Another Sleazy Use of the White House facilities?

2008-08-29T14:44:49Z

Let me offer up further proof that the Bush Administration may be firmly into lame duck terrirory - but still continues to drive the "dignity of the office" down, down, down.

It appears as though you can now use the White House Rose Garden, site of countless famous World events, for your own personal memories... Provided that the price is right - and that you use the Bush-Cheney campaign's favorite photographer to capture the moment.

eflections Photography, the Bush-Cheney 2000 and 2004 campaign official photographer, recently captured the tender and bittersweet moments that were squinty Brian Pate's proposal and engagement to a blond woman in the White House Rose Garden. Add August 23, 2008 as another historic day for the White House.

See the pictures here: www.reflectionsorders.com/view_event.asp?EVENTID=41820

Blonde girl is wearing a White House pass, so she must have been the one to get permission to use the facilities - and to clear in the cheering section (and photographer) through the Secret Service appointments system.

So was it really a surprise? Who knows.

Anyway, this could be a further sign that the White House is under control of kids. And that it's REALLY time for a change.

You may have read that, not long ago, a fellow named Blake Gottesman (28 years old) was named President Bush's Deputy Chief of Staff. Gottesman landed his first gig at the White House having been http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/30/politics/30letter.html">Jenna's ex-boyfriend. This first gig, as "personal aide" to Bush, consisted of keeping the President on time, supplying Mentos, etc. When Gottesman teamed up with Bush in 1999, he had only one year of college under his belt.

Amazingly, in 2006, Gottesman left the White House to attend Harvard Business School for an MBA - despite never having finished college at Claremont McKenna. Folks at Harvard were none too pleased.

A 26-year-old college dropout who carries President Bush’s breath mints and makes him peanut butter-and-jelly sandwiches will follow in his boss’s footsteps this fall when he enrolls at Harvard Business School (HBS).

Though it is rare for HBS—or any other professional or graduate school—to admit a student who does not have an undergraduate degree, admissions officers made an exception for Blake Gottesman, who for four years has served as special assistant and personal aide to Bush.

Gottesman, a Texas native who attended Claremont-McKenna College in California for one year, has long had ties to the Bush family. He dated the president’s daughter, Jenna Bush, nearly ten years ago when he attended St. Andrew’s Episcopal School of Austin.

After completing his freshman year at Claremont in 1999, he left to join the Bush presidential campaign and later served as a junior aide to former White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card. In February 2002, he became the president’s personal assistant.

In his current role, Gottesman performs a wide range of duties, from dog-sitting the president’s Scottish terriers, Barney and Miss Beazley, to carrying the president’s speeches and giving him the "two-minute warning" before a speech begins.

In his new role as Deputy Chief of Staff, Gottesman oversees operations at the White House, having replaced 50-something Rove associate Joe Hagin.

Did Gottesman permit his friends to use the Rose Garden?

And let's not overlook Reflections Photography, either. They're the ones that took a photo of George W. Bush and Jack Abramoff - - and then tried to bury it. It was an embarrassing time for the White House. CREW eventually got the photo.

Kudos, Bushies, for keeping it un-classy.

Body

Reflections Photography, the Bush-Cheney 2000 and 2004 campaign official photographer, recently captured the tender and bittersweet moments that were squinty <a href="<a>Brian'>http://www.reflectionsorders.com/view_event.asp?EVENTID=41820">Brian</a> Pate's proposal and engagement</a> to a blond woman in the White House Rose Garden. Add August 23, 2008 as another historic day for the White House. See the pictures here: <a href="<a>www.reflectionsorders.com/view_event.asp?EVENTID=41820http://www.reflectionsorders.com/view_event.asp?EVENTID=41820">www.reflectionsorders.com/view_event.asp?EVENTID=41820</a</a>> Blonde girl is <a href="<a>wearing'>http://www.reflectionsorders.com/view_user_photo.asp?PID=&EVENTID=41820&PWD=&ID=54477656&FROM=browser&START=1&SHOW=36&CAT=183534&SUB=0">wearing</a> a White House pass</a>, so she must have been the one to get permission to use the facilities - and to clear in the cheering section (and photographer) through the Secret Service appointments system. So was it really a surprise? Who knows. Anyway, this could be a further sign that the White House is under control of kids. And that it's REALLY time for a change. You may have read that, not long ago, a fellow named Blake Gottesman (28 years old) was <a href="<a>named'>http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2008-07-16-personal-aide_N.htm">named</a> President Bush's Deputy Chief of Staff</a>. Gottesman landed his first gig at the White House having been <a href="<a>Jenna's">http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/30/politics/30letter.html">Jenna's</a> ex-boyfriend</a>. This first gig, as "personal aide" to Bush, consisted of keeping the President on time, supplying Mentos, etc. When Gottesman teamed up with Bush in 1999, he had <a href="<a>only'>http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/30/politics/30letter.html">only</a> one year of college under his belt</a>. Amazingly, in 2006, Gottesman left the White House to attend Harvard Business School for an MBA - despite never having finished college at Claremont McKenna. Folks at Harvard were <a href="<a>none'>http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=513563">none</a> too pleased</a>. <blockquote>A 26-year-old college dropout who carries President Bush’s breath mints and makes him peanut butter-and-jelly sandwiches will follow in his boss’s footsteps this fall when he enrolls at Harvard Business School (HBS). Though it is rare for HBS—or any other professional or graduate school—to admit a student who does not have an undergraduate degree, admissions officers made an exception for Blake Gottesman, who for four years has served as special assistant and personal aide to Bush. Gottesman, a Texas native who attended Claremont-McKenna College in California for one year, has long had ties to the Bush family. He dated the president’s daughter, Jenna Bush, nearly ten years ago when he attended St. Andrew’s Episcopal School of Austin. After completing his freshman year at Claremont in 1999, he left to join the Bush presidential campaign and later served as a junior aide to former White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card. In February 2002, he became the president’s personal assistant. In his current role, Gottesman performs a wide range of duties, from dog-sitting the president’s Scottish terriers, Barney and Miss Beazley, to carrying the president’s speeches and giving him the “two-minute warning” before a speech begins. </blockquote> In his new role as Deputy Chief of Staff, Gottesman oversees operations at the White House, having replaced 50-something Rove associate Joe Hagin. Did Gottesman permit his friends to use the Rose Garden? And let's not overlook Reflections Photography, either. They're the ones that took a photo of George W. Bush and Jack Abramoff - - and then <a href="<a>tried'>http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/007536.php">tried</a> to bury it</a>. It was an embarrassing time for the White House. CREW eventually <a href="<a>got'>http://www2.democracyinaction.org/node/379">got</a> the photo</a>. Kudos, Bushies, for keeping it un-classy. </article> <article> <h1>Remembering Beth Ramp Sturgeon, Rove Fundraiser</h1> 2008-05-14T02:45:56Z A little while ago, Mrs. Panstreppon and I had a close look at a Rove-connected fundraiser named Beth Ramp Sturgeon. We became interested in Mrs. Sturgeon because she seemed to use the same Austin accountant as Karl Rove. Sturgeon was also known as a fundraiser for the GOP and the Bush campaigns. Her fundriaisng company was known as "Austex Development Corp LLC" of Dripping Springs, TX. A little more probing took us to two austroturfy hispanic advocacy organizations which Sturgeon apparently headed - the Hispanic Alliance for Progress and the Hispanic Alliance for Progress Education Fund . One was a 501c3 and one a 501c4. At the time it seemed odd for a fundraiser to be running nonprofits. Additional probing led us to find that Sturgeon's fundraising business somehow landed a $10,000 Small Business Administration loan in 2003. This was at a time when her fundraising company was doing remarkably well during the lead up to the elections. Then it was discovered that Sturgeon was somehow on an SBA small business advisory ombudsman panel. And finally we found that Sturgeon's Hispanic nonprofit somehow landed a <a href="http://www.cdfifund.gov/awardees/db/profile.asp?controlNumber=051TA005655">$46,000 grant</a> from the Treasury. So what has Sturgeon been up to lately? Well, she seems to be involved now in something called Gem City Investments LLC in Canada, TX. The Hispanic organizations folded up after apparently going belly up (wonder what happened to the $46k?). Additionally, Sturgeon ran something called Strategic Outreach Services LLC during the 2006 election - and took in $$ from GOPAC. Addresses vary for this business, but one was 806 Park Blvd, Austin, TX at phone 512/323-6161. That address tracks back to a heretofore unidentified Hispanic organization - the Institute For Hispanic Initiatives and Development. IFHID lists its address as 816 Congress Ave Suite 860, Austin, TX. The directors of the organization were: Jacob Monty, Director 18964 Groschke Rd Houston, TX 877084 Raul Romero Dirctor 1600 Colonial Hills Drive McLean, VA 22102 Shiree Sanchez 806 Park Blvd Austin, TX 78751 </article> </main></body></html>

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Another Sleazy Use of the White House facilities?