DeLay cronies on trial referred to Native Americans as "monkeys,"

[grannylib]

"troglodytes" and "morons" in e-mails between themselves and Ralph Reed, with whom they were in cahoots to 1) shut down Native American-owned casinos in TX, and then 2) hire themselves out to the same people to act as lobbyists to get the RePugnicans in Congress to help them re-open....
I nearly puked in the car when I was listening to the report on NPR...

I could just cry. How fucking sick are these people?
Rhetorical question, I know....there are NO WORDS to describe my anger and disgust and sorrow and utter emptiness at the thought of these people having any more power/money/time in government to ruin us all....

Truly evil.

[MuseRider]

1. I am constantly

rendered speechless by these creeps. I simply can't imagine people with so little compassion for others allowed to be in control.

[CitySky]

14. Action Alert!

Just learned that the Ethics Committee has finally scheduled their meeting to consider the DeLay complaint -- meeting is TOMORROW, Thursday 9/30 --

please light up the phones and demand a full investigation into:

Count 1 - soliciting a bribe from Westar in exchange for legislation favorable to the energy company
Count 2 - laundering $190K in PAC money thru the RNC then illegally distributing it to TX candidates
and
Count 3 - using Federal resources to track down the TX dems who fled the state in an attempt to thwart quorum for DeLay's redistricting plan


Ethics Committee Members
***
Republicans
Joel Hefley (CO-5) 202.225.4422
Doc Hastings (WA-4)202.225.5816
Judy Biggert (IL-13)202.225.3515
Kenny Hulshof (MO-9)202.225.5712
Steven LaTourette (OH-14)202.225.5731

Democrats
Alan Mollohan (WV-1)202.225.4172
Stephanie Tubb Jones (OH-11) 202.225.7032
Gene Green (TX-29) 202.225.1688
Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-34) 202.225.1766
Michael Doyle (PA-14)202.225.2135

[laylah]

25. Save some $ and use

the Capitol Hill main number...they will transfer you to anyone you request

1-800-839-5276 :kick:

Jenn

[CrispyQ]

33. ...and send that saved money to the Richard Morrison campaign.

Get that filthy slime DeLay out of office!

http://www.richardmorrisonfordistrict22.com/

[anarchy1999]

37. Thanks in advance for everyone taking action. If you haven't yet,

at least take a minute to call the republicans on committee. I just finished and I left a message asking each one of them to do the right thing and set aside their partisan politics!!

The more calls they receive the greater the influence we stand to make. This is an important moment. Anyone wonder why DeLay brought the stupid marriage amendment to the floor today????

[Langis]

2. Would you expect any better from them?

Ralp Reed is skum, and Delay is worse.

[CitySky]

3. awful

the racism makes me want to
:puke:
and
:cry:
all at once -- but the corruption makes me want to fight

:mad:

[LiberalEsto]

4. That's disgusting

but then again, they are vile, disgusting people.

[seemslikeadream]

5. I was just looking for this on CSPAN

Wasn't it a Senate hearing they appeared at and one of them didn't show up?

[grannylib]

15. Oh I bet that was it - and yes, one did not show since he has been

running and hiding from the process-servers so he has not technically been subpoenaed yet.

[anarchy1999]

31. Scanlon did not show, hiding out from being served subpeona.

I do believe he is one of the group charged in Texas in the 30+ indictments.

[BQueen]

6. Sickening...

Even the thought of 4 more years makes me want to weep/rage/howl...

I caught part of that Oprah show today and got THE FEAR - all these women saying they'd never even registered to vote - didn't think it was an important right - my stomach started churning with worry that the apathy is still prevalent...we in the internet community are so much better informed, but we also live in a bubble and sometimes forget about the tens? hundreds? of thousands who don't realize how pivotal this election is. That hit me full-force - like a jackboot to the gut.

Suddenly I was just terrified...it's just not a fucking option to allow this to continue. I refuse to give in to despair, but damn...there really is no level to which they will not stoop to conquer democracy, decency, or humanity...

[patdem]

7. Is there a law against what they are doing? Or is it perfectly legal???

I am amazed daily that bank robbers have to go to jail..truly I am?? :grr:

[TahitiNut]

10. If bank robbers could afford to buy politicians, they'd be called ...

... banking entrepreneurs and currency redistribution specialists.

In the "good old days" of organized crime, the crooks merely bribed the cops and law enforcement people. As crime has evolved (with the help of lots of drug money), the crooks merely buy legislators to write the "laws" in a way that gives the crooks (literally) a license to steal.

"Laws" are for sale. Corporations buy them.

[Momgonepostal]

8. Given what they say when they KNOW people are listening...

...should we be surprised that the racist crap they spew in private is even worse?

Still, sometimes I just marvel.

[Skittles]

13. I have often thought that "conservative" and "republican"

are socially-acceptable codewords for racist, hateful people.

[Kanary]

9. How very ............ ironic........

Here are people who don't "believe" in evolution, because "I'm not related to no monkeys", calling other human beings "monkeys".

You're right....... there are no words.

Yet, the Merkin people are allowing them to take over......

I can only hope the rest of the world steps in if needed!!!

Kanary

[Grown2Hate]

11. Not that I don't believe it (BELIEVE me, I do...)

but can you provide a link, so I can prove this and use it as fodder? Thank you.

[grannylib]

16. I will check on the NPR site; that's where I heard it on the radio. Hang

on and let me look.

[October]

24. I heard it on NPR this a.m. too -- and

it was a riveting report. I was surprised because they've been making me so angry lately with their pro-Bush slant.

[grannylib]

18. Here's a link

http://www.takingontomdelay.com/archives/cat_indian_affairs_investigation.html

[anarchy1999]

27. I just got home from dropping off hubbie for work. It was on between

8:30 and 8:45 CT, it was a riveting report (especially after hearing last night's interview with author Lou Dubose on NPR about the rise of DeLay). Racist comments were made in E-mails between Abramoff and Scanlon to Ralph Reed. In yesterday's hearing Nighthorse went first and asked Abramoff why he would want to work with people he held in such contempt. He refused to answer. Scanlon did not appear, he's in hiding from subpeona.

F'ing CRIMINALS!!

[H2O Man]

12. What a wonderful example of their inner thinking!

I'm sure it will go a long way in convincing Indian people to register and vote democrat in this year's elections.

[SammyWinstonJack]

17. More projection on their part?

Because I think that morons and monkeys and troglodytes is a very apt description of themselves.

[blm]

19. Isn't Ralph Reed part of this group? Seems to me I recall he's into this

story by the tune of at least a million bucks in his pocket all the while he was running campaigns AGAINST gambling in some of his races.

When will the media reach out and touch Ralph Reed with this story?

[Michael Harrington]

20. Had to enjoy

The spectacle of Ben Nighthorse Campbell doing his Righteous Indignation bit.

THIS is indicative of the party you voluntarily climbed into bed with and wasted your Senate career serving, fool.

[AspenRose]

35. My thoughts exactly

Sad, really.

[anarchy1999]

21. This should have its's own action alert thread kept at the top of

the page this am! I heard an interview last night on NPR with the author of the new book "Hammered" by Lou Dubose about the rise of Tom DeLay. I live in Texas, mind you, and I was shocked.

Everyone please, even though you are not in Texas, make calls to each and every congress critter. The control DeLay is exercising is nothing but criminal! Nothing is going to get any better until this man is removed from majority leader and Democrats regain the House.

If you have any spare dollars, donate to the Democrat running against this scourge upon what we know as our democracy. Contact the Morrison campaign in Houston!

[ElsewheresDaughter]

22. Abramnoff & DeLay...took $45 MILLION in kickbacks

Abramoff associate Michael Scanlon, an ex-aide to Tom DeLay. The Washington Post reported in 2004 that three tribes, the Coushattas, the Saginaw Chippewas and the Agua Caliente paid a staggering $45 million over the past three years to Abramoff and Scanlon. As the U.S. Senate launched a probe of these huge tribal fees, Greenberg Traurig fired Abramoff in 2004, saying that he engaged in “personal transactions” that were “unacceptable to the firm.” These transaction turned out to be $10 million in kickbacks that Abramoff secretly took from Scanlon without telling the the tribes or his firm

[MrBenchley]

23. Link to the "monkeys" remark...

"Milanovich and senators also were troubled by e-mail between Scanlon and Abramoff that described their Indian clients as "monkeys," "morons" and "troglodytes."
"While there are a number of specifics that your investigation is revealing," Milanovich told the committee, "perhaps the saddest is the utterly callous fashion in which they mocked the interests of the clients they were actually hired to represent and displayed a willingness to engage in virtually any conduct so long as they could make money." "

http://www.thedesertsun.com/news/stories2004/local/20040930004411.shtml

[w4rma]

26. Evil. That is what evil looks like behind the PR. (nt)

[anarchy1999]

28. Kicking up!

n/t

[anarchy1999]

29. Kicking up to front page.

n/t

[seemslikeadream]

30. From LBN MEMOS

Memos!


"I think all of us know this is the most extraordinary pattern of abuse to come before this committee in the 18 years I've served here," said Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.), who described the pair's conduct as "scuzzy" and "outrageous."



The e-mails show that just before the 2002 Agua Caliente tribal elections, Scanlon asked Abramoff: "How much do you want me to spend on the AC race -- I gotta get a team out there ASAP -- Then rotate a new team in after that -- So travel is gonna run about 20K and materials like 5-10K. Should we go for it?"
Abramoff replied: "Yes, go for it big time."

The panel subpoenaed Chris Petras, former legislative director of the Saginaw Chippewas, who was a liaison to Abramoff and Scanlon. Petras said that he could not recall any discussions about the pair becoming involved in tribal elections and that he was not convinced they had done anything wrong.

An e-mail from Abramoff to Scanlon in the fall of 2001 suggested otherwise. "I had dinner tonight with Chris Petras of Sag Chip. He was salivating at the $4-5 million program I described to him . . . He is going to come in after the primary with the guy who will be chief if they win (a big fan of ours already) and we are going to help him win. If he wins, they take over in January, and we have millions."

After the Saginaw Chippewa election, Scanlon congratulated his staff and Abramoff for the victory of seven of eight candidates running as "The Slate of Eight." "We had less than three weeks to take 8 guys who never met before and get them elected. It was a great plan, and great execution by a great team. . . . We now control 9 out of the 12 seats on the council . . . hopefully we will be doing some more work for the tribe in the near future."

...

On Oct. 10, 2002, Scanlon sent Abramoff a news clipping about horse racing bills in the Michigan legislature, with the message: "Here we go! This could kill Saginaw!"
Abramoff responded: "Chris thinks this is not going anywhere. Can you call him and scare him?"

On Dec. 10, 2002, Abramoff appeared to do just that in an e-mail to Petras. "Chris, I am getting worried about this. Last night we opened Stacks and there were some WH guys there. . . . They told me that there is a hearing coming up on this immediately, and they have heard that this is going to happen!!! . . . where is Scanlon on this? . . . We need to get him firing missiles. How do we move it faster? Please get the council focused on this as soon as you can."

Abramoff sent a copy to Scanlon, who messaged back: "I love you."

more
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A60780-20 ...

go to google news to access the rest of the story without subscription

This hearing was televised I saw part of it yesterday, I thought on CSPAN but can't find it.

JudiLyn (1000+ posts) Thu Sep-30-04 10:08 AM
Response to Original message

10. Unbearable back-stabbing actions described at the end of the article



The Tigua Indians of Texas,which had their Speaking Rock Casino in El Paso shut down in February 2002 when a federal court sided with state officials in ruling the casino violated state anti-gambling laws. The Washington Post reported that Abramoff and Scanlon, representing a rival tribal casino in Louisiana, quietly worked with former Christian Coalition leader Ralph Reed to build public sentiment against the Tiguas, then persuaded the Tiguas to hire them to try to get the casino reopened.
(snip)
Can you BELIEVE this kind of vicious nastiness? I would think this alone would win them spots in the Republican Hall of Fame.

Check this drivel written about scuzzbucket Jack Abramoff, written around a year and a half ago:
“I’m the only lobbyist who took a 90 percent pay cut to join the lobbying field,” a smiling Abramoff said in his downtown office this month. But he doesn’t expect sympathy — with the Republicans now in control of the White House, House and Senate, and his friend Tom DeLay (R-Texas) controlling the House agenda, Abramoff does not have to look far to find clients interested in his services.

But, he stresses, being a leader in Republican fundraising and strategy doesn’t guarantee success for his clients.

“I think it’s a very different administration … compared to the Clinton days,” Abramoff said of George W. Bush’s White House. “They’re going to go out of the way to make sure that they are not courting special favors to lobbyists and to special interests. They’ll only agree to things on strict merits.

“From a good government point of view, that’s very refreshing. From a lobbying point of view, it’s obviously more of a challenge.”

Because of that, he says, many lobbyists are turning more and more to members of Congress rather than executive agencies. “What people have done is probably tried to utilize the congressional legislative route on many more things than they would have otherwise done,” Abramoff added. “In the past, I think you could have gone to the Clinton administration and gotten an administrative or executive fix on something that now people have to go to Hill and try to seek redress there.”
(snip)

Scanlon ‘is hiding out’Federal marshals cannot find former aide to DeLay

Edited on Thu Sep-30-04 10:04 AM by seemslikeadream
By Josephine Hearn

Michael Scanlon, a public-relations consultant and former aide to House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) now under investigation for his business dealings with Indian tribes, failed to show up to testify before a Senate panel yesterday after federal marshals were unable to serve him with the committee’s subpoena.

“The U.S. marshals tell us Mr. Scanlon is hiding out in his house with the blinds drawn,” said Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-Colo.), chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, after the hearing. “But we’re going to him again. He will be before the committee one way or another. … I want to ask him questions. He is going to have to duck and dodge.”

Scanlon was scheduled to testify before the committee yesterday in a hearing about allegations that he and lobbyist Jack Abramoff had misused up to $66 million in fees paid to them by six Indian tribes made wealthy by gaming revenue.

Scanlon’s lawyer, Stephen Braga, did not return a call for comment. Abramoff appeared at the hearing but invoked his Fifth Amendment right not to respond to questions.

Yesterday’s hearing focused on the pair’s dealings with two of the tribes, Michigan’s Saginaw Chippewa and the Agua Caliente of California. A future hearing, addressing two of the four remaining tribes, could occur as soon as November, if the Senate reconvenes after the elections, Campbell said.
more
http://www.thehill.com/news/093004/scanlon.aspx


Bandit (1000+ posts) Thu Sep-30-04 10:24 AM
Response to Original message

6. Morrison really could use some help now....Please Donate


Let's Keep Turning Up the Heat


DeLay is definitely feeling the heat. Last week's indictments were the beginning, today two close DeLay associates were the subject of a Senate hearing, and tomorrow the Ethics Committee will meet to decide on his case.

But we don't have to count on the press or the politicians to keep the heat on DeLay, because the place he is most vunerable is at the ballot box. With your help Richard Morrison will raise $250,000 this quarter. Click here to make it happen: http://morrisonfor22.com/contribute/contribute.php

And just in case you're running low on outrage about DeLay, Inc. and their sleazy ways, today's Washington Post has an editorial about the antics of DeLay spokesman Michael Scanlon and top lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Here's an excerpt:

Overall, they collected at least $50 million from Indian tribes that operate casinos and sought the pair's help to stay in business. Although the Tigua never got their $60 million-a-year casino reopened, they shelled out $4.2 million to Scanlon's firm — as part of a lobbying plan called "Operation Open Doors." Another piece of the door-opening? The tribe, Abramoff advised, "will have to make approximately $300,000 in federal political contributions."

What the Tigua didn't know, according to a report by The Washington Post, was that just before the pair hit the tribe up for business, they were actively working, on behalf of rival tribes, to shut down the Tigua casino.

Meantime, The Post reported on an Abramoff-founded charity, the Capitol Athletic Foundation, which received more than $2 million from three of Abramoff's tribal clients.

The charity's activities included a $150,225 golfing trip by private jet to Scotland, including House Administration Committee Chairman Robert W. Ney, R-Ohio, and Reed.

If you've had enough of this kind of people running our country, please contribute today: http://morrisonfor22.com/contribute/contribute.php

thank you so much,

Kyle Johnston, Campaign Manager
Richard Morrison for Congress


Senate panel probes claims pair bilked tribes of millions - ethnic slurs
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x875095
Scanlon ‘is hiding out’Federal marshals cannot find former aide to DeLay
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x875208

[anarchy1999]

32. Thanks seemslikeadream for putting all together here in GD!

This is a MAJOR SCANDAL!!

If the "Ethics Committee" doesn't do something with this then they may as well just close up shop until we can replace them.

[seemslikeadream]

40. Here's the NPR link anarchy1999

Senate Panel to Query Lobbyists on Casino Ties
All Things Considered audio

All Things Considered, September 27, 2004 · This week, a Senate committee holds a hearing on two Republican lobbyists who collected large fees from Indian tribes with casinos. The pair apparently made $50 million from various tribes in less than three years, promising access to top Republicans in Washington. NPR's John Ydstie reports.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4049563

UpInArms (1000+ posts) Wed Sep-29-04 06:20 PM
Response to Original message

2. also involved in this scandal is Ralph Reed

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/09/29/opinion/meyer/main646298.shtml

excerpt:

Today, Abramoff took the 5th in front of a Senate committee. He did it lots of times actually.

The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs is investigating allegations that Abramoff and a colleague, Michael Scanlon, who once served as House Majority Leader Tom Delay’s press secretary, fleeced several Indian tribes looking for help on casino issues out of at least $50 million. Abramoff and Scanlon were renowned for their ties to Delay; Delay is renowned for trying to make paying clients use friendly, Republican lobbyists.

Today, Senator Byron Dorgan told the committee Abramoff and Scanlon lurked in a “cesspool of greed.” A Washington grand jury, the FBI and a task force of five different federal agencies are also looking into the cesspool. That’s why Abramoff took the 5th.

<snip>

E-mails first published by the Post, seem to show that Abramoff and Scanlon paid a company run by Ralph Reed $4.2 million from 2001 to 2003 to help shut down casinos that might be competition for their clients or, in some cases, to prevent new ones from opening.

What’s especially interesting is that Reed now the southern regional chairman of President Bush’s reelection campaign. He was once the executive director of the Christian Coalition and is one of most influential figures on the Christian right.

In one of several egregious cases, Abramoff and Scanlon hired Reed to bring evangelical wrath unto the Tigua tribe’s Speaking Rock Casino in El Paso, Texas and shut it down. The plan was for Abramoff and Scanlon to vulture down to snag the Tigua tribe as a new client.

<snip>

"Some stupid lobbyists up here who do Indian issues. We'll find out and make sure all our friends crush them like bugs," Abramoff e-mailed back.

...keep reading - this shit's so thick it doesn't stir...

Casino Lobbyist Won't Answer Questions
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=873883

[anarchy1999]

44. Thanks, ever so much. This is so big!! This can take down DeLay, Inc.

Today is my birthday and I could not have been given a better present. Thanks for all your help today.

Just got back from the rally with the Bolano brothers. They were absolutely awesome!!! They will be in Fort Worth tonight and then on to West Texas, back to El Paso and then will leave for New Mexico and all points west to the West Coast. They are campaigning for Kerry.

Rick Bolano gave an awe inspiring speech (I teared up at one moment)! Here's the link to their web-site:

http://www.veteransforamerica.com/guestbook.htm


The four brother have the distinction of being the only family in the United States to have four brothers serve in Viet Nam at the same time. Three of them were in actual combat together in Dong Ha. They were cited for their patriotism in a letter from President Lyndon Baines Johnson. The Bolanos Brothers are presently traveling extensively throughout the United States with the Band of Brothers, a core group of Veterans who passionately support Senator John Kerry For President of the United States

[seemslikeadream]

45. Did you see this in LBN?

sofa king (486 posts) Thu Sep-30-04 03:44 PM
Response to Original message

24. Scanlon might be sitting on something even bigger: Roger Stone.


Guess who also cut his teeth in the American Indian ripoff business in the past four years? According to the Village Voice, it was Brooks Brothers Riot orchestrator Roger Stone. As a reward for stopping the recount in Florida, Dick Cheney purportedly let Stone name the people he wanted to the National Indian Gaming Commission.

Democratic Underground tried very hard last week to connect Roger Stone to the feeding of spurious documents to CBS.

http://www.nigc.gov/nigc/nigcControl?option=ABOUT_COM
http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0416/barrett.php
http://64.62.196.98/News/2004/001456.asp
Roger Stone's rebuttal site:
http://www.thetruthaboutstone.com /

Extra points will be awarded if a connection can be established between the faulty CBS documents and Ralph Reed, owner of the reprehensible godhatesfags.com website.

[anarchy1999]

47. Just got off the phone with VetWife, I've got to go to Debate Party

to rep for my candidate I'm working for. I'll get back with you later.
S

Just give me a little time, way too much is happening here. The snakes and the roaches are in trouble.

[proud patriot]

34. These people are So SICK

:mad:

[shanti]

36. you know that they most likely use these terms

for anyone who isn't white:-(

[hatrack]

38. Kicking for the lunchtime crowd nt

.

[anarchy1999]

39. Please help keep kicked up. I've got to leave for a couple of hours.

Veterans for Kerry Road Rally is in Dallas right now and I'm late!!

Thanks everyone!!

[noiretextatique]

41. perhaps they will be disnenfrachised also

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x2432058

[faithnotgreed]

42. im so thankful for du!

to start, all i can do is pray for these men. its not easy but its the best thing i can do right now.

then, i also have to work and vote to get bush and all the other similar people out of office, and support richard morrison (who is running against delay in texas and is within 8 points), and just go on down the chain.

[Zhade]

43. Same mentality as those who murdered my ancestors.

Nice.

[kispoko]

46. kick

thank you all for your work on this and attention..... it'll be passed around a bit outside of here.


thanks again!