Damaging Schaffer/Abramoff disclosures continue
| By Alan Franklin - Apr 11th, 2008 at 10:06 am EDT |
Yesterday, the Denver Post blew open the story of Colorado Senate candidate Bob Schaffer's ties to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff and efforts to thwart labor rights and immigration reforms in the Northern Mariana Islands, a US territory.
Today, the Post continues, looking deeper into relationships we talked about here earlier in the week:
Schaffer twice endorsed Abramoff ally
The oddly close relationship between Schaffer and Governor Fitial was one of the first things I noted when I began looking into Schaffer's history in the Northern Marianas, right after Schaffer praised the territory's immigration policies as a "model" for the rest of the nation. What the Post has found reinforces the unique nature of that relationship--Fitial's only federal campaign donations in the 2004 election cycle went to Schaffer, President Bush, and the RNCC.
And Fitial was the lead--at times against all other opinion in the territory--advocate for Jack Abramoff's multimillion-dollar contract to lobby for the territory...
Colorado Pols notes today that Schaffer campaign manager Dick Wadhams is doing his boss no favors by essentially cussing out any reporter who comes calling about the story. The Guvs remind us of the last time Wadhams tried to "defend" his embattled client this way--George Allen's "Macaca" crisis.
Everybody remember how that turned out?
UPDATE (Bobby): Dick Wadhams is funny. From one of the AP stories last night:
I guess Wadhams thinks if he chants "Boulder liberal" three times and clicks his heels this Schaffer/Abramoff story will go away. (smile)
Today, the Post continues, looking deeper into relationships we talked about here earlier in the week:
Schaffer twice endorsed Abramoff ally
At two key moments in the political life of Benigno Fitial -- governor of the Northern Mariana Islands and a powerful former ally of now-jailed lobbyist Jack Abramoff -- then-Congressman Bob Schaffer was among several Republican U.S lawmakers who stepped in to lend their support, according to a copy of advertisements posted on a national blog and another obtained by The Denver Post.
The first was in 1999, when Fitial, who supported the islands' garment industry, was preparing an underdog run for House speaker of the Commonwealth Legislature. The second came two years later, when Fitial was running for governor of the islands.
The two instances, in which Schaffer endorsed Fitial in ads in island newspapers, show that Schaffer has had close and enduring ties with key politicians on the American protectorate, extending relationships he developed while on a fact-finding mission there in August 1999. They also show that Schaffer was part of a concerted and public campaign by Republicans on the House Committee on Natural Resources to boost Fitial's public career when he became key to extending a multimillion-dollar lobbying contract for Abramoff from the island's government.
Schaffer's ties to the Northern Mariana Islands and Abramoff have been the subject of new scrutiny as he campaigns for Colorado's open U.S. Senate seat.
Schaffer campaign manager Dick Wadhams declined Thursday to discuss his candidate's role in island politics. "The Denver Post continues its character assassination of Bob Schaffer," he said.
The oddly close relationship between Schaffer and Governor Fitial was one of the first things I noted when I began looking into Schaffer's history in the Northern Marianas, right after Schaffer praised the territory's immigration policies as a "model" for the rest of the nation. What the Post has found reinforces the unique nature of that relationship--Fitial's only federal campaign donations in the 2004 election cycle went to Schaffer, President Bush, and the RNCC.
And Fitial was the lead--at times against all other opinion in the territory--advocate for Jack Abramoff's multimillion-dollar contract to lobby for the territory...
Colorado Pols notes today that Schaffer campaign manager Dick Wadhams is doing his boss no favors by essentially cussing out any reporter who comes calling about the story. The Guvs remind us of the last time Wadhams tried to "defend" his embattled client this way--George Allen's "Macaca" crisis.
Everybody remember how that turned out?
UPDATE (Bobby): Dick Wadhams is funny. From one of the AP stories last night:
"We do look forward to when Boulder liberal Udall has Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to Colorado for Boulder liberal Udall to defend Sen. Reid's involvement with Abramoff," he said.
I guess Wadhams thinks if he chants "Boulder liberal" three times and clicks his heels this Schaffer/Abramoff story will go away. (smile)
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Another item about Schaffer that sticks with me: his treatment of Jay Bennish, the teacher who had the temerity to compare Bush's remarks to those of Hitler. As a member of the State BOE, Schaffer jumped way off the procedural tracks to criticize Bennish and call for his termination.