I happened to be perusing the NY Times website, when I caught a picture of a woman who resigned yesterday from the White House staff. She looked like she could be Asian.
She turned out to be, but more on that later.
At least one news report is wondering why she resigned:
Why Did Rove Aide Resign?
Investigation shows Susan Ralston was conduit between Abramoff and White House
By JAKE TAPPER / ABC News
WASHINGTON, Oct. 6, 2006 — -Hours before the beginning of a three-day holiday weekend, the White House announced the resignation of Susan Ralston, a top aide to presidential adviser Karl Rove.
Just a week before, Ralston's name was mentioned 162 times in a 93-page congressional report on the influence wielded in the Bush White House by uber-lobbyist Jack Abramoff, a convicted felon.
The bipartisan House Government Reform Committee studied documents from Greenberg Traurig L.L.P., Abramoff's former lobbying firm -- billing records and other documents -- indicating that Abramoff and his team had made 485 lobbying contacts with White House officials over three years -- 69 of which were with Ralston, who seemed to have served as a messenger between the Abramoff and White House camps.
Before coming to the White House, Ralston served as executive assistant to Abramoff. In her letter, dated Thursday but released to the media towards the end of the day today, Ralston wrote that "the time has come for me to pursue other opportunities."
As the report indicates, Ralston worked under Abramoff, before going over to work for Rove.
In fact Susan Bonzon Ralston had been Abramoff's:
executive assistant at Preston Gates and Ellis and later at the Greenberg Traurig law and lobbying firm, where "she served as the assistant director of governmental affairs. Before moving to the nation’s capital, she was an office administrator for M&J Wilkow, Ltd., a commercial real estate firm in Chicago, Illinois." [1] (http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/week_2005_09_18.php#006598)[2] (http://www.asianfortune.com/aug04/Articles/PROFILE%20Susan%20RALSTON.htm)
The SourceWatch profile written a year or so, ago goes on to say:
"Ms. Ralston assists Mr. Rove in overseeing the strategic planning, political affairs, public liaison, and intergovernmental affairs efforts of the White House." [3] (http://www.philippinefestival.org/pfc2003ma12.html)
Ralston is cited as being the highest ranking Filipino-American in the Bush White House. The Philippine News Online reported (http://www.philippinenews.com/news/view_article.html?article_id=3e0c4851a55bc3720463f093929c619d) September 22, 2004, that "Ralston, who was promoted special assistant to the president last July, is also actively involved in courting the Asian American vote."
=- =- =- =-
Well, now that she's got all this free time on her hands, maybe she can be more actively involved in the Filipino American Republicans of Virginia (FARV).
She's already on their advisory council.
Elsewhere on FARV's website, one can access a copy of last winters newsletter. On the front page, there's a picture of Sen. Geo. Allen doing the tinikling in his cowboy boots. (Priceless! Who says white men can't dance?)
Come to think of it, maybe Ralston can devote some of her free time to rescuing the self-destructing Allen, before he ends up in political Boot Hill.
She oughta take him to see the smooth-talking, Pinoy funnyman, Rex Navarette ,
who just happens to be playing Lisner Auditorium in DC, tonight!