Smoking Gun? Is This a Bush Transition Team Photo with Abramoff?

[Dunvegan]

The original Bush Transition Team picture with Bush standing in the doorway with an "unnamed" man behind him is from this BBC report of Thursday, 30 November, 2000:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/world/americas/1046979.stm

(Scroll down to the bottom of the page for picture and article.)

What do you think? Is this a smoking gun picture?

Thanks to splat@14 who found the Transition Team photo at this original GD thread:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=2379449

[tinrobot]

1. Looks like we have a winner....

Great idea to use morphing software, btw.

[raysr]

2. That's him

[kentuck]

3. No, that is not him....

Someone posted this a couple of days ago...

[Dunvegan]

4. They've posted the Transition Team photo...

...not the morph.

I've also blown this thing up using image refinement software and there are many points-to-point matches (eyesockets, forehead wrinkles, unique frown lines, mouth.)

We may hear someday soon whether or not Abramoff was at the Transition Team meeting, anyway.

After working with dozens of images of Abramoff and the Transition Team picture I tend to believe that it is Abramoff behind Bush in the doorway.

Your mileage may vary.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

5. Hasn't This Been Debunked Like A Brazillion Times Already?

My bad if it hasn't.

Regardless, I still think, even from the 1st time I saw it, that it doesn't look a thing like Abramoff.

Patience, the real photos will come.

[skids]

17. It was answered, not "debunked"

At no time did the discoverer of the photo claim that it was Abramoff. Just that it might be, and asked for opinions. So it was never passed off as bunk to begin with.

We did find that it was one of the security detail when someone found some more photos from the same set.

Anyone know if the airstrip guy-with-briefcase one has been ID'd yet?

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

18. "We did find that it was one of the security detail "

Debunked. Thanks.

I thought it was.

[Catherine Vincent]

6. Very good morph job.

But we don't have proof that it's republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

[w13rd0]

12. We wouldn't need to fish...

...for proof if Bush would just quit with his habitual lying.

And I remember the "debunkers" when we here at DU pointed out members of Chalabi's private army partcipating in opportune photo ops in Baghdad shortly after the invasion. Where are those debunkers now?

Yeah, that's what I thought.

[Dunvegan]

7. Anyone have a link to the debunking?

Is there a positive identification for the man behind Bush in the Transition Team photo?

That would be useful. Thanks.

[hang a left]

10. I read the original post

There wasn't any debunking. Just a debate about whether it is him or not. Some people think it is him, some people don't. I thought the hairline was wrong. I am not convinced. But for anyone to suggest that it has been debunked is bs. Unless someone's opinion adds up to debunking. I'll try to find the post for you.

[hang a left]

11. .......

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=364&topic_id=180992

[mahatmakanejeeves]

8. Probably a Secret Service agent

.

[FreedomAngel82]

9. More then likely

There's another pic I posted when I thought it was him too following Bush shaking hands with people and he's dressed in all black and a suit. So it's more than likely Secret Service.

[oneold1-4u]

14. directly behind

Specially when exiting through a doorway, there is always a security person body shielding the president!
I would think democrats would have more important things to think about. If * said he never knew Abramoff then one can be certain that HE DID! Has he said one truth ever?

[Dunvegan]

13. Okay...no harm...no foul...

...just putting this out there.

The cheekbones/skeleton/frown lines are very close, however.

If anyone has the pix of the Secret Service agent, that would be great.

Maybe instead of just posting the morph, I should have made this into a poll.

Edited to say...here's the other image from the same photo shoot...let me go back and work the detail comparison with this photo.

?v=1&c=MS_GINS&k=2&d=17A4AD9FDB9CF193C7B2654DC6EF46FA992C3D9F27E6CA77

Yep. Looks like this agent is more probably and more likely the guy behind Bush than Abramoff.

They do share a large number of facial and skeletal points of resemblance...weird.

Bottom line: It just makes better sense that this agent is the mystery man in the doorway. Agents do stick close to thier diplomatic detail targets. And if Bush is emerging from a building, the agent should be right behind the President-elect.

[MagickMuffin]

15. link not working

for me anyway:evilgrin:

[proud2BlibKansan]

16. Bingo

That's him.