Posted on 02/09/2002 6:59:22 AM PST by Tumbleweed_Connection
In an astonishing reversal of President Bush's nonchalant attitude towards an array of corruption charges against Bill and Hillary Clinton, the president and his aides are now said to be "quietly pushing" a probe into allegations that Clinton staffers trashed the White House in Jan. 2001.
What's more, they've asked that the newly revved up investigation focus on the East Wing, where former first lady Hillary Clinton had her offices.
The shift could mean the GAO probe will also examine evidence that Mrs. Clinton absconded with furniture and other White House artifacts to decorate her private mansions in New York and Washington.
"White House folks suggested we cast as wide a net as possible," GAO director Bernard Ungar told the New York Daily News Saturday, adding that the Bushies wanted to redirect the probe's previous focus from the Eisenhower office building to Mrs. Clinton official digs.
The request for action on the Clinton vandalism charges prompted complaints from GAO chief David Walker, who told the News, "they want us to do more work than is even reasonable."
The Clinton probe could prove distracting to Walker's focus in recent weeks: prying loose White House records on meetings between Vice President Dick Cheney and Enron officials.
Immediately after reports of White House vandalism, Bush seemed to take no interest in the episode and urged the media to look that other way.
"There might have been a prank or two, maybe somebody put a cartoon on the wall, but that's OK." he told reporters. "It's time now to move forward."
But after Democratic Congressman Anthony Weiner complained last June that Clinton workers had been unfairly smeared and demanded the Bushies apologize, White House press spokesman Ari Fleischer said the destruction was more extensive then the president had let on.
A list of damages he released included:
75 phones that had been "tampered with," including 10 where the lines had been cut.
Twenty percent of the desks in the Eisenhower Office complex had been overturned.
Obscene graffiti was discovered by Bush staffers in six offices.
A 20-inch-wide presidential seal had been ripped off a wall.
One hundred computer keyboards had been rendered inoperable by the Clinton vandals.
Pornography was left behind in White House photocopiers.
Trash was spilled throughout the White House counsel's office, along with other assorted random damage.
One estimate put the cost of the destruction as high as $250,000.
Bush administration spokeswoman Claire Buchan said the White House counsel's office had photographs of the vandalism, but did not explain why they were not offered to the GAO when the agency first requested proof in April.
In releasing the list of damages, Fleischer explained, "We tried to be gracious, but the last administration would not take graciousness." Claims that Bush staffers had lied about the destruction had forced him to respond, he said.
After Fleischer's comments, the GAO's Ungar began backtracking on his April report that there was no unusual damage to the White House after Clinton staffers departed.
"Ungar said the GAO found accounts of damage that included telephones disconnected from wall jacks, phones with extension numbers defaced and tables and desks that were overturned," reported Newsday, in a follow up story on Fleischer's list.
It's not clear whether the White House's newly aggressive attitude will translate into action in the office of the U.S. Attorney for New York's Southern District, which has been accused of footdragging in its probe into the Clinton Pardongate scandal.
Yes, on a logical scale Enron's $70bil bankruptcy is 280,000 times bigger than the $250,000 vandalism charge. It would be like interfering with the $250,000 vandal charge to ask the GAO to investigate a $1.00 error in an expense report.
But we Conservatives are way too logical. This GAO request by Bush will require a full airing. It is more "news" than the old Enron story and will go a long way towards moving us past Enron to the next news cycle, whatever that is.
President Bush has shown one outstanding characteristic in his tenure as our C in C. He does not "quick draw" on anything. Anything that has been done has been in a dignified, proper manner, which shows we have adults in charge for a change.
IMHO, this is a warning. The dims have not only been doing a roadblock on all legislation, and judicial appointments, but there seems to be a greater freedom by the liberal press to link him somehow with 9/11 (the cartoon fiasco). When our President took office, he had more pressing things occupying his time (the tax cuts, and trying to stimulate the economy, He was well on his way when the terrorists carried out their tragic actions. The dims got face time talking about unity and bipartisanship, but now the usual leftist drivel is being dispensed in even bigger lots. This is simply put, "if you want investigations, we can give you more than you humanly thought possible, and when we are done, there are going to be one heck of a lot of unemployed/incarcerated dims littering the landscape".
He is pulling off the undoable in Afghanistan, now he is showing he is capable of multitasking and handling the domestic terror problem (I consider the actions of the leading dims domestic terror), as well.
You will not see the results of this overtly. What you will see is bills moving, appointments coming, and people running for cover.
Keep the Faith for Freedom
MAY GOD BLESS AND PROTECT THIS HONORABLE REPUBLIC
Greg
I wonder about that term as well. Sounds like an insult to me. ;ol
Calling the GAO!
Whatsamatter? Can the liberal "Pressies" not think on two subjects and chew gum at the same time?
This one is the easiest, small, but a victory. If it happens, the war is on.
SCORE!!! Anyone with a modicum of knowledge of these personality types knows that they can be classified as incorrigible terrorists. They're like dogs who will from birth to death, see what they can get away with. It will continue until it is put to an end either by incarceration or death.
Extended occupancy of white trash -- no pun intended!
The only thing about this is that the Clinton people are never as smart as they think they are, and they refuse to understand that President Bush is far smarter.
Now, I distinctly remember Ari saying that they documented things and took pictures (probably video tape as well). Remember when that Weiner guy stood out in front of the White House and said the Bush people were lying? BOOM...several pictures were released, and Anthony Weiner, designated mouthpiece of Hillary, crawled back into his little Congressional RAThole.
Nothing more was said. The Clintonistas cannot imagine that someone could have damaging information and not use it. If THEY had similar information they would be on all the air ways in a New York minute. Therefore, they have concluded that the White House is either timid or has no further credible evidence.
The Clintonistas are wrong. They will be sorry that they are dragging this story up again, as it will backfire in their faces.
The GAO is trying to put themselves in the injured party position and on the side of "impartiality" in all these doings. That is hogwash. They are actively trying to sabotage the administration. Stupidly, they have used THIS story. I imagine that Ari will say that no one from the administration contacted the GAO because they had all the information they needed. When the press starts its usual whine, the boom will be lowered again.
Chess, not checkers.
from the article.........
Rep. Bob Barr, R-Ga., the ardent Clinton foe who requested the GAO review, has tried to interpret the agency's findings to mean no "record of damage" had been compiled, not that no damage had occurred. But the lack of records "cataloging" any damages -- which Bush press secretary Ari Fleischer promised in January the White House would compile -- would seem to suggest one thing: Widespread acts of vandalism never occurred...........
My memory is vague, but I do seem to remember it was a half-assed investigation by the GAO. Of course, Bob Barr's motivation was in his role as an ardent Clinton foe. Gee, that was a "fair & balanced" article. Why the hell do I watch Brit Hume when I have Salon?
The NY Daily News article has McAuliffe, Carville, Begala's style stamped all over it. It is a plant designed to divide and conquer (read some of these posts) and get Bush's poll numbers down.
The next thing will be a push poll and the results will be heralded as "99% think President Bush is a liar."
The sad part is there are many Americans who are so stupid as to fall for it hook, line & sinker.
A warning to the people. Imagine how she would leave the White House next time?
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