Posted on 05/17/2004 10:41:56 PM PDT by kattracks
Washington (CNSNews.com) - Mary Frances Berry, chairwoman of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, thwarted a planned discussion of the Senate's "Memogate" affair on Monday when she adjourned the panel's monthly meeting after four Republican members didn't arrive on time.
Berry, a political independent who sides with the commission's Democrats, announced she would wait 5 minutes past the meeting's scheduled start time of 9:30 a.m. When none of the Republican members arrived, and the commission lacked a quorum, she adjourned the meeting.
The commission's Republican members, who want an investigation into the contents of Democrat strategy memos on President Bush's judicial nominees, said Berry was using their late arrival at the meeting to stonewall any discussion of the issue.
Republican commissioner Peter N. Kirsanow told CNSNews.com in April that he planned to raise the issue at the May meeting. Kirsanow later notified the commission's staff director, Les Jin, about his intentions.
At issue is whether the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund (LDF) sought to influence the outcome of a high-profile affirmative action case by seeking to delay the Senate confirmation of conservative Julia Smith Gibbons, whom President Bush nominated for a post on the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. At the time, the LDF was arguing in favor of the University of Michigan's affirmative action policy before that same court.
In his syndicated column Monday, Robert Novak addressed Kirsanow's intentions. The Republican commissioners speculated that Novak's column could have played a role in Berry's decision to quickly adjourn the meeting.
"Everyone knew what we were going to be addressing at this meeting," Kirsanow said. "The fact that they adjourned the meeting immediately suggests not that they have any particular affection for promptness, but that they have a disaffection for openness and honest discussion."
Russell G. Redenbaugh, the first Republican commissioner to arrive around 9:41 a.m., confronted Berry about the adjournment. She defended her decision, claiming to have waited 15 minutes. At the moment, the clock in the commission's meeting room read 9:43 a.m.
Another Republican commissioner, Jennifer C. Braceras, said Jin, the staff director, must have known that the Republicans were planning to attend because of several memos they had circulated about the issues they were planning to address.
"None of them were here, none of them called - none of their assistants, none of the commissioners," Jin said in defense of the adjournment. "I had my people check the building well after the 9:30 start time and nobody was here."
Reporters from the Chicago Tribune, Washington Times and CNSNews.com were on hand when the four Republican commissioners - Braceras, Kirsanow, Redenbaugh and Abigail Thernstrom - confronted Berry about 45 minutes after the adjournment.
Berry and the vice chairman, Cruz Reynoso, were meeting with the commission's staff in a conference room at the time. Despite the presence of six commissioners in the room, Berry refused to call the two other Democrat commissioners to meet.
After about seven minutes of heated conversation, Berry turned to consult Reynoso when he suddenly stormed out of the room, telling Redenbaugh he was ashamed of his behavior.
"I'm leaving," Reynoso said as he marched out of the room. "I find this whole thing and these commissioners disgraceful. I'm leaving. I'm sorry."
Berry later told reporters she wouldn't have adjourned the meeting so quickly if the Republican commissioners had called to notify her of their late arrival. Berry herself had arrived late for past meetings, according to minutes distributed by Republican aides.
Meanwhile, Kirsanow and his Republican colleagues will have to wait until June 11 before the commission discusses whether to launch an investigation into the memos.
"We're going to discuss all these things at the next meeting," Berry said. "I have no comment on [Memogate], but we will discuss it at the next meeting if they wish. We'll discuss anything they want to discuss."
See Earlier Story:
President of NAACP Legal Group Won't Discuss Role in 'Memogate' (April 29, 2004)
E-mail a news tip to Robert B. Bluey.
Send a Letter to the Editor about this article.
Ping!
Isn't that just grand.
Truth was never her long suit...holding onto power and partisan politics are.
BUMP!
Berry, a political independent" --what has this reporter been smoking?
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