VIDEO: Rachel Maddow owns J.D. Hayworth

By GottaLaff

I liveblogged it here. And here is the post about Hayworth's despicable comments comparing same-sex marriage to bestiality.

Now the video... enoy:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Safavian Found Guilty... Again

By GottaLaff

Via TPM:

The Associated Press reports:

David Safavian was found guilty of one count of obstruction and three counts of making false statements to investigators. Each count carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

Safavian, the former top procurement official at the White House, was on trial for lying to investigators about his relationship with disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff. His 2006 conviction on similar charges had been overturned.

AP adds:

Safavian and his lawyers decided this week not to put on a defense, ending their case without calling a single witness or without Safavian testifying.

Buh-bye now, Davey.

Wal-Mart fires GOP lobbyist over Abramoff charges

By GottaLaff

From the Department of So What Else Is New:

Wal-Mart has fired Jim Hirni, its top in-house Republican lobbyist, who is expected to plead guilty to corruption charges in the Jack Abramoff scandal.

Another day, another GOP corruption charge.

Jack Abramoff sentenced

By GottaLaff

Today, U.S. District Judge Ellen Huvelle sentenced disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff to four years in prison “on conspiracy and other charges after federal prosecutors recommended leniency due to Abramoff’s cooperation in pursuing corruption cases against lawmakers and former administration officials. He faced a maximum of 11 years under a plea deal reached in 2006.”

Look who has an ad linking John Sidney McCain with Ralph Reed

By GottaLaff


It's called "Never."

Ben Smith of Politico:

In another local negative spot -- this one running only in Atlanta, per the AJC -- Obama airs an ad linking McCain and Ralph Reed, and suggesting McCain deliberately let him off the hook in his Indian Affairs Committee investigation of Jack Abramoff's Indian lobbying.

Despite the ad's implication, that investigation was reviled by the GOP lobbying establishment.

Dumping BushCo Foes for Dummeez

By GottaLaff

It's simple, boys and girls! Watch and see how easy it is to get someone who won't do your bidding, fired! Jack Abramoff and his creepy colleagues did it, and so can you! Tired of those employees who won't let you use them for political gain and power grabs? You are? Well, just dump 'em! It's as simple as pie! All you gotta do is follow the bouncing e-mails*:

Jan. 29 [2001]: Rudy to a Greenberg colleague: "We need to get the background material on stayman to ken mehlman. . . . He said he would kill him."

Colleague to Rudy: "What???"

Rudy to colleague: "Mehlman said he would get him fired."

Colleague to Rudy: "Excellent."

May 9: Kladakis to Rudy: "I have not forgotten your concern about Alan Stayman -- we just have had to work on filling our top positions before focusing on the possibly problematic people."

June 11: Rudy to Kladakis: "Stayman is a term appointment and his current term ends June 23. If not renewed, that would be it for Al. Any news?"

June 14: Rudy to Kladakis: "Here is a perfect candidate for stayman's job."

June 18: Rudy to Schlapp: "There is a Clintonista . . . scheduled to be renewed on the 23rd of this month unless action is taken. . . . Is there any way you can weigh in presidential personnel?"

Schlapp to Kladakis: "How do we fix this?"

Kladakis to Schlapp: "I need to know if Stayman is a career or a political appointee. . . . I think we can do something about it, but I'm trying to figure out what is the best way to go about it. I don't want a firing scandal on our hands."

June 20: Kladakis to Schlapp: "Good news -- State is going to inform Stayman that his term is not going to be extended, so as of June 30 he will be gone. I will let Tony Rudy know."

June 25: Abramoff to Ralston: "We have been informed that [Stayman] . . . may be retained . . . by the Bush Administration. . . . We think Mr. Stayman's retention would be a serious mistake." The e-mail cited allegations that aides to Stayman in a previous job were involved in improper political efforts and that Stayman had donated money to Democrats. "We urge you to intercede and block the appointment."

June 26: Ralston to Schlapp: "Do you know anything about this?"

Schlapp to Ralston: "Yes, we are all over it. This is a problem."

June 29: Ralston to Rove: "I'm getting many calls from conservatives really angry about this. . . . State is lying about reasons for keeping Stayman on board."

July 2: Ralston to Stephen J. Hadley, then deputy national security adviser: "Karl asked me to pass this email [from Abramoff] on to you. . . . Can you help?"

July 5: Rove to Schlapp: "where are we on this?"

July 6: White House personnel official Stuart W. Holliday to Jack Oliver, then deputy chairman of Republican National Committee: "We pulled the plug on him -- he will be cycling out."

July 9: Ralston to Abramoff: "He'll be out in 4 months."

Abramoff to Ralston: "Great. Thanks."

There you have it! String-pulling is a snap... if you hang with the right crowd, that is! And if that doesn't work, kiddies, hire a hit man. Just make sure you don't get caught.

*Follow the link to find out who all these people are.

Abramoff-linked Safavian gets a legal break

By GottaLaff

[St. Andrews, Scotland, 2002. Jack Abramoff, golf organizer
Jason Murdoch, Ralph Reed, former Bush
administration official David Safavian, and Bob Ney. ]

Abramoff's pal squeaks out a slimy little win, for now:

A federal appeals court struck a blow to the Justice Department’s prosecution of an administration official linked to the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit overturned some of the charges against David Safavian, a former chief of staff for the General Services Administration (GSA), The Associated Press reported Tuesday.

Safavian was convicted of lying to investigators about his relationship with Abramoff and of trying to conceal his assistance in helping Abramoff clients win government contracts.

Why can't the bad ones be put away, and why must the good ones suffer injustices?

Quickies: Kucinich Intros Impeachment Resolution; Obama = Million Dollar Man; and more!

By GottaLaff

So many headlines, so little time. I can't write all of these up, so you get quickies instead:

Kucinich introduces Bush impeachment resolution

Cleveland Democratic Rep. Dennis Kucinich took to the House of Representatives floor on Monday evening to introduce a 35-count resolution to impeach President George W. Bush.

Kucinich claimed Bush "fraudulently" justified the war on Iraq and misled "the American people and members of Congress to believe Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction so as to manufacture a false case for war."

"President George W. Bush, by such conduct, is guilty of an impeachable offense warranting removal from office," Kucinich said.

Barack Obama is $100M man

Leading Democratic fundraisers predict that Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) will raise hundreds of millions of dollars over the next few months if he opts out of public financing and begins raising money for the general election.

Specifically, they say Obama could raise $100 million in June and could attract 2.5 million to 3 million new donors to his campaign.

Gingrich plays counselor to GOP in both chambers
Newt Gingrich, who led the GOP takeover of the House in 1994, is now coaching Republicans on how to recapture the Senate.

For lobbyists, high gas prices are good news
There may be one group of people who don’t mind the soaring oil prices — lobbyists.

Abramoff to be sentenced in September
The imprisoned former GOP lobbyist will learn his fate (more on Abramoff's influence on the White House here)

Department of Obvious Report: Abramoff influenced White House

By GottaLaff

Wow. Am. I. Surprised.

A House panel on Monday released a proposed report saying that disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff “influenced some White House actions.”

The proposed report, compiled by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, said, “Abramoff and his associates had access and influenced some actions at the White House.”

The Moustache of Justice is at it again. Go get 'em Waxman! Now. Somebody start talking. What's that? Something about the Fifth Amendment? Again? This is getting really old.

The document states that the probe was “limited by potential Fifth Amendment claims by several White House officials and Abramoff lobbyists and the committee’s accommodation of Justice Department concerns.”

I am showing an enormous amount of self control right now. I am not screaming. I am not sticking forks into my eyes. ::deep breath:: So. How often did Abramoff talk to Bush?

The investigation also showed that “Abramoff had personal contact with President Bush, that high-level White House officials held Mr. Abramoff and his associates in high regard and solicited recommendations from Mr. Abramoff on policy matters …”

Which policy matters? Which policy matters? When? How often? I want specifics!

The proposed report was issued by committee Chairman Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and ranking Republican Tom Davis (Va.). According to the document, the investigation unveiled that the “White House failed to provide public accountability regarding its relationship with Jack Abramoff.”

Sigh. Tell us something we don't know. In fact, tell us everything.