3:45 PM
. Well, well, well. It just keeps getting better and better...the Godfather of Lobbyists is truly a gift that keeps on giving. We're going to do an entire section on our favorite wannabe gangsta, Jack Abramoff next week.In the meantime, here's a juicy tidbit on his interactions with the Bush family, and how he describes meeting Bush “in almost a dozen settings" (contrary to what the White House says more here). He details how he was personally invited to President Bush’s private ranch in Crawford, Texas, for a gathering of Bush fundraisers in 2003. Abramoff did not attend, citing a religious observance.
Abramoff emailed Eisler about his invitation to Crawford and his decision not to attend:
NO, IT WAS THAT I WOULD HAVE HAD TO TRAVEL ON SATURDAY (SHABBOS). YES, I WAS INVITED, DURING THE 2004 CAMPAIGN. IT WAS SATURDAY AUGUST 9, 2003 AT THE RANCH IN CRAWFORD. more here from the exclusive scoop on Think Progress
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Update 3PM. C'mon, admit it. Everybody loves 'bad boys' and you love Bode Miller - the really bad boy of Olympic Skiing. He's going to tear up those mountains - drunk or not. Remember his apology on 60 Minutes (more here) for 
skiing drunk down a mountain after the World Cup?
Well - he'll have nothing to apologize about when he wins it all for the good ol' USA. Alpine skiing events start February 12, 2006. As this article says, "Shut-up Bode and win." Everything Torino 2006 here
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11:30AM. Whoa. Lonoke, ARK. The mayor, the police chief, and the police chief's wife have been arrested on corruption, drugs, and sex charges (in that order) in this tiny town. (read more here) Betcha somebody's real sorry right about now.
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5:30AM. You'd think that commenting on cartoons would be lighthearted and fun. But noooo, not this week. So let's move on to some really,really refreshing news:
- It's Fashion Week and we're pleased to report, "No Apologies: (Kenneth) Cole Is Fabulous" (more here) His men's and women's collections are..well...fabulous. Thank goodness.
- Oh, and you'll also want to be in the know about what's hot in swag this year. Turns out the Survival Kit is the must have (more here)...very clever (and useful, too). This year's Survival Kits will contain Atkins bars, razors, hair conditioner, a Court TV DVD, and 500-mile coupons from Delta Airlines, among other things. Hey, maybe they could teach FEMA a few tricks about survival...oh, never mind.
" Paris Hilton was ordered on Tuesday to stay away from a Los Angeles party planner who claimed she called him a "lazy Mexican" and bombarded him with threatening phone calls. " (more here) Now here's a story worth following, and we commit to stay on top of it until someone apologizes. Hey, toss Paris one of those survival kits, would ya.- Oh, and Wayne Gretzky's wife caught up in a gambling ring? With mobsters, an accused crooked Assistant Coach, cops, all that? Really? ( more here) . Wow. Our gaming insider had little to say on this one. "Happens all the time (gambling rings getting busted, we guess). Let's just hope she won." (?!?) ______________________________________________________________________________
- Pop! Goes the Weasel. Now, it time fo
r Jack (Abramoff) in the House. You gotta love this guy and all those around him.
-Today in the WaPo: "Rep. John A. Boehner (R-Ohio), (remember, that's Bay-ner, not Bon-er) who was elected House majority leader last week, is renting his Capitol Hill apartment from a veteran lobbyist whose clients have direct stakes in legislation Boehner has co-written and that he has overseen as chairman of the Education and the Workforce Committee." (read more here).
BTW, nice tan, Congressman. You'll want to learn the Tom Delay "perpetual smile" walk so that no matter why you're being photographed (getting indicted, giving a speech, playing golf) you'll look great on camera. As they say in the theatre, never let them see you sweat.
