still more repug corruption

Pssst, Rick. You Have Some AbramOffal On Your Chin!
When it was revealed last week that Texas Governor Rick "Good Hair" Perry's administration had awarded a lucrative contract to an Abramoff-connected firm that refused to meet with Texas Democrats in Congress Perry's spokesman claimed that Cassidy & Associates had won the contract by submitting the lowest bid.

It turns out that was a lie.

When the state approved hiring a lobbying firm with close ties to lobbyist Jack Abramoff in 2004, it rejected competing bids that met more of its selection criteria and cost less, according to documents obtained by the Austin American-Statesman.

What the winning firm, Cassidy & Associates, did have was access, all the way to presidential aide Karl Rove, according to memos and e-mails obtained through a Texas open records request.

And despite the lower marks the firm received when state officials reviewed the bids, staff members from state agencies tapped to choose a lobbyist eventually awarded the firm a $15,000-a-month contract to lobby Congress.

(First Draft)