Posted on 08/27/2010 4:53:43 AM PDT by Second Amendment First
If President Barack Obama needed any more incentive to go all out for Democrats this fall, here it is: Republicans are planning a wave of committee investigations targeting the White House and Democratic allies if they win back the majority.
Everything from the microscopic – the New Black Panther party – to the massive –- think bailouts – is on the GOP to-do list, according to a half-dozen Republican aides interviewed by POLITICO.
Republican staffers say there won’t be any self-destructive witch hunts – but they are clearly relishing the prospect of extracting information from an administration that touts transparency.
And a handful of aggressive would-be committee chairmen – led by Reps. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) and Lamar Smith (R-Tex.) – are quietly gearing up for a possible season of subpoenas not seen since the Clinton wars of the late 1990s.
Issa would like Obama’s cooperation, says Kurt Bardella, spokesman for the ranking Republican on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. But it’s not essential.
“How acrimonious things get really depend on how willing the administration is in accepting our findings [and] responding to our questions,” adds Bardella, who refers to his boss as “Questioner-in-Chief.’
That’s feeding anxieties within the West Wing – even if administration officials won’t admit it publicly.
“I actually think it will be even worse than what happened to Bill Clinton, because of the animosity they already feel for President Obama,” says Lanny Davis, a deputy White House counsel who lived through Clinton’s trials.
With that in mind, here’s a list of six possible committee investigations if Republicans take back the House in November, culled from GOP aides, Democratic insiders and outside experts:
Sestak, Romanoff and Jobgate. Most of the Clinton-era investigations – from Whitewater to Vince Foster to the Lewinsky scandal — targeted the president personally.
Most potential GOP probes of Obama, by contrast, seem to be aimed at the administration’s periphery or policies – with the ironic exception of the one that revolves around – yep — Bill Clinton.
Issa has made no secret of his interest in getting to the bottom of muddled, mishandled White House attempts to force Democratic Senate candidates Joe Sestak and Andrew Romanoff from races in Pennsylvania and Colorado.
White Deputy Chief of Staff Jim Messina sent Romanoff an email with several potential non-Senate job possibilities; Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel enlisted Clinton to dangle the possibility of several unpaid executive branch appointments to Sestak in exchange for allowing Republican-turned-Democrat Arlen Specter to run unopposed. Sestak said no – and trounced Specter.
White House counsel Bob Bauer – the veteran election lawyer who would be Obama’s first legal line of defense against the GOP – has said no laws were broken. So have some GOP lawyers, but Issa isn’t convinced – and has called on Attorney General Eric Holder to investigate.
Privately, Issa’s staff is afraid of taking it too far. The backlash against Republican investigations in the Newt Gingrich era is fresh in his mind.
He’s told associates he doesn’t want to be labeled another Dan Burton – a reference to the overzealous Indiana Republican oversight chairman who once shot at a pumpkin in his backyard to re-enact Vince Foster’s death.
“If Republicans go on an investigative witch hunt when and if they gain power in November, then their power will be very short lived,” said Mark McKinnon, a former George W. Bush adviser sympathetic to Obama. “The American public wants Congress to work together, not to investigate each other.”
Bailouts, Bailouts, Bailouts. No investigation poses a more significant political danger to Obama than a no-holds-barred GOP probe into TARP, the AIG bailout, the Freddie-Fannie sinkhole and the administration’s de facto takeover of GM and Chrysler.
Reason One: Perhaps the only issue uniting all voters is a shared hatred of all bailouts – so few Democrats, even die-hard liberals, would be willing to stand in front of a bus to defend Obama against attacks.
Reason Two: One GOP aide described the bailouts as a “huge pool” from which to make document and email requests – and issue subpoenas. The prospect of a massive – and popular -- fishing expedition at the West Wing’s expense would delight the Republican base and create a political headache for the president’s team.
Issa seriously rattled Democrats earlier this summer by revealing the lengths he’s willing to go to obtain information – asking Google executives if they would be willing to turn over Gmail messages pertaining to administration business.
“If he comes at them, the White House will then have to make up its mind: Will they let their lawyers take over or will they let the political people run the show?” says Lanny Davis, who counsels Obama to turn over as much as possible as quickly as possible to avoid allegations of stonewalling.
“If Rahm Emanuel is still Chief of Staff, they will have a huge advantage – he’s been through this before and he’ll push back against the lawyers,” added Davis.
Countrywide Mortgage and “Angelo’s List.” Sen. Chris Dodd’s embarrassing placement on the company’s VIP mortgage list played a major role in the Connecticut Democrat’s involuntary retirement earlier this year.
Issa – using only the bully pulpit – has already forced Countrywide’s parent, Bank of America, to turn over reams of documents. If he becomes chairman, Issa will use the committee’s power to obtain more information on sweetheart deals, even if it involves GOP politicians, according to a person close to him.
“I think the White House is underestimating him,” says a top Congressional Democratic aide. “What makes him so dangerous is that he’s willing to turn on Republicans too.”
The New Black Panther Party. Smith, the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, has already pressed Holder to look into charges that members of the New Black Panther Party intimidated voters at a Philadelphia polling place in 2008.
The San Antonio-area conservative – whose first campaign was managed by Karl Rove – is already on record criticizing Holder for dropping the Justice Department case against three Panthers, including one who brandished a police-style baton.
“Congress, in furtherance of its oversight obligations [needs] to receive answers” on the Panther case, he wrote in late 2009.
“Congressman Smith thinks it’s far too early to discuss any possible investigations before the voters have spoken,” said a Smith spokesman, before adding:
“But, yes, we would definitely want answers about the Black Panther case.”
ACORN. A whole host of Republicans – led by Reps. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) and Steve King (R-Iowa) on the party’s right wing – have demanded an investigation into the defunct community organizing group’s ties to the Obama campaign.
Still, neither Issa nor Smith are said to be enthusiastic about jumping back into the controversy – considering the fact that ACORN is out of business and most Democrats have already signed on to a bill barring federal funding of the group.
Related: Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Tex.) – who stands a chance of leap-frogging Spencer Bachus (R-Ala.), the ranking GOPer on the House Financial Services Committee – is pushing for a large-scale investigation of the Community Reinvestment Act.
Minerals Management Service. The juiciest Bush-era revelations about the agency’s shortcomings have already been aired – including the fact that some MMS employees allegedly had sexual relations with workers they were supposed to oversee.
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has already admitted MMS officials were asleep at the switch in monitoring BP’s Deepwater Horizon platform before it blew up. But Issa is bent on finding out which Obama administration officials were responsible for missing the warning signs – and why clean-up and response efforts didn’t take place more quickly.
I hear you but thie era of the MSM and progressives demonizing the GOP is so old and done.
I think the Republicans should keep their powder dry before giving the Rat Party another reason to to lie and cheat their way into maintaining their grip on power.
The Media will portray this as a situation where the Mean Old Republicans are looking for revenge, not investigating the abuse of power in Congress and the White House. As usual, the poor little Rats will be the victims.
Showing your cards before the hand is dealt is not the way to win. The day after the Election is the time to give the enemy a list of your intentions, if you win of course.
Don't get cocky kid, is more than a line in a Star Wars Movie.
“..a reference to the overzealous Indiana Republican oversight chairman who once shot at a pumpkin in his backyard to re-enact Vince Foster’s death.”
Was that him in the Taurus Judge commercial using five shot 410 magnums?
DITTO
The housing market crash was caused by Clinton. He signed the community reinvestment act which forced banks and loan companies to give out loans regardless of whether the buyers could prove they had the ability to pay for the loans. For eight years Bush tried to reverse this act ,but was blocked by the democratic party. The 700 billion dollars of the tarp money has all been paid back. Half was paid back prior to obama and the other half after obama’s election. The massive debt we now owe is all credited to obama , and nothing to show for it.
1. No funding for health care boondoggle; attempt to repeal.
2. Cut federal spending, INCLUDING JOBS drastically; no more gubmint jobs for dem Comnists.
3. De-fund all czars.
4. Prevent agencies from acting like legislators making law, eg EPA; sunset legislation for all federal agencies.
5. NO MORE BAILOUTS
6. Stop illegal immigration, support AZ law, no amnesty; legislation to prevent anchor babies from becoming citizens, automatically via clause in 14th.
7. 10th amendment mode
8. Stop earmarks; legislation that treats the Louisiana and Nebraska briberies as just that -felonies.
9. Support for 28th? amendment that all laws that affect the public affects the Congress, including requiring Congress to fall under Social Security and elimination of their potentate retirement system.
10. Repeal of the law that subverts the 27th amendment, re pay raises.
11. Legislation that prevents states (CA, IL, etc.) from subverting the 2nd amendment.
12. No funding for homosexuals in the military.
13. Eliminate use of the franking privilege for “electioneering” within six months of a primary election. Both parties are guilty of this and it provides a federally funded advantage to incumbents.
14. Foreign aid should be significantly reined in. Why are we sending millions/billions, often to corrupt and unfriendly govts, when we have people hurting here at home and it further contributes to the deficit.
15. Make “golden parachutes” for unsuccessful executives a pariah.
16. Abolish IRS and simplify tax code; flat or fair tax is probably not achievable.
Going after past abuses, unless they are continuing, is probably counterproductive. If new ones crop up, hit’em in the nads. The focus should be on jobs and support of business, cutting spending, etc.
While it would make most of us feel good for them to go after the Demcraps, it will potentially be perceived by the public as more of the same. Our compass must be focused on 2012 and how we can put an end to the regime. The press and demcraps will not be on our side, but if we remain focused on the things that piss the public off, we should be okay.
*
I think a great way to exhibit the power of the 10th amendment would be for each of the 50 states to recall, publicly try, and execute its senators and congressmen.
Just the guilty ones of course.
Of which I think are are about 500 total.
Give or take.
We have a saying on FR, “loose lips sink ships.”
Apparently GOP staffers never heard it before.
Mmmmmmm......I think it will reinforce the Nov anti-Dem vote.
Voters now know they will get some satisfaction for the Ohaha crime wave.
MASS PUBLIC HANGING---I like the sound of that. LOL.
I hear DC shoe stores are stocking up on high-impact running shoes (/snix).
You don't speak for this American, Ahole
You really think Republicans would or even could do this? When have Republicans ever stood up and fought back? This is a bunch of crock.
Castration of the candidate for the first offense. Execution of teh campaign manager for the second offense. Execution of the candidate for teh third offense.
Election fraud of any sort is treason against these United States and should be dealt with as such.
People want to vote against the Democrats to stop 0bama already. But telegraphing investigations of 0bama may spark a knee-jerk partisan reaction and motivate apathetic and dispirited Democrats to come out and vote against Republicans instead of sitting it out. This mean Republicans losing elections.
Bit actually, I was talking about not let the 0bama regime know we’re coming for them with handcuffs, because they’ll start destroying the evidence, shredding memos, wiping hard drives, etc.
We already got a huge paper/electronic trail.......and if they destroy anything, that's prosecutable.
Official documents are NOT just pieces of paper. They are part of a high-level government process with enormous financial impact for taxpayers.
Computer Trespass is a class C felony if access is made with the intent to commit a crime and/or the violation involves a computer or database maintained by a government agency.
Filing false documents is a felony that may also involve forgery and extortion. Making false statements and filing falsified documents is prosecutable. Falsifying official public documents is a felony; 1st-degree tampering, 1st-degree offering of a false instrument, 4th-degree grand larceny, 1st-degree falsifying of official records.
We will be looking at the parameters of:
govt employee misconduct,
embezzlements,
financial statement fraud,
accounting fraud,
looting of govt assets,
insider malfeasance,
bribery,
Hobbes Act schemes,
Corrupt Practices Act violations,
Ponzi scams,
securities & investment fraud,
healthcare fraud,
price fixing,
anti-trust violations,
and other cases of white collar fraud.
All records filed will be ruthlessly scrutinized. We will look at the parameters of prosecutable crimes including:
collusion,
making false statements to federal officials,
obstructing proceedings before federal agencies,
conspiracy;
obstructing and delaying US justice.
We will subpoena all documents deemed fraudulent. Federal officials and insiders found stealing and conveying (or destroying) official govt records will be prosecuted.
======================================
BTW, that just skims the surface---I'm not laying down all my cards right here, right now (/snix).
I will be your future campaign manager. For FREE. ;)
Yeah, Al Gore is STILL serving time for destroying those White House emails...
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