Posted on 03/15/2007 6:39:32 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
Was San Diego U.S. Attorney Carol Lam fired because her bribery investigation of Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham led straight to the powerful Republican chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, Rep. Jerry Lewis of Redlands?
This crucial question was the subject of pure speculation until the release this week of some 150 pages of e-mails between the Justice Department and the White House. The documents, turned over to the House Judiciary Committee, contain the first solid evidence that Lam's public corruption probe may have been a factor in her dismissal.
On May 11, 2006, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' senior deputy, Kyle Sampson, dispatched a terse e-mail to Deputy White House Counsel William Kelley regarding Lam.
Labeled “Confidential,” the e-mail states: “Please call me at your convenience to discuss the following:
Tim Griffin for E.D. Ark.; and
The real problem we have right now with Carol Lam that leads me to conclude that we should have someone ready to be nominated on 11/18, the day her 4-year term expires.”
Earlier that morning, the Los Angeles Times had reported in a front-page story that Lewis had become a target of the expanding Cunningham investigation, and that federal prosecutors in Los Angeles had issued subpoenas probing the relationship between Lewis and lobbyist Bill Lowery, a former San Diego congressman.
The timing of Sampson's memo to the White House counsel's office raises the disturbing question of whether the “real problem” he had with Lam was her aggressive investigation into potential wrongdoing by Republicans on Capitol Hill. Sampson's e-mail also refers to the administration's secret plans to implant Tim Griffin, a protege of White House political adviser Karl Rove, as the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas. The Justice Department later forced Harry “Bud” Cummins from that position in order to give the job to Griffin.
Sampson resigned abruptly this week following disclosures that White House Counsel Harriet Miers played a key role in the dismissal of Lam and seven other U.S. attorneys. In testimony before a congressional committee last month, Deputy U.S. Attorney General Paul McNulty testified under oath that the White House was not involved in the firings. Sampson was faulted for not briefing McNulty on the White House role and for allowing him to make false statements to lawmakers.
If, in fact, Sampson wanted to fire Lam because of the widening Cunningham probe, his intercession may have constituted obstruction of justice, a serious felony. The judiciary committees in both the Senate and House are investigating the purge. At the very least, the subpoenas issued by these panels should include Kyle Sampson and William Kelley for an explanation under oath of the May 11 e-mail.
the republicans are always on the defensive.
always on some democrap-tv defensive--"when did you stop beating your wife?"
when are the republicans going to wake up?
"The timing of Sampson's memo to the White House counsel's office raises the disturbing question of whether the “real problem” he had with Lam was her aggressive investigation into potential wrongdoing by Republicans on Capitol Hill. Sampson's e-mail also refers to the administration's secret plans to implant Tim Griffin, a protege of White House political adviser Karl Rove, as the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas. The Justice Department later forced Harry “Bud” Cummins from that position in order to give the job to Griffin. "
No bias in that paragraph.
U.S. Attorney for Nevada, Daniel Bogden, was also fired. Republican Senator John Ensign is more than angry about this. He is spitting nails. Senator Ensign has a high regard for Bogden. He was doing an excellent job prosecuting both Republican and Democrat crooks in Nevada.
My thinking is that Bogden got too close to uncovering crooked things about Harry Reid and his friends which would lead to other Washington folks. I also have to ask myself how close are these crooks to the White House?
Yes, Gonzeles has the right to hire and fire who he wants or doesn’t want. But apparently, this is beginning to look like incompetence was not the reason for the firings. Rather, it looks like Bogden (like some others) was getting too close to uncovering the crimes and the criminals which would lead to Washington and maybe to the White House.
God this makes me sick.
Seems that there's "no there there" in this editorial. Rather, it is rife with speculation, innuendo, and unsupported "what-ifs".
I've virtually no confidence in politicians.
Do you remember how quickly Bush squashed further investigations into William Jefferson’s crooked dealings when Dennis Hastert squealed like a stuck pig?
I think "they" think the sheeple couldn't handle that "their" POTUS was a rapist...so they gave him a "pass".
I think there's too much Good Ol Boy grifting, lying, cheating, and stealing going on.....
And there really isn't a thing "we" can do about it.
I was referring to William Jefferson, Congressman from the 2nd Congressional District of Louisiana. I can see where the confusion comes in because of similar names, and they are both crooks. I do thank you for your comments.
I just added to your comments....
I'm sorry, Osage. My stupidity. I was trying to read and listen to Rush at the same time. I've chosen to turn off Rush. I've had all I can take of him for today.
My mistake; and no, you are not a sheeple by any means.
Anyway, I hope this will get good and noisy in the next few days. I have the popcorn ready.
FRegards,
I'm actually enjoying this. I. CALL. FOR. THE. PRESIDENT. TO. DEMAND. THE. RESIGNATION. OF. ATTORNEY. GENERAL. ALBERTO. GONZALES.
WHAT. DID. THE. PRESIDENT. KNOW. AND. WHEN. DIDHEKNOWIT?
Hugs from Panama your way.
Seems to me quite a jump from Harry Reid to White House complicity -- except, of course, in protecting Harry Reid, which I wouldn't put past them. The "New Tone," doncha know?
"when are the republicans going to wake up?"
I've been asking that same question for 32 years.
My conclusion?
Never
Yes, I’m following your thought process. I gave that a lot of thought. My conclusion was that Reid and Bush have some common friends, and those friends helped (financed) Bush to ascend to the White House…king makers if you will, and he owes them big time. And putting them in jail is not one of them.
For the last 24 hours, I've been trying to connect the dots. There is too much that hasn't been making sense. I’m thinking of the cases in San Diego and Nevada. I don’t know about the rest.
I’m just trying to connect the dots, and those are my conclusions for now.
Hard to believe though that friends of Reid would have helped Bush. (I'm in MA -- I have no inside knowledge. I don't even have outside knowledge.")
You have to figure the smack they talk about each other in front of the camera is like pro wrestling. It LOOKS violent, but not really.
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