that ties all the bastards who gutted Texas in one neat bundle with enough felonies to put the whole gang away. (Including a certain Chimp we all know and love.)

Ed Young, IMO, gives clergy a bad name. What a jerk.

From volunteering after Katrina: Several people who've gone to the George R. Brown Convention Center to volunteer have come away grumbling about Baptists....

One, Kit Van Cleave, said she was met at the door by someone in a yellow "Operation Compassion" shirt and was told, "The Baptists have taken over this facility. We don't need you. You have to go through our religious orientation to volunteer." Another said it was like "a yellow-shirted gang took over" the center....

Still, Van Cleave is upset about what she calls Baptist proselytizing. "I'm through volunteering," she says. "I was very dis-motivated to be very helpful when I heard the Baptists were in charge."

Hey, when you think of the political clout wielded by the rich westside Second Baptist, they've been in charge of things around here for a long time.

www.houstonpress.com/issues/2005-09-15/news/hairballs.html

Second Baptist is one of Houston's mega-churches. And the smarmy Ed Young does lots of TV advertising. I'd love to see him get into trouble.

_NOV. 12, 2001, 5:55 p.m.: Reed responds: "great work. get me the details so i can alert cornyn and let him know what we are doing to help him." He adds: "talked to ed young again today. incredibly engaged and excited. he is planning on hosting a breakfast with the top pastors in houston to get them all mobilized and to provide cover for cornyn. we may invite cornyn to address them."

http://www.statesman.com/news/content/gen/ap/TX_Lobbyist_Cornyn_Glance.html

and, I stick by my earlier statement that Ed Young gives clergy a bad name. Wasn't he in trouble with the IRS a few years back, something about housing? I hope the whole Religious Right gets exposed---would be the best thing to happen to this country.

I'll start attending church services again!

"Thank you Jesus. Thank you, Lord."

in the AJC about how Reed "paints his face at night and executes his mission...my victim doesn't even know he's been hit until he's in the body bag".
Nice, huh? Mr. Christian Coalition fancies himself Mr. Special Forces of the Right, making political hits.
I'm sure Jesus would be thrilled to have Reed piously claiming his allegiance.
Such puffed up false machismo from these people. The swaggering John Wayne acts from these cowardly little posers. All of them. Reed. Bush. Rumsfeld. O'Reilly. Limbaugh. Hannity. Cheney.
They're not warriors. They're liars and parasites.
Not enough karma cleanser in the world to scour these criminals clean.

Don't know how they sleep at night.

helping these murderers and thieves!!!

inner city preacher.

the ear of power and their gratitude for helping them get elected. Seems they should all fall under the lobbying laws instead of the tax exempt religious laws now.

mega churches that have spread across the landscape. they sold their souls to the devil for the almighty (almighty dollar that is)

reimbursed for their "charity" work after the hurricanes? I wonder how it makes those people feel that dipped into their own pockets to place an "offering" in the plate for the benefit of the victims, only to see that their government gave them back their offering money. I see that as a slap in the face for those that wanted to help because it was the right thing to do. It sends a terrible message, IMHO.

It robbed them of their pride in their contribution. Had I been one of them, I would have been outraged. Charity by churches should NOT be reimbursed by the government... period.

.

for the Sunday crowd.

This is important.

The Nefarious Gang caught with pants down and hand in Jar.......Oh My,,,, don't they know they gonna get it from the other Pubs.

Their Actions make the Whole Pub Party look like shit...

I wonder if this infection they got is contagious?

...Reply #19? -- http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x5343821#5344934

This looks pretty contagious to me.

st.

Bad dudes these....greedy and power hungry... Altruism escapes them...

Sociopaths have no problem sleeping.

Keep a close eye on this case everyone. The party that ran on "moral principles" might just be held accountable for the FACTS that these investigations unearth.

better!!!

...one of the commandments involved here. Bearing false witness, coveting of neighbor's goods, and possibly something even more sinister:

from the start, over a year ago:

http://www.offthekuff.com/mt/archives/006386.html

Lots of links to follow at the one above.

I posted to the blog.

:kick:

This scandal is the dark cloud that will lightning strike many Rethugs in Congress and elsewhere in the Bush Crime Regime.

to get an important story to stick with the public, regardless of serious it is, is to have it repeated and remain in focus giving it time to sink in.