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September 29, 2006

Say It Ain't So

T
he Abramoff scandal has reared its head again.

Among the items discussed in a report released yesterday by the House Government Reform Committee, per WaPo, was this. An e-mail apparently suggests that a former Abramoff lobbying team member was able to get GOP bigwig Ken Mehlman to pressure Justice Department appointees to release millions of dollars for a new jail for one of Abramoff's Indian tribe client. Tony Rudy of team-Abramoff wrote his boss in a series of November 2001 e-mails that Mehlman said, after learning the tribe had made a big GOP donation, that he would "take care of" the matter involving DOJ.

According to the WaPo, Mehlman did not return a call to comment on the story.

Then the WaPo article adds:

But White House spokesperson Dana Perino called the suggestions of improper influence by Mehlman "triple hearsay by people who have admitted to having lied and oversold their influence with policymakers."

Interesting. Perino colorfully characterized the information cited in the House Report. But she did not deny the accusation.

Seems Ms. Perino is a lot sharper than Scott McClellan when it comes to making denials for White House political operatives. The key is say something disparaging about the information. But never, never answer the question.

I wonder if the WaPo reporter responded to Perino by saying something like this: "Great, thanks. But that wasn't my question. My question is, is it true . . . yes or no?"

UPDATE: In Dan Froomkin's WaPo "White House Briefing Column", he reports another Rove-Perino two-step:

"On learning in July 2002 that Mr. Rove planned to dine at Signatures with a party of 8 to 10 people, Mr. Abramoff wrote to a colleague: 'I want him to be given a very nice bottle of wine and have Joseph whisper in his ear (only he should hear) that Abramoff wanted him to have this wine on the house.' In another e-mail message, Mr. Abramoff directed his restaurant staff to 'please put Karl Rove in his usual table.'

"[Dana] Perino, the White House spokeswoman, said the offer of a free bottle of wine was actually proof of how little acquainted Mr. Abramoff and Mr. Rove were because 'Karl doesn't drink alcohol.'"

Again, I ask, did the WaPo reporter getting Perino's sidestep follow-up with: "Thanks for that interesting bit of biographical info on KR. But my question is, is it true . . . yes or no?"

Posted by shertaugh at September 29, 2006 2:12 PM