 |
In 2002, the phone-jamming was secret. In 2003 and 2004 and 2005, a few papers covered it for a NH audience.
Finally, in 2006, the story breaks national–after some hard digging by TPM Muckraker and the Senate Majority Project and solid articles in the Boston Globe and New York Times. |
Here’s what’s new, in just the past couple of days…
- Senate Vote Inquiry Widens as Democrats Probe White House Link (Bloomberg, April 24)
- Money quote: “Democratic Senators Patrick Leahy of Vermont and Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts wrote U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales on April 20 seeking information on any links Abramoff or the White House may have had to the phone-jamming scheme.”
- How the GOP Lost Its Way (Washington Post, April 22)
- Money quote: “On top of all the scandals, it has just come to light that the RNC paid millions in legal bills to defend operative James Tobin, who was convicted with associates in an illegal phone-jamming scheme aimed at preventing New Hampshire Democrats from voting. In doing so, the GOP appears to sanction and institutionalize corruption within the party.”
- GOP Phone-jamming scandal has legs (Newsweek, April 21–which has now mysteriously changed the story’s title to “Winning at any cost”)
- Money quote: “A little noticed scandal in New Hampshire about phone-jamming is gaining traction. Initially dismissed as a petty political trick, it led to the trial and conviction for telephone harassment last December of the New England political director for the Republican National Committee, James Tobin. That in itself would barely register on anybodys radar except Tobin was represented by one of Washingtons white shoe law firms, Williams & Connolly, and his legal fees were $2.5 million. The Republican National Committee picked up the tab, which suggests this may not have been a rogue operation. Was Tobins high-priced defense an effort to keep him from ratting out his contacts in the Bush White House?”