Posted on 11/03/2011 6:05:22 PM PDT by Hunton Peck
The chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee is intervening with a Pentagon investigator to influence the final wording of a report that exonerates George W. Bush-era officials who gave war briefings to retired military TV and radio commentators.
Sen. Carl Levin, Michigan Democrat, has tried for three years to convince federal investigators that the briefing program violated government rules and that some of the retired officers turned analysts received preferential treatment for Pentagon contracts.
Two previous government probes found no misconduct, and the Pentagon inspector general now has wrapped up a third investigation.
A source close to the third probe said that a Levin staffer, committee general counsel Peter Levine, has engaged in written communication with John Crane, the Pentagon inspector generals congressional liaison.
The source said the communication is designed to convince Mr. Crane that wording should be added to the findings that criticize the analyst program devised by staff for Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld.
The findings, as written, say the program followed Defense Department rules, the source told The Washington Times.
A spokeswoman for Mr. Levin and Mr. Levine declined to comment.
Mr. Crane, who is also director of communications, referred a reporter to an earlier answer his office gave to The Times. At that time, he was asked whether the inspector generals office had briefed Mr. Levin on the findings, not about Mr. Levines communications.
The spokesman at that time said it was a general practice not to brief requesters such as Mr. Levin on a reports anticipated findings, but rather on an investigations methodology and progress.
Urged on by Mr. Levin, the inspector general began investigating Mr. Rumsfelds staff three years ago after a Pulitzer Prize-winning article in the New York Times implied that the Pentagon violated rules against propaganda.
The story also implied...
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Not Carl Levin but Karl Lenin.
I am ashamed he is a Senator from my Great State of Michigan. He is a piece of work.
Michigan was my home growing up and until the Army assigned me here. I knew what a Wayne State University POS he was and still is.
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