AM Feed - June 26: Cut and Run?
Hot Topics
- Conservative defenders of the Bush administration’s handling of Iraq have attempted to politically smear any calls for troop withdrawals as a “cut and run” strategy. Now that task just got a bit more difficult: Reports say that the US commander in Iraq has privately presented plans to draw down troops by the end of 2007. The New York Times reported on Sunday that General William Casey held a private briefing at the Pentagon to discuss such plans. Last week, Democrats in the Senate offered a similar proposal to withdraw forces that was shot down by a largely partisan vote. Remember, the Bush administration initially claimed that troop levels in Iraq would be cut quickly, from 150,000 down to 30,000 within the first year after the invasion. Now, more than three years later, 127,000 troops are still stationed in Iraq. [link]
- The Bush administration has routinely tried to downplay any relationships with corrupt former superlobbyist Jack Abramoff, but emails collected by Senate investigators and the Associated Press tell a different story. Emails between Abramoff and conservative leader Grover Norquist details schemes to set up meetings with White House officials (including Karl Rove) for Abramoff’s clients – as long as they donated heavily to Norquist’s tax-exempt organization. Abramoff’s tribal clients met with President Bush in both 2001 and 2002. Both times the clients offered hefty donations to Norquist’s group Americans for Tax Reform. [link] And be sure to read here about how Congress is attempting to sweep lobbying reform changes under the rug.
- Vice President Cheney went on the offensive over the issue of the Bush administration’s secret plan to access bank records. Cheney resorted to a familiar “blame the media” strategy, which clearly reveals that he’s only sorry the Bush White House got caught with its hand in the proverbial cookie jar again. (Only imagine that this cookie jar contains very sensitive and private information about thousands of American citizens.) Cheney said that the media’s decision to disclose the secret program “offends” him. [link]
Quote of the Day (Part 1)
“What is most important however is that this matter is kept discreet. We do not want the opponents to think that we are trying to buy the taxpayer movement.” – Email from Jack Abramoff to a colleague in 1995, discussing the relationship with Americans for Tax Reform.
Quote of the Day (Part 2)
“Grover kept another $25 k!” – Note from Abramoff to himself in 2000, detailing Norquist’s habit of skimming money off the top before funneling it around.
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