Posted on 03/30/2007 12:47:13 PM PDT by Stultis
Another federal agency, and another appointee of President Bush's, is stuck in the klieg lights of ethics allegations. The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform asked Wednesday why Lurita Doan, administrator of the General Services Administration, allowed a White House aide to brief her managers on the Republican Party's prospects for 2008.
Doan calls herself an "unabashed entrepreneur." She has also raised $200,000 for the Republican Party. GSA is the government's landlord and office supplier.
In her testimony, Doan preferred to emphasize her entrepreneurial efforts. But Democrats were interested in other things: a contract that she tried to award to an old friend; negotiations with Sun Microsystems, in which she became involved; and, more especially, the briefing. In January, Scott Jennings — the top aide to White House political adviser Karl Rove — talked to GSA political appointees about the 2006 election results and the Republican goals for 2008.
In one exchange, the lead-off questioner for committee Democrats, Iowa freshman Rep. Bruce Braley, a former trial lawyer, asked Doan, "Would you characterize his presentation as a purely factual presentation about the results of the 2006 election?"
Doan replied, "I'm a little bit embarrassed to admit this, but I can say I honestly don't have a recollection of the presentation at all."
The committee had Jennings' PowerPoint presentation. Braley zeroed in on one page: Karl Rove's top 20 targets among House Democrats. When he asked Doan how Jennings explained the list, she again pleaded a bad memory, leading to this exchange:
Doan: "I don't know what the explanation was that accompanied this. I truly do not remember this part of the presentation. "
Braley: "Well, you're familiar with what the word 'target' means, right?"
Doan: "I think we could say that I'm one right now. "
Doan called the meeting a team-building event. Braley cited the Hatch Act, the federal law that bars partisan "team-building," as he said, in federal workplaces.
He said six other political appointees at GSA recalled that when Jennings finished speaking, Doan herself stood up to talk. Braley said, "and according to those sources, you stated, 'How can we use GSA to help our candidates in the next election?' I'm reminding that you are under oath. Can you tell the committee whether in fact you did make that statement?"
Doan said, "I do know that I'm under oath. And I will tell you that honestly and absolutely, I do not have a recollection of actually saying that."
With the PowerPoint slides up on a video screen, Doan's presence was almost superfluous for the Democrats. They speculated that Jennings gave similar briefings at other agencies –- especially after Republicans suggested the briefing was not unusual.
Republicans stuck up for Doan. Darrell Issa of California noted that she has been running GSA for just eight months: "In your eight months, I think you've probably found what I found in my nearly seven years now: That this is a bureaucracy that will resist you at every point, isn't it?"
Doan's reply: "You're absolutely right."
Committee Republicans also defended her, even by criticizing other Republicans. When Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley spoke up for the GSA inspector general, who's been investigating Doan, they cast doubt on his statements.
Florida's Dan Mica suggested the inspector general should be fired, explaining, "I'm going to follow the IG, because I don't like his performance." Like Doan, Inspector General Brian Miller is a Bush appointee.
In this committee's hearing room, the vitriol hangs in the air. It's where Republicans investigated All Things Clinton, from the purge at the White House travel office to President Bill Clinton's last-minute pardons.
In the 1990s, the chairman was Indiana's Dan Burton. On Wednesday, he said those investigations were continually obstructed by the current chairman, Henry Waxman of California. Waxman called the charges inaccurate, to which Burton responded, "We'll find out how inaccurate they are. Look at the papers, look at the records. You did that for six years, and now you're going to have to eat it."
After that outburst, Burton and Waxman both added their reports on the Clinton investigations to the official record of the GSA hearing, in the end of another day at the oversight committee.
Burton was essentially responding to Democrats aghast that Republicans would (accurately) describe this investigation as a "Witch Hunt".
Burton first gave a devasting precise of Clinton admin outrages, and of the dozens and dozens (over 150 IIRC) of Clinton officials and/or associates who pleaded the fifth, and some who even fled the country to avoid testifying, etc. Then noted that Waxman time and again described these investigations of very serious issues (e.g. downloading FBI files into personal computers) as baseless "Witch Hunts".
IOW Burton was talking about the "Witch Hunt" claim when saying that Nostrilla would have to "eat it".
Burton slapped his mike aside and turned away from Nostrilla after he said this. It was beautiful.
There were many other fine speeches by Pubbies, and in general the attempt of Dims (and a pissy IG) to smear a competent public servant of literally NOTHING, was pretty thoroughly exposed. That's why you've seen so little about this story, or the hearing itself, since the hearing. I really had to dig to turn this up. There's very little in the print media, who are covering up what should be a big Dim embarassment.
This is pretty funny. Actually Waxman should be made to snort it up through his airplane hangar-sized nostrils.
At least the women seem to know how to handle these BS line of questioning.
GSA is the government's landlord and office supplier.
GSA is the most-bloated agency in existence.
Oversight Committee's page for this hearing:
http://oversight.house.gov/story.asp?ID=1224
Opposition (Republican) page:
http://republicans.oversight.house.gov/hearings/hearingdetail.aspx?NewsID=120
http://republicans.oversight.house.gov/News/PRArticle.aspx?NewsID=119
You are a snotty little sonofabitch.
Please pay for a nose job so we do not have to look at your boogers you arrogant ass.
Sincerely,
Me
Frankly I believe her. This lady (God bless her) hasn't been the slightest bit defensive or evasive. Quite the contrary. During the hearing she stated that she thinks Bush is a great man and is proud to be a supporter.
Fact is this meeting was a minor affair. Some functionary from the White House asked to give a presentation (note, only to class-C employees, who were political appointees) that was basically about the changed political circumstances following the 2006 elections. Doan attended because she felt she should be supportive such group activities, but admits she didn't really pay much attention.
A former Trial Lawyer, LOL, a member of al-Qaeda and an anti-American are better words as he voted to surrender to al-Qaeda along with the other members of al-Qaeda in the US House 246 if I remember correctly. Lets face it Waxman is another supporter of al-Qaeda.
[Waxman's] "airplane hangar sized nostrils"
Heh, heh!
Anyway, you'll read of DemocRats' tactical defeats only on FReepers. Or on FoxNews, it is hoped.
Are the Republicans turning out to be strong on defense?
Harassment and interdiction won't set the agenda, but can be effective.
After that outburst, Burton and Waxman both added their reports on the Clinton investigations to the official record of the GSA hearing, in the end of another day at the oversight committee.
Which one entered their report first? :o)
Note to self: Never tell Henry Waxman to "suck it up, man!"
Waxman is an evil dwarf who needs to be exorcised by some Georgetown Priest immediately. The sooner the better for the Republic.
Great to hear that the Pubbies are responding as they should be responding.
L-o-n-g overdue. A salute to Rep. Burton.
This would indeed be a Witch Hunt if it were not for the Witches having already been being located in the person of Waxman et al - they are truly evil and truly they must be fought tooth and nail.
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