Town hall meetings

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This is more the behavior of subjects toward a monarch than citizens toward a president. Thanks, think I'll just stay home and improve my own life.

high power positions, media cartels, dead rabbits . . . kin I play the lead in your mind-movie?

WASHINGTON, Jan. 18, 2006

(AP) The White House is refusing to reveal details of tainted lobbyist Jack Abramoff's visits with President Bush's staff.

Abramoff had a few staff-level meetings at the Bush White House, presidential spokesman Scott McClellan said Tuesday. But he would not say with whom Abramoff met, which interests he was representing or how he got access to the White House.

Since Abramoff pleaded guilty two weeks ago to conspiracy, mail fraud and tax evasion charges in an influence-peddling scandal, McClellan has told reporters he was checking into Abramoff's meetings. I'm making sure that I have a thorough report back to you on that, he said in his press briefing Jan. 5. And I'll get that to you, hopefully very soon.

McClellan said Tuesday that he checked on it at reporters' requests, but wouldn't discuss the private staff-level meetings. We are not going to engage in a fishing expedition, he said.

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, along with three other Democratic senators, wrote Bush a letter Tuesday asking for an accounting of Abramoff's personal contacts with Bush administration officials and acts that may have been undertaken at his request. The American people need to be assured that the White House is not for sale, they wrote.

McClellan has said Abramoff attended three Hanukkah receptions at the White House, but corrected himself Tuesday to say there were only two _ in 2001 and 2002.

McClellan said Bush does not know Abramoff personally, although it's possible the two met at the holiday receptions.

Abramoff was one of Bush's top fundraisers, having brought in at least $100,000 for the Bush-Cheney '04 re-election campaign and earning the honorary title pioneer. The campaign took $6,000 of the contributions _ which came directly from Abramoff, his wife and one of the Indian tribes he represented _ and donated it to the American Heart Association. But the campaign has not returned the rest of the money Abramoff raised.

My state is a red state, but my hometown newspaper carries one column and that is Molly Ivins. You don't get much further left than that. I agree.

but I just felt he was very disrespectful of the questions people were asking. Someone would ask something very important to their lives, like farming or healthcare, and not only would he avoid the issue (which many politiicans do), but he just outright laughed numerous times, and that did it for me. These people were looking to answers to questions they agonize about in their lives, and he would laugh it off and make a dumb joke. It really bothered me, but that is just one of many things that make me very wary of him. I just don't trust the man. I go with my gut feelings through life, and my gut is screaming not to trust him. May not be logical to many, but it's the way I feel.

If he passes the Children's Health Plan I will definitely have a little more respect for him. I think if he has a conscience he will. Many middle-class families are losing their homes and everything else they've got because they are drowning in medical bills. Our kids deserve it in my opinion, and even though he has promised to veto the bill, I hope in HIS heart of hearts he knows it's the right thing. Maybe I won't feel like saying anything negative about him for awhile if he passes it!

I will be so grateful.