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.
WHITE HOUSE OFFICES LEFT 'TRASHED': PORN BOMBS, LEWD MESSAGES; LEGAL PROBE CONSIDERED
**Exclusive**
The Bush Administration has quietly launched an investigation into apparent acts of vandalism and destruction of federal property -- after incoming Bush staffers discover widespread sabotage of White House office equipment and lewd messages left behind by previous tenants!
Harriet Miers, 55, Assistant to President Bush and staff secretary will be investigating possible legal ramifications of the White House trashing and possible theft, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned.
Then maybe the press will talk about it for a few days, before the truth comes out that they're common thieves, and they'll cover it up again.
Yep! Maybe Hitlery will finally shut up (but this is doubtful) and stop blaming Bush for all that's wrong with our country, i.e., his tax rebates causing great harm to the 9/11 recovery, etc. She will start feeling the finger-pointings now on real, rather than imagined, wrong-doings. I hope she's squirming and loses lots of sleep.
Look out hillary....you have no idea what we know and are willing to do to bring the truth to light.
You make a good point. Quietly, maybe they are working on THIS as well?. . .
Breaking: US Congress Subpoena Orders Ashcroft To Release
Clinton Evidence on Sept. 11, 2001
http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a3b99d9b10b76.htm
Breaking: US Congress Subpoena Orders Ashcroft To Release
Clinton Evidence Thread 2
http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a3b9a84661c0d.htm
By focusing on the harm and disregard to the White House, the items stolen from America, people relate to what lack of appreciation the Clintons had for our country, and relate that to all of the facts we slowly learn about them. The Clinton cause carries over into the Rat cause and not only do we have "crossovers" supporting, but Rats converting.
The White House was definitely the wrong place to rape.
"Do not misinterpret my acts of kindness, for weakness"..
Go for it, GW!
sw
Now I lay me down to sleep
I pray the Lord to protect the FREEP
And upon the dawn, after I yawn
May I learn Hillery is shackled and gone.
Disagree.
This is a relatively gentle reminder to the Democrats that they live in glass houses, and should think twice about throwing stones.
Because he felt it would be too distracting, Bush made the strategic decision at the start of his administration to try to put the innumerable Clinton scandals to rest. He has been repaid by an unfounded and obvious Democrat witch hunt aimed at Vice President Cheney. Since the Democrats have proven they are willing to use any smear, no matter how untrue, to bring his administration down, he has nothing to lose by adding to the distraction.
If the message from this relatively small potatoes investigation does not get through, look for something more important to come up next. The Marc Rich pardon? Loral campaign contributions in exchange for sale of national secrets to China?
These are but two of the more obvious ones. It is, as we said in my old Air Force days, a target rich environment...
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