Major Payne, Major Cash For Major Access

If you haven't heard about this top Bush Pioneer Stephen Payne accepting bribes from Central Asian dignitaries in exchange for access to Administration officials, then you are probably a member of the American media. Because it sure didn't come up in an hourlong press conference today. There was a time when bribery scandals would get at least some media attention. I know they don't think Bush is really still President with all the exciting campaign coverage taking up every minute, but a GOP-connected lobbyist negotiating with foreign agents offering meetings with Dick Cheney in exchange for Bush Library donations... it seems newsworthy. (How much would you have to pay to NOT meet with Fourthbranch?) But other than this story from the UPI, there hasn't been much interest stateside. UPI did add to the story, however.

Homeland Security officials are looking into allegations that a member of the department's advisory council offered to arrange meetings with senior administration officials in exchange for a large donation to the Bush presidential library.

Stephen Payne, a major GOP fundraiser and international affairs lobbyist, also touted his success in getting an Uzbek opposition leader removed from the U.S. terrorist watch list and issued a U.S. visa.

"This is a horribly unfortunate story," said Homeland Security spokeswoman Laura Keehner. "We are looking into the facts." She declined to comment further.

This Payne guy is a piece of work, by the way. The President's known him for 20 years, back from when he was the travel aide for Bush 41's 1988 campaign. He's worked with more foreign governments than will be represented in Beijing next month at his lobby shop.

Payne has helped Bush and Cheney when they visit the Middle East. He joined the president at the Red Sea Summit in Jordan in June 2003, serving as a "Senior Presidential Advance Representative," according to his firm's own description.

With the vice president, Payne has traveled to the Middle East in 2002 and 2005, to Korea in 2004, Kazakhstan in 2006, and Afghanistan for the inauguration of Afghan President Karzai.

Payne's firm says he's been a "governmental affairs consultant" representing Afghanistan, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Morgan Stanley, SAP Software, & Continental Airlines. He's also worked for Yukos Oil, Boeing and Lockheed Martin.

Lindsay Beyerstein has more. The guy was completely connected and fully able to deliver on the promises he made to the undercover reporter. In fact, he was the go-between for the US and Pakistan right after September 11.

Both Henry Waxman and CREW want investigations. Payne is trying to claim entrapment but video is video. I'm sure Rep. Waxman will give him every opportunity to explain himself.

ABSCAM II

The video is as clear as day. Stephen Payne, a political appointee to the Homeland Security Advisory Council, is offering access to top-level Bush officials, including the Vice President, Secretary of State and National Security Advisor, in exchange for $200,000 for the Bush Library. This is not some Al Gore phone call from the wrong office or the Buddhist temple fundraiser. This is documented pay-to-play.

Booman has a bit more on this. It's pretty clear from the tape that the individual donor in question was Askar Akayev, the former leader of Kyrgyzstan, who blamed the US for his recent ouster. On the tape, Payne intimates that the White House could help him get his job back:

Asked by an undercover reporter who the politician would be able to meet for that price, Payne said: “Cheney’s possible, definitely the national security adviser [Stephen Hadley], definitely either Dr Rice or . . . I think a meeting with Dr Rice or the deputy secretary [John Negroponte] is possible . . .

“The main thing is that he [the Asian politician] comes, and he’s well received, that he meets with high-level people . . . and we send positive statements made back from the administration about ‘This guy wasn’t such a bad guy, many people have done worse’.”

In other words, members of the administration would facilitate a future election campaign for Akayev by issuing positive statements about him. But they'll only do that if they see $200,000-$250,000 donated to the Bush Library first. It's sickening to watch our foreign policy get sold for such a pittance.

This is unambiguous, clear, corrupt, and you'll never hear about it other than on a few blogs and the British media. Twenty-five years ago our media understood scandals like this, especially where you had tape. Today, not so much.