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.
Reminds me of Maynard G. Krebb.. on the old "Dobie Gillis Show". Squealed every time someone mentioned the word WORK. *chuckle* Maybe Mr. Walker would prefer to hand this situation over to someone who is more qualified and not afraid to put in an 8hr day.... hmmmm?
Did she really? Don't remember hearing about this.
And I thought my proofreading was bad.
The vans are there right now. Moving to hide the evidence. No Tv crews though...
I forgot that.....it was a sweet moment.
Hillary's numbers always went up when she was victimized. Remember...she was hated for a long, long time by many Americans on bith sides of the aisle. Her numbers shot up when she was a victim. And this is what they are trying to do.
They can't play the "poor suffering wife" card anymore because it is clear they lead seperate lives and are married in name only. She chose to stay with him because of the poltical benefits. If a Monica story happened again, sympathy for her would be nil. The majority of America would say "What the hell did she expect? She is that stupid to think that he would be a good boy while they are apart 99% of the time?"
This is a victimize Hillary ploy and the timing is strange. It comes out of nowhere.
Out of nowhere? Are you kidding? Remember, her spokeman recently said that "Hillary is not going to run for president..."
As a 'victim', she will then feel 'called' to run... anyone want to start a pool, on when HIllary announces her candidacy??? ;0)
YEAH! What you said!
While she "makes nice", the President's numbers go up & bubba is becoming the sleezeball you [not you, you] wake up with because you were drop dead drunk the night before. More & more America is waking up, rolling over, looking at bubba & saying "Oh sh!t! "
This is a sideways attempt to reverse that trend.
Tis true. But "we" aren't the ones who's been soft for too long, it's been the wimpy Republicans whom we've elected. Trent Lott comes to mind as one. So many of them have no back bone....they cave in.....they don't want to appear as something less than a gentleman, yet they let the Leftist, socialists mow them over and, in the process, our Constitution. These particular Republicans without the spine are guilty of nearsightedness. By contrast, those who are strong within the Republican party often seem to be ostracized by their own party members.....or at the very least, distanced from the group.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.