Santorum’s K Street Whitewash
Santorum’s K Street Whitewash
Today, Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) denied that his Tuesday K Street Project meetings were designed to secure lobbying jobs for Republican congressional staffers and other loyalists. Santorum claimed the K Street Project “has not been about putting pressure on people to hire individuals. We never did that. We don’t do that and we wouldn’t do that.” Watch it:
Apparently, he is the only one who is confused about what was going on at his own meetings:
And Santorum’s Tuesday meetings are a crucial part of that effort. Every week, the lobbyists present pass around a list of the jobs available and discuss whom to support. Santorum’s responsibility is to make sure each one is filled by a loyal Republican–a senator’s chief of staff, for instance, or a top White House aide, or another lobbyist whose reliability has been demonstrated. After Santorum settles on a candidate, the lobbyists present make sure it is known whom the Republican leadership favors. “The underlying theme was [to] place Republicans in key positions on K Street. Everybody taking part was a Republican and understood that that was the purpose of what we were doing,” says Rod Chandler, a retired congressman and lobbyist who has participated in the Santorum meetings. “It’s been a very successful effort.”
The first step to recovery is acknowledging the problem. Santorum has a long way to go.
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Sen. Santorum has always been a liar, so who cares what he thinks or claims > lol.
January 17th, 2006 at 5:28 pmOops, caught lying again. His next response will either be:
a. Technically taken out of context
or
b. Look over there at Hillary!
January 17th, 2006 at 5:28 pmI’m glad you guys didn’t use the ‘whitewash’ title yesterday - that would have been a little ‘crass’. :)
January 17th, 2006 at 5:29 pmEverybody but the guy who called the meeting.
Yeah right.
January 17th, 2006 at 5:31 pmLying M***** ****ers
January 17th, 2006 at 5:36 pmPot, Kettle, Black. Judd has denied his own problems more than once, but I guess he doesn’t mind throwing stones in a glass house. [Note: Sorry about the mixed metaphor.]
Judd’s problem here - which he shares with the rest of the fever swamp Left - is that he refuses to call Democrats on the same carpet as Republicans. The result is that, while Democrats continue to deny they are part of the problem, the GOP is already moving to elect new leaders and reform the system. Democrats are sticking with the same old leaders, and they have yet to introduce a single reform measure.
January 17th, 2006 at 5:59 pmSantorum acts so high and mighty, but he’s one of the sleeziest guys in his party. And, that’s saying a lot.
January 17th, 2006 at 6:02 pmI’m not saying there are no democrats who act unethically. But no democrats were part of the K Street Project. In fact, it was set up specifically to exclude democrats.
January 17th, 2006 at 6:03 pmBy the way, #6, it’s been known for a week that Dems are announcing their plan to address the Republican corruption tomorrow. Hastert and Drier hastily put together and announced their plan today in order to appear as if they’re taking charge.
January 17th, 2006 at 6:04 pmWell said Judd.
Blue State Red, why are you opposed to holding the criminal republicans responsible for selling you out? They’ve had years to fix this, why did it take 3 convictions of Delay by his peers of ethics violations, Cunningham and Abramoff’s cast of thousands before they decided to do something? Are you saying none of the leadership knew this was crooked and wrong until they ‘got caught in public’? So far not a single democrat has been implicated by the Abramoff contributions, or the numerous other scandals. And yet you wish to pretend there’s a problem with Democrats that doesn’t seem to exist anywhere but in the imagination of Republicans.
Perhaps if Democrats had power, they could be corrupted somehow, but as Republicans like to point out, Democrats are powerless, so therefore how could powerless people be corrupted by power? Surely you’ve thought this through further than a mindless rant - haven’t you?
January 17th, 2006 at 6:07 pmNothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
January 17th, 2006 at 6:14 pmfigures the girlie men cant stand on their own feet like the herd does, and that they cannot use their own minds but depend on fellow ringknockers. So much for working hard and get ahead, join a group of cheats and liars. Right IRI? Dont use your Brain but your lips?
January 17th, 2006 at 6:15 pmBecome a pansie be a congressman for the republican and sell your fellow Americans rights, usurp the judicial system for greed to the corporate lobbyists and think tank whores of astro turf and mindless lawyer books of pundits such as Coulter, Rush, or Orielly, truly terrible books of the ‘Intellectuals’ such as Libbies book the apprentice, or Lynn Cheneys trysts, Send our children to war to fill your pockets for Ideologies. Wolfowitz the most incompetent of all now at world bank….
Elites must PUKE , or how I feel when looking at these ‘Leaders”
Cheesy Sleazy Greazy incompetents all.
January 17th, 2006 at 6:22 pmBecause the GOP has to and we don’t nimrod.
January 17th, 2006 at 6:23 pmDemocrats are sticking with the same old leaders, and they have yet to introduce a single reform measure.
Comment by Blue State Red
umm,the Democratic senate leadership has banned any gifts from lobbiers for democrats and are introducing legislation on wed for ethics reform. So, wrong again, BSR…. Now you can beat your headon that brick wall some more.
January 17th, 2006 at 6:24 pmMore on the inner workings of the K Street Project and how it was morphed into a Republican-run operation:
[SouthWest Missouri Congressman] Blunt began moving up the leadership ladder two years after taking office in 1997. A former Missouri secretary of state, Blunt was chosen by DeLay to become chief deputy whip after House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) voiced concern that there “was a vacuum in the outreach to K Street,” Hartley said. Blunt was given the responsibility for the day-to-day meetings with lobbyists and for targeting members wavering in their votes on specific bills, said Hartley, who is now a lobbyist with Cassidy & Associates.
In effect, Blunt, in his second term, became the House GOP’s key liaison with the lobbyists who not only represent clients in virtually every member’s district, but also direct the flow of individual and political action committee contributions from the 1,600 corporations and 1,200 trade associations with PACs.”
January 17th, 2006 at 6:27 pmHouse Majority Whip Exerts Influence by Way of K Street
forgot to add the url to the story
January 17th, 2006 at 6:30 pmhttp://rawstory.com/ news/ 2005/ Senate_Democratic_Whip_also_bans_gifts_0117.html
“I’m not saying there are no democrats who act unethically. But no democrats were part of the K Street Project. In fact, it was set up specifically to exclude democrats.”
Exactly, Judd. Focusing solely on the ethics issues raised by the K Street Project is the same as focusing only on Republicans, as opposed to a principled criticism of all congressional corruption. Both Democrats and Republicans accepted money from Abramoff and/or his clients; both Democrats and Republicans have benefited from private travel; and both Democrats and Republicans (and their staffers) have abused the “revolving door” rules. Not all Democrats and Republicans, mind you, but some in each party, including some in each party’s leadership.
The distinction, therefore, is not between Democrats and Republicans. It is between ethical and unethical. If TP is supposed to be a “progressive” site, and not a purely partisan site, then the ethical criticisms applied to DeLay, Santorum and other Republicans have to be applied equally to Reid, Clyburn and other Democrats.
One can make a persuasive argument that Republicans are moving faster than Democrats on ethics reform because their feet are being held closer to the fire by their own grassroots activists. If that is true, TP and other progressive websites must also singe a few Democrats in order for effective reform to take place. Anything less is a disservice to the country.
The one exception to this “fair and balanced” approach is the Cunningham case. In light of his felony guilty plea he deserves all the criticism he gets, regardless of what others may have done.
January 17th, 2006 at 6:31 pm“Blue State Red, why are you opposed to holding the criminal republicans responsible for selling you out?”
I’m not. My position is that convicted criminals should be punished according to the law, regardless of their political affiliation. In addition, I am against the criminalization of political activity, regardless of political affiliation. What’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander, and both sides should enjoy the broadest possible First Amendment protection.
January 17th, 2006 at 6:37 pmBSR is there a second, Democrat K-Street Project you haven’t told us about? What is the biggest bribery scandal in Congress today? It is the Republican scandal. Would you prefer to go after the small scandals first, and ignore the really big one? Look how much noise Republicans made over Whitewater (which turned out to be nothing). By that standard, we are not making nearly enough noise about DeLay and his cronies.
And tell me, if Abramoff pleaded guilty of bribing Congress, why have no Congressmen been charged with taking bribes? And why is the Republican (again) leadership so uninterested in pursuing this?
January 17th, 2006 at 6:43 pmand both sides should enjoy the broadest possible First Amendment protection.
Comment by Blue State Red — January 17, 2006 @ 6:37 pm
How is Santorum’s denying his involvement in the K Street Project, a 1st amendment issue?
January 17th, 2006 at 6:43 pmSorry Judd,
I am not usually a stickler for spelling, but you spelled Ricks’s last name wrong.
It’s spelled S A N I T A R I U M.
Rick Sanitarium.
We want to get someones name as important as he is correct.
January 17th, 2006 at 6:46 pmThere is a big distinction between Democrats and Republicans, BSR. It is a distinction Republicans worked very hard to make. I’m not going to let them undo years of hard work now.
January 17th, 2006 at 6:50 pm#6 BSR
The Dems are fixing to launch the greatest reform measure yet! It is called Impeachment. Welcome aboard.
January 17th, 2006 at 6:51 pmJudd, for those who insist that only Republicans are implicated in the Abramoff scandal, there is this excerpt from an AP article last November (which I’ve been saving for this occasion):
[BEGIN EXCERPT]
“Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada sent a letter to Norton on March 5, 2002, that also was signed by Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev.
“The next day, the Coushattas issued a $5,000 check to Reid’s tax-exempt political group, the Searchlight Leadership Fund.
“A second Abramoff tribe sent an additional $5,000 to Reid’s group.
“Reid ultimately received more than $66,000 in Abramoff-related donations between 2001 and 2004.”
[END EXCERPT]
So far, Sen. Reid has refused to return any of this money. His position, last I heard it announced, is that the Abramoff scandal is purely a Republican problem.
We already know that’s not true, so if reform is to work “progressives” must demand from Sen. Reid the same accountability now being demanded of Republicans by GOP activists. The question, Judd, is whether they have the courage and honesty to do so.
January 17th, 2006 at 6:52 pmGregor, the formula is: If it’s Republicans, it’s a first amendment right, if it’s Democrats, any allegation is proof positive they are pure evil.
redstate just recently made a bunch of noise about the phrase “probably cause” as it relates to Hillary Clinton’s fundraising (after she was cleared of wrongdoing). So for Dems, probably cause = guilty, for Repubs, guilty = exercising first amendment rights.
Simple, isn’t it? Except for those who try to defend the “morality” of Republican politics.
January 17th, 2006 at 6:52 pmBSR, that’s a rather weak accusation to be saving. We have guilty pleas from lifelong Republicans, and the Congressional investigation has not yet even begun.
Come back when you have a Democrat named in an indictment, even if it’s Representative A.
And how exactly do you define “Abramoff-related donations?”
And GOP activits have not demanded any accountability, only a reshuffling of the leadership deck to distance themselves from their best friend Jack Abramoff.
If they really wanted accountability, they would have convened public hearings by now, before not after the reshuffling.
January 17th, 2006 at 6:57 pmBSR,
Thank you for tracking down this quote for us to use against you:
Now, point out where in your quote does it say ABRAMOFF gave REID money.
Nope, just a client.
Next.
January 17th, 2006 at 7:00 pmFocusing solely on the ethics issues raised by the K Street Project is the same as focusing only on Republicans, as opposed to a principled criticism of all congressional corruption.
Comment by Blue State Red — January 17, 2006 @ 6:31 pm
The Abramoff scandal has has been called “the biggest congressional corruption scandal in generations.”
The Fast Rise and Steep Fall of Jack Abramoff
It also has been said that it has the “potential to become the biggest congressional scandal in over a century”.
Corruption Inquiry Threatens to Ensnare Lawmakers
What other ethics issue should be more pressing?
Also, it would seem you didn’t get your copy of the National Review:
January 17th, 2006 at 7:04 pmIt is true that any Washington influence peddler is going to spread cash and favors as widely as possible, and 210 members of Congress have received Abramoff-connected dollars. But this is, in its essence, a Republican scandal, and any attempt to portray it otherwise is a misdirection.
The Abramoff Scandal - It’s the Republicans, stupid.
Actually, my reference to the First Amendment was meant to advocate maximum political speech rights for all politicians, with disclosure and transparency of donations, instead of the campaign finance rules that now restrict political speech. McCain-Feingold made this problem worse, not better, for everyone.
January 17th, 2006 at 7:05 pmSen. Santorum has always been a liar, so who cares what he thinks or claims > lol.
Comment by Jay Randal #1
Ditto…
January 17th, 2006 at 7:06 pmDid you notice how Santorum qualified his statement? He said they never pressured K-Street to hire ‘individuals’. So in other words, they didn’t tell K-Street exactly whom to hire, only to make sure they were a loyal Republican:
“has not been about putting pressure on people to hire individuals. We never did that. We don’t do that and we wouldn’t do that.”
January 17th, 2006 at 7:06 pmActually, my reference to the First Amendment was meant to advocate maximum political speech rights for all politicians,
Comment by Blue State Red — January 17, 2006 @ 7:05 pm
Nobody is trying to deny Sen. Santorum’s right to free speech -as far as I am concerned, he can prattle all he wants.
But what you are asking is that nobody should criticise him when he talks nonsense, or when he utters a blatant misrepresentation.
In other words, you are asking for self-censorship. Not the best idea in (what should be) a healthy democracy.
January 17th, 2006 at 7:10 pm“Also, it would seem you didn’t get your copy of the National Review:
It is true that any Washington influence peddler is going to spread cash and favors as widely as possible, and 210 members of Congress have received Abramoff-connected dollars. But this is, in its essence, a Republican scandal, and any attempt to portray it otherwise is a misdirection.”
I agree with NR as far as this comment goes. Republicans have to hold their leaders’ feet to the fire, and they are. But the needed reforms will have to be bipartisan to be effective. That’s why the liberal grassroots have a vital role to play in the reform process. Hold your own leaders’ feet to the fire also, or hold your tongue altogether!
January 17th, 2006 at 7:10 pmIsn’t this the guy that enrolled his kids in a private school on the taxpayer’s dollar by misrepresenting his real address?
January 17th, 2006 at 7:13 pmI don’t think ethics is part of his lexicon.
“But what you are asking is that nobody should criticise him when he talks nonsense, or when he utters a blatant misrepresentation.”
My only request - and it was directed to Judd - is that TP should devote equal time and energy to ALL the corruption issues out there, not just those involving Republicans. Otherwise, Judd will wake up one day to find a large number of skunks still residing in the Democratic woodpile.
January 17th, 2006 at 7:14 pmJust because you think this is a partisan issue doesn’t mean it is.
January 17th, 2006 at 7:21 pmbi-partisan
January 17th, 2006 at 7:23 pmOtherwise, Judd will wake up one day to find a large number of skunks still residing in the Democratic woodpile.
Comment by Blue State Red — January 17, 2006 @ 7:14 pm
That’s so thoughtful of you -thank you.
/sarcasm off
Since when are you so concerned for the well-being of the “fever swamp Left” -as you have repeatedly called us?
January 17th, 2006 at 7:25 pmLOL - Keep opening your mouth, intelligent design Ricky. With every word you speak you lose one more vote in PA. Enjoy your last 11 1/2 months in the Senate Ricky because you won’t be returning in January. Asking Rick Santorum to defend the K Street Gang is like asking a fox to guard the hen house. Oh, sure, the fox says, “the chickens are safe with me”.
January 17th, 2006 at 7:26 pmOops - looks like the paid neocon Bushcos are here again spreading disinformation. What’s the matter - can’t you have an intelligent chat with your neocon conservatives on your right wing blogs?
January 17th, 2006 at 7:31 pm“My only request - and it was directed to Judd - is that TP should devote equal time and energy to ALL the corruption issues out there, not just those involving Republicans. Otherwise, Judd will wake up one day to find a large number of skunks still residing in the Democratic woodpile. Blue State Red”
Equal time implies that there’s equal corruption - which is not the case. What you want is unequal emphasis to distract from the rampant republican corruption. That would be irresponsible - something you don’t have a problem with? Clearly not, too bad.
January 17th, 2006 at 7:32 pmI agree with NR as far as this comment goes. Republicans have to hold their leaders’ feet to the fire, and they are. But the needed reforms will have to be bipartisan to be effective. That’s why the liberal grassroots have a vital role to play in the reform process. Hold your own leaders’ feet to the fire also, or hold your tongue altogether!
Comment by Blue State Red
When I see wrong doing by a democrat, I will gladly hold his feet to a fire.Ihate corrupt pols, whether dem or republican. If they violate the law, ther need kicked out of office and escorted to the nearest jail cell for violation of the public trust.
Untill then , I will not hold my tongue, what you are asking is infringing on other’s first amendment right.
Quit trying to defend you crooked republicans, frankly Iamastounded that you would defend their blantant breaking of the law and their lies.
Hold my tomgue? Hell no.
January 17th, 2006 at 7:34 pmTP should devote equal time and energy to ALL the corruption issues out there, not just those involving Republicans.
Comment by Blue State Red — January 17, 2006 @ 7:14 pm
But since -as you have kindly reminded us, over and over again, using the cute nickname “fever swamp Left” when talking about Think Progress- Republicans control the White House, the Senate, and the House, it stands to reason that most of the criticism would be directed towards Republicans.
Devoting equal time would be disingenuous, misleading, and irresponsible, as RightPunch rightly pointed out.
January 17th, 2006 at 7:37 pmI agree with NR as far as this comment goes. Republicans have to hold their leaders’ feet to the fire, and they are. But the needed reforms will have to be bipartisan to be effective. That’s why the liberal grassroots have a vital role to play in the reform process. Hold your own leaders’ feet to the fire also, or hold your tongue altogether!
Comment by Blue State Red #44
Fool State inb’Red,
You won!
What happened to that?
“We won”
Remember that?
Now, get over it. Your party’s in power. Your party’s corrupt, and treasonous…
Don’t try to paint us Dems with your DIRTY BRUSH!
Be the PROUD, SUPERIOR, and MORAL party you are!
January 17th, 2006 at 8:07 pmOnly a true Rovian would see the Republican Bribery Scandal as an opportunity to criticize Democrats.
And face it, under Clinton we had 8 years of Republicans crying wolf every time there was an amended tax return.
January 17th, 2006 at 8:09 pmSantorum has always gotten himself into goofy shenanigans! A while back he claimed that homosexuality leads to bestiality with animals, which is completely nutty idea!
He claims to be a devout born-again Christian, but he is very close-minded! Supposedly he brought his stillborn child home, for his other kids to see, before burial?
He is a very wishy-washy guy to be put in a position to clean-up lobbying problems in Washington, DC! I do not believe that he is honest enough to remain in the Senate!
January 17th, 2006 at 9:54 pmTime for some Rick Santorum quotes:
“And if the Supreme Court says that you have the right to consensual sex within your home, then you have the right to bigamy, you have the right to polygamy, you have the right to incest, you have the right to adultery. You have the right to anything.”
Sen. Rick Santorum’s comments on homosexuality in an AP interview
“The idea is that the state doesn’t have rights to limit individuals’ wants and passions. I disagree with that. I think we absolutely have rights because there are consequences to letting people live out whatever wants or passions they desire.”
Sen. Rick Santorum’s comments on homosexuality in an AP interview
“I would argue that the future of our country hangs in the balance because the future of marriage hangs in the balance. (…) Isn’t that the ultimate homeland security, standing up and defending marriage?”
Same-Sex Ban Falls Short In Senate
“Priests, like all of us, are affected by culture. When the culture is sick, every element in it becomes infected. While it is no excuse for this scandal, it is no surprise that Boston, a seat of academic, political and cultural liberalism in America, lies at the center of the storm.”
January 18th, 2006 at 1:33 amFishers of Men
It’s hypocrisy when Rick condemn Boston because of the action of priets in Boston. However, he didn’t say a word about Philadelphia after the big priets molestation scandal hit the Philadelphia Inquirer. Funny thing, the States that are so worried about homosexuality destroying marriage are the States that have the highest heterosexual divorce rate. Go figure - humm, no connection between homosexuality and divorce rates. It’s more like a connection between heterosexulaity and divorce rates. The very MORAL CHRISTIAN states that support Bush have the highest divorce rates.
January 18th, 2006 at 7:44 amBSR,
January 19th, 2006 at 11:51 pmWe get your point,yes Democrates and Republican should be called on the carpet for unethical behavior.
But what the public is seeing is corruption at a massive level by Republicans.
Democrates have never been the party of business,that been the Republicans cause.(The RNC is a .com and the DNC is a .org if you havent noticed)
You can try to drag your argument about Democrate corruption into a forum about Republican corruption but its seems to me that you just refuse to give up on the Republican Party and you refuse to accept the fact that you are in a party designed to screw the little guy and fatten the rich.
Little Ricky is not very smart. Where are his handlers? He needs to remember as he is riding on the “christian right”,”It is easier for a rich man to pass through the eye of a needle than enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” Boy is he ever going to have a rough go of it!
RNC talking point #2 CLINTON DID IT (so you can’t hold us responsible for our criminal actions).
January 23rd, 2006 at 9:08 pm[…] Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA), the founder of the infamous K Street Project is the number one recipient of lobbyist monies, according to a report just published by Congress Watch of Public Citizen. […]
May 23rd, 2006 at 2:53 pm[…] That's right, the man who helped found the very K Street Project and then tried to deny its existence, our own junior senator from right here in Pennsylvania, Rick Santorum. Looking at those four election cycles from 1998 through 2004, Public Citizen found that the Pa. Republican had raked in $1,163,560 from registered lobbyists — $838,133 from individuals, and $325,427 from their political action committees. […]
May 24th, 2006 at 12:16 pm[…] political action committees….read on" Filed Under: Santorum Trackback Permalink postCount(’8391′); | EMail ThisPost […]
July 23rd, 2006 at 10:03 pm