bush/abramoff connections

Even GOPers want Bush to fess up on Abramoff dealings

Last week, the Washington Post ran a scathing editorial about the Bush/Abramoff scandal. They noted that White House press secretary Scott McClellan considered requests for information about the interactions between the President and Jack Abramoff (who was one of the Bush campaign's leading fundraisers) as "partisan politics." Well, Scottie, it's not so partisan anymore. Your people want you to release the records:

Republican lawmakers said Sunday that President Bush should publicly disclose White House contacts with Jack Abramoff, the lobbyist who has pleaded guilty to felony charges in an influence-peddling case.

Releasing the records would help eliminate suspicions that Abramoff, a top fundraiser for Bush's re-election campaign, had undue influence on the White House, the Republicans said.

"I'm one who believes that more is better, in terms of disclosure and transparency," said Sen. John Thune, R-S.D. "And so I'd be a big advocate for making records that are out there available....Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind., who appeared with Thune on "Fox News Sunday,", said all White House correspondence, phone calls and meetings with Abramoff "absolutely" should be released."

The longer that White House holds out, the shadier it looks. But is no wonder the Bushies are worried. We learned this weekend that Bush appointee David Safavian tipped off Abramoff about an impending action by the government against one of his clients:

The document, filed Friday by federal prosecutors, asserts that David H. Safavian, the former chief of the General Services Administration who is under indictment, learned in November 2003 that four subsidiaries of Tyco were about to be suspended from obtaining government work. The filing, which was reported on Saturday by The Washington Post, said Mr. Safavian told Mr. Abramoff of the impending suspensions, along with some of the confidential discussions within his agency involving the issue.

Clearly, Jack Abramoff benefited from his relationship with the Bush White House. That's why they're trying so hard to cover it up.

(Americablog)