Marcy's thoughts on Lurita Doan

emptywheel posts at the next hurrah...

It has been over 50 days since Scott Bloch, the head of the Office of Special Counsel, sent Bush a letter advising that Lurita Doan be disciplined severely for her violations of the Hatch Act. Yet there she is, still in charge of the government's credit cards as the Administrator of the GSA.

If Doan weren't a Bush appointee, her fate would be clear--she would have been fired fifty days ago. But in this case, Bush has to fire her himself. And it appears that he has no intention of doing so.

this should be no surprise to anyone... once again, here's what the bush administration announced PRIOR to last november's elections...

from time magazine...

"In fact, when it comes to deploying its Executive power, which is dear to Bush's understanding of the presidency, the President's team has been planning for what one strategist describes as 'a cataclysmic fight to the death' over the balance between Congress and the White House if confronted with congressional subpoenas it deems inappropriate. The strategist says the Bush team is 'going to assert that power, and they're going to fight it all the way to the Supreme Court on every issue, every time, no compromise, no discussion, no negotiation.'"

absolutely NOTHING that could possibly be construed as a crack in total, unfettered executive power is going to take place as long as bush and his criminal compadres are in office... anyone who believes otherwise has simply not been paying attention... and this is precisely why our current crisis is so grave...

congress still wants to believe that the mechanisms of government are working and is continuing to turn the crank... what they haven't fully grasped is that the white house has already declared, in multiple ways, that they will function SOLELY on the basis of their own judgment and will NOT be responsive to ANY guidance, direction or due process served up by ANYONE else, INCLUDING those elsewhere in the executive branch with whom they disagree... the danger is palpable... bush and his gang have made it clear that the only way they will be stopped is via removal, and that's assuming they don't pull something before that can happen... i know it's a degree of treachery that none of us really want to believe, and, i admit, even with all the signs pointing in that direction, it's not something i particularly want to swallow either... but, i'm convinced that removal is our only option and that it better happen soon...

Submit To Propeller
Tweet

[Permalink] 0 comments

Begone, Lurita, and never darken my door again

think progress quotes henry waxman from today's house oversight committee hearings...

In today’s House oversight committee hearing with GSA administrator Lurita Doan, chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) told Doan that she should resign:

I have to say, this is my opinion, but it’s unusual for me to ever call for the resignation of a federal official. But in your case, I don’t see any other course of action that will protect the interests of your agency and the federal taxpayer. No one can be an effective leader who has abused the trust of her employees, and threatened to deny promotions and bonuses to employees for telling the truth. And no one can be an effective leader who has lost the public’s confidence, politicizing the agency and violating the federal Hatch Act, yet that is exactly what you have done.

i predict that waxman's strongly worded suggestion that doan resign, will, just like gonzo's failed no-confidence vote, merely strengthen bush's resolve to keep her... otoh, in big picture terms and, given the other crises that are biting bush around the ankles, lurita is most definitely expendable... however, i just can't see bush allowing it to look like he's acceding to waxman's request... it would be totally out of character...

Submit To Propeller
Tweet

[Permalink] 0 comments

Pulling in the RNC along with DOJ and the White House

this is good... this is very, very good...

Today, oversight committee chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) issued a letter to the Republican National Committee requesting it turn over all email communications by White House officials relating to the presentation.

In communicating with GSA about the presentation, Mr. Jennings and his assistant used “gwb43.com” e-mail accounts maintained by the RNC rather than their official White House e-mail accounts. In their e-mails, they described the presentation as a “close hold” and said that “we’re not supposed to be emailing it around.”

To assist the Committee in its investigation of these issues, I request that you provide any electronic messages sent or received by Karl Rove, J. Scott Jennings, or any other White House officials using accounts maintained by the RNC that relate to (1) the January 26, 2007, PowerPoint presentation at GSA, (2) the presentation of any similar political briefings at other federal agencies or to other federal employees, or (3) the use of federal agencies or resources to help Republican candidates.

since kyle sampson 'splained it all for us, that politics and performance are the same thing, it's only fair that the republican party is now a target of the congressional investigation... i don't think the rnc will be able to use "executive privilege" to get out of this one...

Submit To Propeller
Tweet

[Permalink] 0 comments

Business as usual for the political party that calls itself a presidential administration

and the hits just keep on comin', right here on all scandal, all the time...

Witnesses have told congressional investigators that the chief of the General Services Administration and a deputy in Karl Rove's political affairs office at the White House joined in a videoconference earlier this year with top GSA political appointees, who discussed ways to help Republican candidates.

With GSA Administrator Lurita Alexis Doan and up to 40 regional administrators on hand, J. Scott Jennings, the White House's deputy director of political affairs, gave a PowerPoint presentation on Jan. 26 of polling data about the 2006 elections.

When Jennings concluded his presentation to the GSA political appointees, Doan allegedly asked them how they could "help 'our candidates' in the next elections," according to a March 6 letter to Doan from Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.), chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Waxman said in the letter that one method suggested was using "targeted public events, such as the opening of federal facilities around the country."

this "oversight" thing sure turns up some interesting stuff...

Submit To Propeller
Tweet

[Permalink] 0 comments