Posted on 12/13/2005 4:06:32 PM PST by lancer
Democrats have their own scandal brewing at the moment, but they are doing much better in covering it up than their Republican counterparts. At issue is the report by David Barrett, the last remaining U.S. independent counsel. Over ten years, Barrett has spent $21 million on the investigation of former Housing Secretary Henry Cisneros, who lied to FBI investigators about hush money paid to an ex-mistress.
The reason the report and the investigation have taken so long is that allies to Cisneros and the legal team of former President Bill Clinton at the powerhouse Washington law firm of Williams and Connolly have fought its progress in court at every step. Meanwhile, Clinton-sympathetic judges have sealed everything concerned with the case, including Barrett's report.
The report contains shocking allegations of high-level corruption in the Internal Revenue Service and Justice Department under Clinton, which Barrett found as Clinton aides monitored his investigation and sought to derail it in order to cover up the Cisneros matter. A regional IRS official had formulated a new rule enabling him to transfer an investigation of Cisneros to Washington to be buried by the Justice Department. Barrett's investigators found Lee Radek, head of Justice's public integrity division, determined to protect President Bill Clinton.
A recently passed appropriations bill, intended to permit release of this report, was altered by Democrats behind closed doors to ensure that its politically combustible elements never see the light of day. Democrats succeeded in inserting instructions into the bill's conference report that are very broad and will allow judges to continue suppressing the report. Three of the toughest Democrats in Congress -- Sen. Carl Levin, Sen. Byron Dorgan and Rep. Henry Waxman -- have been behind the effort to suppress, and they have done it effectively. The final language authorized the judges "to protect the rights of any individual named" in the report. With two out of three judges on a three-judge panel inclined to the Democrats, that means hardly anything out of Barrett's allegations will remain in the report made public. The bill was passed by Congress Nov. 18 and signed into law Nov. 30.
The only hope for the public seeing the report lies with Senate Finance Chairman Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), who may still try to force its release. Grassley would love to see a thorough investigation of the tax agency. Otherwise, Republican Congressional sources expect Section B of the report, dealing with the allegations of IRS-Justice corruption, to be eliminated in its entirety. The rest of the report will be so heavily redacted to obey the new Congressional language that it will be of scant interest to either ordinary citizen or legislator.
I'm afraid Senators Kennedy and Kerry appear disinclined to respond favorably to my e-mails.
(They don't take my calls either.)
---and where (obviously) do our gutless Republidum congresscritters and our vetoless President stand on this--???
My sincere condolences. I have to deal with Biden and Carper...so I don't deal...
Last I heard, congress was controlled by the GOP. What have they been doing about this? (That's a rhetorical question. I know the answer)
Call them and ask them.
later read
If Republicans tried to do this it would be on the front page of the NY Times and Wash. Post. CNN, CBS, ABC, NBC and MSNBC would lead with this on every broadcast demanding that the public has a right to know.
Stay tuned for a glaring expose of this cover up by the Democrats due out by the Washington Post, New York Times, etc. by their crack investigative reporters who won't take no for an answer and will work unceasingly to uncover this entire story. It is sure to dominate the entire press cycle from now into the early summer.(sarc)
The bill was passed by Congress Nov. 18 and signed into law Nov. 30.
...
Uh,, who signed it into law?
Signed by Bush?
I'm shocked, simply shocked.
Built any walls or Fences along the southern border lately, W?
Looks like we need one of those leakers at Justice to get "the rest of the story" to the Washington Times...?
Would be nice to think that someone is working on that angle as we speak...
I've got you both beat: Feinstein and Boxer, and my rep is another female Dem.
Didn't Tony Snow talk about this on his radio show? Seems I heard him mention it but had to go away from the radio before his got to it.
Apparently, the length of the investigation is due to Clintinoid litigation over everthing with literally hundreds of motions and/or appeals during Barrett's efforts. The 'rats' last gasp was trying to cut off funding in the Senate. That was beat back. I am really anxious to see what it says. Think: "Culture of Corruption". Hehehehehe....
A recently passed appropriations bill, ..that may explain why it was signed....
Re#18 Yep. But for talk radio and the 'net, we wouldn't even know it was out there. Here's hoping it gets out and the MSM and 'rats can't totally bury it...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.