Abramoff vs. Bush: The Photos

On last night's Hardball, Michael Isikoff of Newsweek confirmed speculation that the photos seen by Time Magazine and The Washingtonian of Bush and Jack Abramoff were provided by Abramoff. He says:

The other interesting aspect of this is, while the White House hasn’t put these out, Jack Abramoff has clearly shown them to people. I don’t know anything about Time sources, but I do know that he showed them to Washingtonian magazine, which suggests he may be playing a little bit of a game here.

It appears that Jack Abramoff may be a bit put off by the distancing the White House has attempted. What better way to get back than show the level of relationship between himself and the President. It has been reported that Bush met with Abramoff's clients and was comfortable enough with Abramoff to know his children's name. The Washington Post has an editorial today on Abramoff. It notes that Abramoff's connections are more than just Hanukah parties and a photo:

In addition to attending a few White House Hanukkah parties and other events at which he had his picture snapped with the president, Mr. Abramoff had, according to the White House, "a few staff-level meetings" with White House aides.

Until the White House stops stonewalling, the suspicion that they were partners in crime with Jack Abramoff continues to have relevance.