Quotes of the Morning: Beating on the Tom Tom

“House Majority Leader Tom DeLay said yesterday that Republicans have done so well in cutting spending that he declared an ‘ongoing victory,’ and said there is simply no fat left to cut in the federal budget.
Mr. DeLay was defending Republicans' choice to borrow money and add to this year's expected $331 billion deficit to pay for Hurricane Katrina relief. Some Republicans have said Congress should make cuts in other areas, but Mr. DeLay said that doesn't seem possible.
‘My answer to those that want to offset the spending is sure, bring me the offsets, I'll be glad to do it. But nobody has been able to come up with any yet,’ the Texas Republican told reporters at his weekly briefing.
Asked if that meant the government was running at peak efficiency, Mr. DeLay said, ‘Yes, after 11 years of Republican majority we've pared it down pretty good.’"
-Washington Times, September 14, 2005

“DOBBS: Wait a minute. Senator, you can't say that. Congressman Tom DeLay says that this is the most efficient government he can imagine, that there's no fat in this government.
COBURN: Well, I talked with him today about that quote and that was not his quote. And you know ...
DOBBS: Whose was it? Whose was it, Senator?
COBURN: I'm worried -- I'm very -- well, I think -- it might have been manufactured. I'm not sure. The fact is, is we -- I know of $100 billion in cuts that we could make tomorrow that nobody would feel. Nobody would feel. And ...”
-Senator Tom Coburn on Lou Dobbs Tonight, September 20, 2005

“I love it.. We get to hear from Tom DeLay AND Tom Coburn. I really think Tom is trying to get my ‘most recommended wingnut’ award. Pat Robertson is going to have to work hard to keep the title. I expect him to say something really, really stupid soon.
While we’re waiting for that though.. Here are some signs that the whole house of cards is currently looking a little shaky.”
-Skippy

“A former Bush administration official was arrested Monday on charges he made false statements and obstructed a federal investigation into his dealings with lobbyist Jack Abramoff, according to court documents and government officials.
David Safavian, then-chief of staff of the General Services Administration and a former Abramoff lobbying associate, concealed from federal investigators that Abramoff was seeking to do business with GSA when Safavian joined him on a golf trip to Scotland in 2002, according to an FBI affidavit and the officials.
[…]
Safavian moved to the Office of Management and Budget last year, becoming the administration's top procurement official. He resigned that post, effective Friday, OMB spokesman Alex Conant said.”
-New York Times, September 20, 2005

“You know, since that ‘resigning’ is effective Friday, he is actually a CURRENT Bush administration official. Just saying. And I’m sure that the investigation (that I’m pretty sure he was aware of) had nothing to do with his resigning. Nope, no pressure there. (Thanks to TBogg for spotting the story.)
You might also be interested to know that an Ohio state politician, Bob Ney (R, OH) is involved in the Abramoff scandal..”
-Skippy

“An email sent by Safavian appears to indicate that the powerful Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH) lied when he said he was ‘duped’ by Abramoff and lied again on financial disclosure forms when he said that a nonprofit had paid for the trip, Raw Story has found.
‘I (along with [two] members of Congress and a few Congressional staff) have been invited by a friend and former colleague on a trip to Scotland to play golf for four days,’ Safavian wrote in an email to his government employer, seeking permission to go on the trip.
‘The host of the trip is chartering a private jet to take the eight of us from BWI to Scottland [sic] and back. He is paying the cost of the aircraft regardless whether I go or not. In fact, none of the other guest [sic] will be paying a proportional share of the aircraft costs.’
‘The host is a lawyer and a lobbyist… he does all his work on Capitol Hill.’
Nowhere in Safavian's email does he reference the National Center, which those involved said had paid for the trip. The email states that Abramoff personally extended invitations.
Ney, however, made up another patron.
His filings assert that the six-day $3,200 junket from Washington, to Scotland, and then on to London, was paid for by the Center. The visit was described on travel forms as “Speech to Scottish parliamentarian; attend Edinburgh Military tattoo; visit British Parliament.”
His office told the New York Times that Abramoff had assured him the Center had footed the bill. He did not return a Raw Story call seeking comment.
-Raw Story, September 20, 2005