Hey! Our Dems are Learning to keep their Internets Fed! Susan Ralston (Abramoff )to appear April 5

[KoKo]

You gotta know that our Dems are "feeding us" wild beasts out here. Pelosi is defying Bush and going with Waxman (who keeps Kosher) to visit Assad in Syria while Chimpy has a hissy fit over it.

And now this:

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House Dems Want Former Abramoff, Rove Aide for Questions
By Paul Kiel - March 30, 2007, 3:57 PM

Much to the chagrin of the White House, House Government Reform Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) wants to hear from Susan Ralston.

Jack Abramoff's former personal assistant, Ralston became Karl Rove's assistant in 2001, where she was his "implant" at the White House.

But after a report last October by Waxman's committee (then chaired by Rep. Tom Davis (R-VA)) showed that Ralston had accepted thousands of dollars in gifts from Abramoff without compensating him, she abruptly resigned.

At the time, the White House was clear that Ralston's resignation meant the end of the issue. "She recognized that a protracted discussion of these matterrs would be a distraction to the White House and she's chosen to step down," said deputy White House press secretary Dana Perino. "We support her decision and consider the matter closed."

But it's not closed, according to Waxman, who, in a letter sent today, invited Ralston to appear before the committee on Thursday, April 5, to answer questions about Abramoff's access to the White House.

More at TPM......

http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/002930.php

[whistle]

1. Maybe Susan Ralston will also take the 5th

[John Q. Citizen]

2. That's very cool!

[whistle]

3. Suspicions abounded over a year ago regarding Susan Ralston

...and her role at the White House:

<snip>
Connecting the Dots: Abramoff and Rove

Did you know that Jack Abramoff and Karl Rove shared an executive assistant?
In 2001, Karl Rove needed a Gal Friday, someone to help oversee the "strategic planning, political affairs, public liaison, and intergovernmental affairs efforts of the White House."

He chose Susan Ralston, who came highly recommended from a friend: Jack Abramoff. Ralston performed similar duties for the Don of K Street -- that is until Abramoff realized she'd be far more useful embedded in the West Wing. (Ralston had also previous worked for Abramoff and Rove's fellow College Republican crony Ralph Reed.)

Installing his top assistant as Rove's gatekeeper appeared to pay dividends. In 2003, Abramoff was hired by scandal-ridden Tyco to help the corporation secure lucrative federal contracts despite its being incorporated -- for tax-evasion purposes -- in Bermuda. According to the Washington Post, Abramoff later bragged that he'd been able to lobby Rove directly on the issue. The article targets Ralston as the only likely conduit.

Of course, such Abramoffian entanglements are now radioactive. According to Time, Bush has ordered his aides to round up all pictures of him and Abramoff to head off any bad press. Perhaps Bush should instruct them to widen the search to include photos like this buddy-buddy pic of him with Ralston.

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/nataffdaily/story/9130607/connecting_the_dots_abramoff_and_rove