White House Aide to Rove Resigns

[jpak]

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/bw-wh/2006/oct/06/100603350.html

WASHINGTON (AP) - A key aide to presidential political strategist Karl Rove resigned Friday in the wake of a congressional report that listed hundreds of contacts between disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff and the White House.

Susan Ralston, special assistant to President Bush, submitted a resignation letter to him less than five weeks before congressional elections in which corruption and scandal are emerging as key issues for voters.

"She did not want to be a distraction to the White House at such an important time and so we have accepted her resignation," White House deputy press secretary Dana Perino said.

"We support her decision and consider the matter closed," Perino said.

<more>

[OrangeCountyDemocrat]

1. "We support her decision and consider the matter closed"

Susan WHO?

[UpInArms]

10. Dec 07, 2005 Is Ralston still at the White House?

http://www.philippinenews.com/news/view_article.html?article_id=049710c1d2aca35dd7f60678444ffb44

SUSAN BONZON RALSTON, presumably the most influential Filipino American in the Bush Administration has reportedly left the White House.

The former Special Assistant to President Bush and deputy to presidential adviser Karl Rove has reportedly moved to the Department of Commerce, Philippine News learned from a source close to Ralston.

Asked for the reason for the transfer, the source quoted Ralston as saying, “Too much pressure (on the job).”

The media office of the Commerce department said they are not making any statement. A White House operator says Ralston remains in the White House roster.

As Rove’s deputy, Ralston is responsible for managing the activities of the Office of the Senior Adviser, including areas related to policy, strategic planning, political affairs, public liaison, and intergovernmental efforts of the White House. Her bio says she is also responsible for the development and production of presidential and major surrogate events.

One of her biggest tasks was providing coordination between the White House and the Bush-Cheney campaign in 2004.

...more...

http://thinkprogress.org/leak-scandal

[peacetalksforall]

41. One of her biggest projects was the '04 election? That means

she knows about the thefts? So they are letting her go into the talking rooms of the investigators for Abramoff and other 'issues' - like voting?

[wordpix2]

54. WH deputy press sec "expects nothing more" after review? I expect we

should get to the bottom of Abe-off's connections and funneling money-for-access to pRes Mon(k)yman.

[LiberalHeart]

44. that first link is from 2005, yet she was still at the WH, wasn't she?

[caledesi]

36. It's "old news"- rethugs talking point . nt

[NVMojo]

2. Good! Maybe she'll get caught up in the investigation and SQUEAL!!!

[Amonester]

57. Get the water, board!! Since the 'new' dicktatorture signed it legal

maybe Rahahaha~lston 'knows' how to 'sing' la-la-la?? :grr:

[Spazito]

3. Perino might consider "the matter closed" but I suspect the courts

may see it differently.

[krispos42]

4. House of cards collapsing!

It wasn't worth the wait, but the spectacle... the spectacle...

I work nights, so I'll be listening to Air America on election day well into the wee hours. I think my conservative-leaning boss will become a sourpuss as I receive updates on Air America Minnesota

:-)

[wordpix2]

55. expecting to see emperor with no clothes walking PA Ave. naked soon

[krispos42]

63. Eww eww eww! Mental image! Now I need mental floss! n/t

[jpak]

5. One more juicy tidbit from the link (hope this is OK mods)

<snip>

The House Government Reform Committee last week issued a report saying that based on documents supplied by Abramoff's former lobbying firm, he had 485 lobbying contacts with White House officials over three years, including 10 with Rove. At the time, the White House said it was unclear whether all the listed contacts were legitimate because they were based on sometimes-sketchy information provided by Abramoff himself.

<snip>

[rodeodance]

38. he must have worn the carpet thin with coming and going.

[jpak]

40. Between Abramoff and Jeff Gannon, I'm surprised there is any carpet left

in the WH...

:evilgrin:

[krispos42]

65. Good double entendre... rotflmao n/t

[rusty_parts2001]

6. Its closed? Says who?

[ChairmanAgnostic]

14. He's not only the decider but the closer! A baseball reference.

didn't he trade Sammy Sosa just as sammy was getting good without drugs?

[patricia92243]

18. The Republicans - and therefore the MSM. Nobody but people that are reall

really interested in politics will ever even know it happened.

[wordpix2]

56. says WH Deputy Press Sec. Perino---hahahaha, like a deputy press sec knows

what investigators are doing. :rofl:

[anotherdrew]

7. Abramoff must be one of bushes chief capos n/t

[madrchsod]

8. "matter closed" yup, move on cause is she`s no longer employed here

if only the real world were so simple...

[stop the bleeding]

9. I can not believe it took her this long to resign

she is a key link behind Rove and Abramoff - I'd bet she even knows what computers stole the elections in 2004 -

[bleever]

50. And even the stuff she thinks is routine is critical info.

If she knows of zero overt criminal acts, her info could still fill out the narrative in a most illuminating way.

[clmbohdem]

11. She is also involved in Plamegate as well as Abramoff

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Ralston

[sabra]

12. FRIDAY NEWS DUMP!!!

gotta love it

[sundancekid]

22. republicast hides behind pederast and resign same way - shocked I tell you

on edit: oops did letter change - in subject line - did not want to mislead

[donsu]

51. yes, I discovered the news at midnight on a streaming news scroll

and thought I would hear more about it on Wash. Journal this morning. didn't hear a peep.

wonder if c-span W.J. will mention it tomorrow?

[myrna minx]

13. I see, the matter is closed now. Nothing to see here.

Move along. Move along.

[Bitwit1234]

15. Screw the turd blossom

Even over cheney I wish they would find some thing one thing a link proof to lock the turd blossom up and get him a good old "girl" friend in jail.

[bvar22]

16. Is this the direct results....

Is this the direct results of the Bill Moyer's Program on PBS this week?

If you haven't seen this program, you MUST see it.
Bill Moyers connected all the dots in the Abramoff scandal.
The first time I became aware of Susan Ralston.

[Pawel K]

17. So...

if you do illegal favors for businesses as long as one of your aides resigns we should just ignore the whole thing?

Are these people fucking retarted? Will they ever take responsibility for their actions? Do they have no shame? And finally, how the fuck do they still have support in the 30% range?

What is wrong with this once great country?

[aquart]

43. Those should be statements, not questions. There is no question.

[truckin]

19. Didn't she used to be Abramoff's secretary?

[clmbohdem]

21. Assistant for Jack Abramoff and Ralph Reed before Rove.

[truckin]

27. Thanks, This could be good if she talks.

[Robbien]

31. They already have copies of her emails to Abramoff

Thanking Abramoff for all the perks and confirming she passed Abramoff's requests to both Rove and Mehlman.

[wordpix2]

58. no doubt she'll talk if she's subpoenaed. I don't think Bushies have

enogh $$$ to pay off all the people who have the goods on them

[ecstatic]

20. the matter will be closed WHEN WE SAY SO dammit!

We need to start aggressively 'bumrushing' the airways. Once the Foley scandal dies down, we need to pick another easy to understand scandal to talk about. I think the key to getting the media to pay attention will be to get someone like Clinton or Dean to make an extremely outrageous and harsh (yet true) statement so that the talking points will always be us on the offensive, Repugs on the defensive.

[wordpix2]

59. easy talking point: Ralston worked for Abe-off, joins WH staff, lets

Abe-off and clients have access to pRes Monkeyman for cash payoffs.

That is pretty simple for the Amerikan public to get.

[Ian David]

23. Susan Ralston's Wikipedia Entry

Susan Ralston
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

<snip>

Investigations and questioning

Email records from 2000 suggest that Susan Ralston helped Jack Abramoff pass checks from eLottery to Lou Sheldon's Traditional Values Coalition (TVC) and also to Grover Norquist's Americans for Tax Reform (ATR), en route to Ralph Reed's company, Century Strategies:

"I have 3 checks from elot: (1) 2 checks for $80 K payable to ATR and (2) 1 check to TVC for $25 K," wrote Ralston in 2000, "Let me know exactly what to do next. Send to Grover? Send to Rev. Lou?"

On January 3, 2006, Jack Abramoff pleaded guilty to conspiracy, and related charges, and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors in a corruption probe in Washington. <6>

On July 29, 2005, Susan Ralston testified before federal grand jury prosecutor, Patrick J. Fitzgerald, investigating whether government officials illegally disclosed the identity of CIA officer Valerie Wilson. Matthew Cooper made a call sometime in July of 2003 to Karl Rove but there were no records of the call. Susan Ralston claimed there were no records because they had transferred his call. <7>

Abramoff and his team were in frequent contact with Ralston, who was once Abramoff's executive assistant and who in February 2001 went to work in the same capacity for Rove.

In September 2006, the House Government Reform Committee released a report on Abramoff's dealings with the White House. According to the report, Abramoff gave sports tickets to Ralston for nine events, and she gave information about possible political appointees and helped Team Abramoff "secure access to the White House and obtain photo opportunities for clients."<1>

Ralston resigned on October 6, 2006. "She did not want to be a distraction to the White House at such an important time and so we have accepted her resignation. We support her decision and consider the matter closed," White House deputy press secretary Dana Perino said.<8>

More:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Ralston#Investigations_and_questioning

[GoddessOfGuinness]

26. Gambling is a traditional value...

hmmm

[madinmaryland]

24. Man, I gotta read these better.

I thought it said that Rove resigned.

:darn:

[jpak]

25. Ralston Enters Rehab

Could happen - right???

:evilgrin:

[The Count]

32. I was going to ask just that.

The place to get connected.

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

45. Ralston Enters Witness Protection Program

If she's smart.

[Robbien]

28. There was a big story on her in the Washington Post on Oct. 1st

Here is the DU thread on it
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=2539191

Basically she accepted tickets and perks and there is an email trail from her to Abramoff saying she is passing Abramoff's requests on to Rove and Mehlman.

[wordpix2]

60. great news---Mehlman could be next to go over this and NH phone jamming

of course, as a member of BFEE extended, Mehlman is protected---for a while, anyway. :evilgrin:

[AndyA]

29. Ralston -> Abramoff -> Rove -> Bush

Another domino topples. Who'll be next? By the time November elections roll around, the political scene in Washington could be very different.

Someone turn on the light, let's watch the cockroaches scatter!

[wordpix2]

61. Rats & cockroaches jumping ship!!! Thank god!

[kimmerspixelated]

30. oh it just gets better and better!

[Supersedeas]

34. What?? She resigned, the matter is closed--nothing to talk about.

[wordpix2]

62. bullshit, WE are going to talk this up to our reps and newspapers!

[BigDDem]

33. Let me guess...

...she was molested by a clergyman from age 13 - 15?

[KayLaw]

35. Nope!

Just another lousy crook.

[allisonthegreat]

53. must have known something

that would further damage the GOP and scared of being legally accountable.

[rodeodance]

37. another lowley to go (got the boot-and not by choice)

"She did not want to be a distraction to the White House at such an important time and so we have accepted her resignation," White House deputy press secretary Dana Perino said.

[DrZeeLit]

39. It's like an old (bad) Western. She runs to safety under the cover of

rapid gunfire from the Foley "Scandal"....

Geez.
Surprise.
Surprise.

We can only HOPE that the Dems change the make up of the House and oooooh sooooo many investigations can begin.

BUT... with so much to lose, do you really think these elections will be FAIR?

Muuuuuuuaaaaaaawwwwww... not so fast, Mr. Democracy.
Where you goin' with that White Hat and Star?

Yeah, I think we're all facing our own High Noon.
I, for one, am staying for the fight.

[LiberalHeart]

42. Wasn't she also a witness in the Plamegate grand jury?

[pinto]

46. No plausible deniability there, imo. The next paragraph:

"Critics have pointed to Ralston as evidence that Rove - and thus Bush - are possibly closer to Abramoff than the White House has acknowledged. Ralston was Abramoff's administrative assistant at his lobbying firm and, after Bush took office, assumed the same post with Rove."

Abramoff might just as well have run an office in the West Wing.

[Irreverend IX]

47. How long'll it be until she "commits suicide?"

[truthisfreedom]

48. excellent. *rubs hands together greedily.* more pre-election follies!

woohoo! the Democrats will never let this slide.

[No Exit]

49. This is HUGH!!!

I think it really is huge. Susan Ralston, while not a well-known name to the public, is certainly a well-known name to us internet news junkies.

Once I'd learned that it was Abramoff who'd passed Ralston on to Rove, I KNEW (as in, "felt it in my gut") that Abramoff did indeed have tight connections with the White House itself. Abramoff's M.O.--by now well-known to those of us who don't close our eyes to the Abramoff scandals--was always to pass along "his" people to the offices of those whom he wanted to influence. As we know, he did the same with DeLay, for example.

[donsu]

52. I agree that it's huge - bigger then a penis

nt

[patrick t. cakes]

64. ....we consider the matter closed???

hey perino, WE dont.