more political stuff you dont wanna know about.[views:5728][posts:25]________________________________________________ [May 24,2006 8:54pm - whiskey_weed_and_women ""] Brian Ross Reports: Federal officials say the Congressional bribery investigation now includes Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, based on information from convicted lobbyists who are now cooperating with the government. Part of the investigation involves a letter Hastert wrote three years ago, urging the Secretary of the Interior to block a casino on an Indian reservation that would have competed with other tribes. The other tribes were represented by convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff who reportedly has provided details of his dealings with Hastert as part of his plea agreement with the government. The letter was written shortly after a fund-raiser for Hastert at a restaurant owned by Abramoff. Abramoff and his clients contributed more than $26,000 at the time. The day Abramoff was indicted, Hastert denied any unlawful connection and said he would donate to charity any campaign contribution he had received from Abramoff and his clients. A spokesman for Speaker Hastert told ABC News, "We are not aware of this. The Speaker has a long history and a well-documented record of opposing Indian Reservation shopping for casino gaming purposes." This week, Hastert has been outspoken in his criticism of the FBI for its raid on the office of another congressman under investigation, Democrat William Jefferson of Louisiana. "My opinion is that they took the wrong path, Hastert said of the FBI. "They need to back up, and we need to go from there." ABC News' Rhonda Schwartz and Richard Esposito contributed to this report. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpOcxxuJ7xM&eurl= also democrats now using old republicans against the new republicans...tim ryan is awesome in this clip. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPCZkDaDrGo&eurl= also go check out al gore's movie. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ratO9gje1gQ&eurl= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUiP6dqPynE...today%20show%20inconvenient%20truth |
| _____________________________________ [May 24,2006 9:20pm - HailTheLeaf ""] I donno how I feel about Al Gore's movie, shit someone needs to tell people to wake the fuck up and realize what we're collectively doing to the planet, (and ourselves) and somehow stop it...but I'm afraid people will laugh at this, or ignore it just because Gore is the one doing it. oi, I guess it depends on how the media spin it..if they react at all... I just hope the people who need to see this, actually do. The major problem is that the majority of us are already in favor of doing something about it, but the powers that be haven't let that happen in the last 30-40 years, and aren't about to. They don't care because they won't be here, and apparently they could give a shit about what their children and grandchilden are left to deal with. All they care about is making alot of money, and in their awesome logic that means continuing to rape and pillage the earth, and kill whomever gets in the way. |
| __________________________________________ [May 24,2006 11:33pm - baptizedinresin ""] yup. |
| _______________________________________ [May 24,2006 11:41pm - hungtableed ""] I wouldn't trust anything by al whore and/or his douche bag wife tipper. Talk about a sore fucking loser who is WAY out of step with the concerns of mainstream America. |
| _______________________________________ [May 24,2006 11:46pm - the_reverend ""] serial? |
| _____________________________________ [May 24,2006 11:48pm - anonymous ""] fuckk you all |
| _________________________________________________________ [May 24,2006 11:49pm - The REAL Real Joe Christianni ""] WWDD-WHAT WOULD DIMEBAG DO? WALK ON HOME HASTERT |
| _________________________________ [May 25,2006 12:34am - uh oh ""] i crapped my pants |
| _________________________________________________ [May 25,2006 12:53am - whiskey_weed_and_women ""] uh oh said:i crapped my pants you're not rich horror |
| ______________________________________ [May 25,2006 1:30am - hungtableed ""] [img] |
| ______________________________________ [May 25,2006 1:31am - hungtableed ""] [img] |
| ____________________________________ [May 25,2006 2:33am - PatMeebles ""] Good riddance to shitty politicians. However, this story is not true. http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle....-HASTERT-JUSTICE.xml&archived=False WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department on Wednesday denied a report that the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dennis Hastert, is under investigation by the FBI in connection with a corruption probe. ABC News, citing high level Justice Department sources, said information implicating Hastert had been developed from convicted lobbyists who are now cooperating with the government. But department officials, who asked to not be identified, said the story was not accurate and that Hastert was not under investigation. "The story is wrong. Hastert is not under investigation," one official said. |
| ____________________________________ [May 25,2006 2:34am - RichHorror ""] whiskey_weed_and_women said:uh oh said:i crapped my pants you're not rich horror Yeah. That takes years of hard, dedicated work. |
| ________________________________________________ [May 25,2006 6:31am - whiskey_weed_and_women ""] i dont know pat, i mean did you watch the Jack Cafferty link. i dont believe a lot of shit that CNN says but thats one dood who seems like a straight shooter. |
| ________________________________________________ [May 25,2006 7:27am - whiskey_weed_and_women ""] more from cnn WASHINGTON (CNN) -- House Speaker Dennis Hastert is demanding a "full retraction" of an ABC News report that he is being investigated in connection with the Jack Abramoff corruption probe. The report Wednesday night prompted the Justice Department to take the highly unusual step of denying on the record that the Illinois Republican is the subject of a probe. "Speaker Hastert is not under investigation by the Justice Department," spokeswoman Tasia Scolinos said. Usually, when queried by reporters, the Justice Department neither confirms nor denies the existence of an investigation. Citing the department's denial, Hastert's spokesman, Ron Bonjean, released a statement saying the ABC report was "absolutely untrue." "We are demanding a full retraction of the ABC News story," Bonjean said. However, ABC News posted a statement on its Web site late Wednesday standing by the story. The network said law enforcement sources told ABC that the Justice Department denial meant only that the speaker was not a formal "target" or "subject" of the probe, not that he wasn't under investigation. Hastert deflected questions about the report while on his way to the House floor by telling reporters to "ask the Justice Department." Asked where the report came from, the speaker shook his head and said, "Somebody leaked it." A senior aide to Hastert told CNN that the speaker first learned about the report after it aired. ABC News called shortly before its deadline asking for a response, and his office issued a denial after checking with their lawyers, the aide said. While Hastert did not personally talk to anyone at the Justice Department, senior staff called to find out about the report and were told that the department would be putting out a denial, the aide said. ABC News, citing "high-level official sources," reported that the FBI is investigating a letter Hastert wrote three years ago urging then-Interior Secretary Gale Norton to block an Indian casino that would have competed with casinos operated by other tribes, which were represented by Abramoff. Hastert's letter, the details of which were widely reported during news coverage of the Abramoff case, was written shortly after a fund-raiser for the speaker was held at the lobbyist's Washington restaurant, where Abramoff and his clients made contributions to Hastert. A source involved with the Abramoff case told CNN that Justice Department officials have asked Abramoff about the fund-raiser, which netted $75,000 for Hastert days before he wrote the letter. However, the source said it is unclear if the Justice Department is actively pursuing an investigation of Hastert or simply checking out the details of the fund-raiser. Hastert's office told ABC News that the speaker has "a long history and a well-documented record of opposing Indian reservation shopping for casino gaming purposes." Abramoff, the former high-flying lobbyist with strong connections to GOP leaders, has pleaded guilty to corruption charges and agreed to cooperate with an ongoing federal investigation. The ABC News report came just hours after Hastert and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi demanded that the Justice Department return materials it seized over the weekend during a search of the office of Rep. William Jefferson, a Louisiana Democrat who is the subject of a separate federal corruption probe. Hastert has been outspoken in his criticism of the FBI's search of Jefferson's office, saying it violated the separation of powers between the legislative and executive branches. Asked if Hastert believed the leak to ABC News was retaliation for his criticisms of the Jefferson search, Hastert's senior aide said, "You'll have to ask someone else that." |
| ________________________________________________ [May 25,2006 7:31am - whiskey_weed_and_women ""] the follow up to the Jefferson raid WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Though no one actually defended embattled Rep. William Jefferson, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi joined House Republicans on Wednesday in expressing outrage over the FBI's recent search of the congressman's legislative office. Pelosi, D-California, and House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Illinois, released a joint statement Wednesday saying that the FBI should immediately return all documents it "unconstitutionally seized" Saturday from Jefferson's office. The sharply worded statement came just hours after Pelosi sent a letter to the Louisiana Democrat, urging him to resign his post on the House Ways and Means Committee, a request Jefferson refused. Jefferson, 59, is being investigated for allegedly accepting bribes, but he has not been charged with a crime and has repeatedly proclaimed his innocence. Last week, as the House Ethics Committee opened an investigation into the allegations, Jefferson declared he would run for re-election this year. (Watch how the FBI constructed its case -- 1:28) A search of Jefferson's home in August uncovered $90,000 cash in his freezer, which according to an affidavit was part of a $100,000 bribe an informant gave to Jefferson. The FBI has the transaction on tape, the affidavit said. (Full story) Earlier this month, Kentucky businessman Vernon Jackson pleaded guilty in federal court to giving Jefferson $400,000 in bribes so the congressman would help him promote high-tech business ventures in Africa. In January, former Jefferson aide Brett Pfeffer pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the bribery of a public official. Jackson and Pfeffer have agreed to cooperate with investigators. Dems, GOP join forces Pelosi and Hastert said in their statement that Saturday's FBI search violated the principle of separation of powers and the speech or debate clause in Article 1, Section 6 of the Constitution. Pelosi and Hastert allege that the separation of power principle was violated because the Department of Justice, which governs the FBI and is an offshoot of the executive branch, searched the office of a congressman, a member of the legislative branch. Their Wednesday statement says that the Justice Department "must immediately cease any further review of the documents it unconstitutionally seized, ensure those who have reviewed the documents do not divulge their contents to the investigators, and move in Court to vitiate the search warrant." Both said Jefferson should cooperate with investigators, but only after the documents are returned, according to the statement. Using the same constitutional arguments cited by Hastert and Pelosi, Jefferson's attorneys filed a motion in U.S. District Court on Wednesday seeking return of property taken from Jefferson's office in the raid and that law enforcement authorities be prevented from reviewing any of the materials. "The unprecedented search of the representative's office offends the separation of powers embodied in the United States Constitution and violates the absolute privilege and immunity that members of Congress enjoy under the speech or debate clause of Article 1, Section 6," the motion declared. They also contend the search was unreasonable because requests by one of Jefferson's attorneys and by the House's general counsel to witness the search were rebuffed. House Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner, R-Wisconsin, also announced he will hold a hearing Tuesday to address "profoundly disturbing constitutional questions" raised by the search. Jefferson search a first? Hastert has said the search represents the first time a lawmaker's office has been searched in U.S. history, but the Justice Department says it has conducted similar searches. Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty said Wednesday said that similar searches have been conducted in the past, including searches of federal judges' chambers and the private residences of congressmen. "We believe our actions were lawful and necessary under these very unique circumstances," he said. In an affidavit filed in support of the search warrant for Jefferson's office, prosecutors said they had "exhausted all other reasonable methods to obtain these records in a timely manner." Jefferson and his attorneys insist they were trying to reach an agreement with investigators on turning over materials from his office that were under subpoena. A call to step down Though Pelosi backed her colleague in regard to the search, a letter Pelosi sent hours earlier asking Jefferson to resign from a House committee post was not supportive. "In the interest of upholding the high ethical standard of the House Democratic Caucus, I am writing to request your immediate resignation from the Ways and Means Committee," Pelosi wrote to Jefferson early Wednesday afternoon. But her request was quickly shot down. "With respect, I decline to do so," he wrote. In his reply to Pelosi, Jefferson listed his contributions to the committee and said none of the matters "reported to be under scrutiny involve issues under jurisdiction of the Ways and Means Committee." He also suggested that the request was discriminatory because "no other member currently under federal investigation has been asked to step down from a substantive, legislative committee assignment." So far this year, two other House members have relinquished committee posts while they were under investigation. Rep. Bob Ney, R-Ohio, who has been entangled in the Jack Abramoff investigation, temporarily stepped aside as chairman of the House Administration Committee in January under pressure from Hastert and other GOP leaders. Also, Rep. Alan Mollohan, D-West Virginia, temporarily stepped down as the ranking Democrat on the House Ethics Committee in April, pending resolution of an investigation into his personal finances |
| ______________________________________ [May 25,2006 11:39am - HailTheLeaf ""] ha, I'd actually believe ABC over the Justice Dept. just because they've probably lied less over the last 6 years. |
| _________________________________________________ [May 25,2006 12:48pm - whiskey_weed_and_women ""] http://movies.crooksandliars.com/abc_wnt_h...ribery_complete_060524a_320x240.wmv video of the abc report |
| ___________________________________________ [May 25,2006 12:51pm - dwellingsickness ""] Are you trying to be the new Infoterror?? |
| _________________________________________________ [May 25,2006 12:51pm - whiskey_weed_and_women ""] dwellingsickness said:Are you trying to be the new Infoterror?? nope, i just enjoy how the leaders of congress are going down in flames. |
| _____________________________________ [May 25,2006 4:34pm - HailTheLeaf ""] As do I...I mean come on, it's soooo entertaining. What's better than watching these assholes squirm? |
| ____________________________________ [May 25,2006 5:46pm - PatMeebles ""] Well, that's the problem. They're not squirming. |
| ________________________________ [May 25,2006 6:18pm - retzam ""] hungtableed said:I wouldn't trust anything by al whore and/or his douche bag wife tipper. Talk about a sore fucking loser who is WAY out of step with the concerns of mainstream America. I'd be a sore loser too if I was jipped out of the most important position in the country, especially when I saw how fucking moronic Bush is. Nothing political about it, Bush is not intelligent. |
| ________________________________ [May 25,2006 6:19pm - retzam ""] gypped* |
| ________________________________ [May 25,2006 6:19pm - retzam ""] gyp'd? |
| ________________________________ [May 25,2006 6:19pm - retzam ""] Jieezggyeeeeepppttttt*? |