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Date Posted: Thursday, January 26, 02:30:32pm
Author: BJ
Subject: Photos With Disgraced Lobbyist Are 'Not Relevant,' Bush Says, what a laugh bush is...

hey bush do you really mean that you don't know the guy that is one of your pioneers for raisng over $100,000 for your campaign? Why did you donate the $6,000 he and his wife gave to you directly for your campaign and not the $100,000? Are we to believe that the $100,000 was honest money and the $6,000 was not? Oh and why is a guy that is hardly known sitting in on staff meetings at the white house?


WASHINGTON, Jan. 26 — President Bush deflected questions today about photographs of him with Jack Abramoff, the disgraced Republican lobbyist, saying the photos are irrelevant.

"I mean, there's thousands of people that come through and get their pictures taken," Mr. Bush said. "I'm also mindful that we live in a world in which those pictures will be used for pure political purposes, and they're not relevant to the investigation."

The president, speaking at a hastily called news conference, responded somewhat indirectly when asked if he was afraid to release the pictures of him and the once-powerful and wealthy Mr. Abramoff, who has pleaded guilty to conspiracy, fraud and tax evasion and who prosecutors say tried to influence lawmakers and their aides with campaign contributions, lavish trips and meals.

"Having my picture taken with someone doesn't mean that, you know, I'm a friend with them or know them very well," Mr. Bush said. "I've had my picture taken with you at holiday parties." In fact, presidents are often photographed with people whom they know only casually, or hardly at all, including reporters at White House Christmas parties.

But White House officials have said that Mr. Abramoff also attended some "staff level" meetings at the White House, as well as White House Hanukkah receptions in 2001 and 2002. Perhaps, one questioner suggested today, the White House should disclose the details of those sessions and prevent any hint of "guilt by association."

"There is a serious investigation going on by federal prosecutors," Mr. Bush replied with a chuckle. "That's their job."

He added, "If they believe something was done inappropriately in the White House, they'll come and look, and they're welcome to do so."

At one point, Mr. Bush seemed to imply that Mr. Abramoff had been bipartisan in contributing to political campaigns. "He contributed either directly or through his clients to a lot of people in Washington," he said. "This needs to be cleared up, so the people have confidence in the system."

But so far, most of those embarrassed by the still-unfolding scandal have been Republicans, like Representative Tom DeLay of Texas, the former House majority leader.

Mr. Bush also used the news conference, which appeared to have been called to react to the apparent victory of Hamas in the Palestinian elections, as an opportunity to defend his policies and lay out his goals in advance of his State of the Union address on Tuesday. He insisted again that the National Security Agency's eavesdropping program was legal and necessary, that Congress should renew the Patriot Act that expanded government surveillance powers, and that Congress should make permanent the "temporary" tax cuts enacted during his White House tenure.

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