Wednesday 25 January 2006

Breaking News!

White House: "We Know No Such Person Named Jack Abramoff"

"We Couldn't Even Find A Library Card"; McClellan Defends GOP, Calls Scandal "Lobbyist Surveillance Program"

Under increasingly tense pressure, with calls to release records and photos, White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan responded to questions in a briefing this morning, saying that "The President, and the White House, knows no such person named Jack Abramoff".

"We've done an extensive search, through our records here, other agencies," said McClellan, "and we've turned up nothing … Not even a library card for this person."

There are new reports this week that Abramoff, the indicted lobbyist and at the center of an on-going investigation that he bribed members of Congress, is shopping to media outlets, photos of himself with President Bush.

"I can't comment on that, McClellan said, responding to a direct question. "As I said, the President doesn't know this person. If he has photos that he is trying to sell, I can only advise buyer beware."

If the President doesn't know Jack Abramoff, the President Bush Reelection Committee certainly does, as Abramoff raised over $100,000 for them, earning "Pioneer" status. Additionally, Abramoff has close ties to longtime Bush aide, Karl Rove.

Abramoff is accused of bilking Indian Tribe clients out of millions of dollars, as well as bribing members of Congress and influencing legislation.

The high-powered lobbyist lavishly wined-and-dined Republican congressman and senators, and their staff members, including sponsoring an international junket, taking House members golfing in Scotland.

McClellan admitted hearing about "these rumors".

"It is the President's understanding, that the Republican members of Congress were operating within the law and conducting a 'Lobbyist Surveillance Program', to catch the exact kind of abuses that are being alleged. These charges are so pre-9/11"

The President believes,' added McClellan, "that when the hearings are held and the court cases settled, you will find that this Administration, and the Majority party of Congress, have been victims of extreme partisan politics. You never know, we may have the wiretaps to prove it."

In a related story, Washington Post reporter, and author, Bob Woodward said today that he knows the full Jack Abramoff story but doesn't intend to write about it "for another year, or two".














President Bush, and the White House, after saying they don't know "any Jack Abramoff", are calling the scandal the "Lobbyist Surveillance Program"