Abramoff/Rove/Bush caught selling Oval Office time

[TheCouga]

The Abramoff-Rove-Bush "Oval Office for Sale" operation:

Rove tied to Malaysian-Bush visit

Abramoff reportedly called adviser to get leader into Oval Office

By Tom Hamburger and Peter Wallsten, Tribune Newspapers: Los Angeles Times; staff writer Stephen Braun contributed
Published February 15, 2006


WASHINGTON -- When the government of Malaysia sought to repair its tarnished image in the U.S. by arranging a meeting between President Bush and its controversial prime minister in 2002, it called on lobbyist Jack Abramoff for help.

It was a tall order. A few years earlier, the prime minister, Mahathir Mohamad, had been chastised by the Clinton administration for making anti-Semitic statements and jailing political opponents. But it was important to the Malaysians to get a meeting with Bush, according to an Abramoff associate who attended meetings with the Malaysian ambassador and Abramoff.

Abramoff contacted presidential adviser Karl Rove on at least four occasions to help arrange a meeting, according to an eyewitness to the activities.

Finally, this former associate said, Rove's office called to tell Abramoff personally that the Malaysian leader would get an official White House invitation. In May 2002, Mahathir met with Bush in the Oval Office.

Abramoff received $1.2 million from the Malaysian government for his lobbying services in 2001 and 2002, according to an Abramoff associate. Documents obtained by Senate investigators appear to confirm at least $900,000 of that amount.

It's not clear how central Abramoff was in arranging the Oval Office session. The White House says the meeting was arranged through normal White House and State Department channels.

But it was clear, the former associate said, that Abramoff took credit for arranging the session. At least one other Washington lobbying firm--Alexander Strategies, run by an Abramoff friend and former chief of staff to then-House Majority Leader Tom DeLay--was also credited in some circles for helping arrange the meeting.

But the Malaysia episode suggests a closer tie than previously acknowledged between the highest levels of the Bush White House and Abramoff, who has pleaded guilty to improperly influencing members of Congress and their aides.

The Malaysian payments were made to the American International Center, a bogus "international think tank" that an Abramoff partner, Michael Scanlon, set up at a Delaware beach house. By routing the money in that way, Abramoff identified his client on federal lobbying disclosure forms as the Delaware-based center and avoided having to register as an agent of a foreign government.

The eyewitness was the only person to observe Abramoff's direct contacts with Rove and even then he heard only Abramoff's end of the conversation. He recalled Abramoff picking up his ringing cell phone, flashing the caller ID and saying, "It's Karl." Abramoff listened for a few seconds and gave the associate a thumbs-up. The lobbyist closed his phone and said the official invitation was forthcoming. "Call the ambassador."

The witness' description of the Malaysia episode was backed by another former Abramoff associate and by documents released last year by the Senate Indian Affairs Committee. Both of Abramoff's former associates asked that their names not be used because they feared it could damage their business opportunities.

Both said Abramoff talked of his access to Rove and cited his relationship with Rove's secretary, Susan Ralston, who serves as Rove's administrative assistant. Before joining the White House staff, Ralston was an assistant to Abramoff. One of the former associates said Abramoff referred to Ralston as "my implant" in the White House.

A White House spokeswoman, Erin Healy, said Tuesday that Rove had "no recollection" of any conversations with Abramoff regarding the Malaysian meeting. She said the meeting was arranged through "normal staffing channels."

Bush can one-up Clinton's "selling of the Lincoln Bedroom" by selling the Oval Office.

[Auburndale Ray]

A White House spokeswoman, Erin Healy, said Tuesday that Rove had "no recollection" of any conversations with Abramoff regarding the Malaysian meeting.

It's amazing how so many scumbag "politicians" have "no recollection"...

[TonyJM]

Originally Posted by TheCouga

Bush can one-up Clinton's "selling of the Lincoln Bedroom" by selling the Oval Office.

How does this demonstrate selling the Oval Office, Coug? Did some of Abramoff's lobbying fees go to Rove and Bush at a later point? It seems that the point of interest here is that Abramoff is claiming close ties to the administration - and as a lobbyist, it makes sense that he'd like to play those up.

[lionstigersand...]

Originally Posted by TonyJM

How does this demonstrate selling the Oval Office, Coug? Did some of Abramoff's lobbying fees go to Rove and Bush at a later point? It seems that the point of interest here is that Abramoff is claiming close ties to the administration - and as a lobbyist, it makes sense that he'd like to play those up.

C'mon Tony, don't let that blatantly obvious fact get in the way of a great thread...

[TheCouga]

Originally Posted by TonyJM

How does this demonstrate selling the Oval Office, Coug? Did some of Abramoff's lobbying fees go to Rove and Bush at a later point? It seems that the point of interest here is that Abramoff is claiming close ties to the administration - and as a lobbyist, it makes sense that he'd like to play those up.

I find it hard to believe that Rove and the WH didn't get anything out of the deal. But if anything, it just demonstrates how close Abramoff was to the Bush Administration. Maybe the White House's only payback was the gobs of money Abramoff raised for them in the 2004 election cycle.

[TonyJM]

Originally Posted by TheCouga

I find it hard to believe that Rove and the WH didn't get anything out of the deal. But if anything, it just demonstrates how close Abramoff was to the Bush Administration. Maybe the White House's only payback was the gobs of money Abramoff raised for them in the 2004 election cycle.

They very well could have and we just don't know. It'd be interesting to hear what was actually said during the phone call. This particular episode, assuming it is true, doesn't tell me that the White House and Abramoff were all that close (though they very well could be.) Maybe if the issue or favor was something that stood out a little more. Meeting with the PM of Malaysia was somewhat controversial, but at the same time, Great Britain had meetings and calls with him frequently throughout 2000-2001. I think he had met with Blair just prior to the meeting with Bush. I don't know whose lying here, but it seems pretty conceivable that this did go through normal staffing channels.


-Tony

[lionstigersand...]

Originally Posted by TheCouga

I find it hard to believe that Rove and the WH didn't get anything out of the deal. But if anything, it just demonstrates how close Abramoff was to the Bush Administration. Maybe the White House's only payback was the gobs of money Abramoff raised for them in the 2004 election cycle.

I love the evolution of your threads couga...After all, you only report empirical facts right? So what starts out as another indictment of the Bush Admin. from your perspective...Turns into..."I find it hard to believe" that x and y didn't happen etc...

I've got to believe that you've ground your axe into a spear by this point...

[OldTimey]

Tom Hamburger

That sounds like a name from Rocky and Bullwinkle or something.

[TheCouga]

Originally Posted by lionstigersand...

I love the evolution of your threads couga...After all, you only report empirical facts right? So what starts out as another indictment of the Bush Admin. from your perspective...Turns into..."I find it hard to believe" that x and y didn't happen etc...

I've got to believe that you've ground your axe into a spear by this point...

You mean Abramoff's pioneer status as a Bush fundraiser means nothing to you?

Abramoff raises money for the President, and in exchange, he gets to bill questionable foreign interests millions of dollars for access to the Oval Office. Is there something about this that doesn't make sense to you?

No, I never claimed that the WH got any of this money directly from this deal. But to deny the "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" thing isn't going on here is a bit naive.

[Oblong]

uhh.... that's politics. Not right or wrong. Just the way it is.

[TonyJM]

Originally Posted by TheCouga

But to deny the "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" thing isn't going on here is a bit naive.

I just think it's tough to make a case that its naive based on this episode. We know that Abramoff represented the Prime Minister of Malaysia, and we know the Prime Minister of Malaysia got a meeting with Bush...What we don't know is how much credit Abramoff's close ties to the administration are due here. In 2001-2002, Mohamad made official visits to, at least, Great Britain, France, Germany, Russia and Poland. Is it that much of a stretch to assume that Bush would meet with him without Jack Abramoff's involvement? I don't think so...At the same time, this doesn't mean the White House didn't have close ties to him, it just means making inferences about them based on this story is tenuous at best.


-Tony