<p>This photo from President Bush’s defiant press conference today announcing that he would not allow White House staffers to testify about the firing of US Attorneys or turn over any documents. Look at the portrait above his head:</p>
<p>This Pres is a real piece of work. Saying that the Democrats are just out to get him to score political points when the issue is whether or not he fired the US Attorney in San Diego because she was pursuing corruption charges against an administration official and defense contractor.</p>
<p>Yeah that photo in unfortunate, but even David Gregory indulged in extended chuckles with Chris on Hardball last night over the transparent political motivations of Chuck and Pat. They had a hard time keeping a straight face about this latest “scandal.”</p>
<p>It is really funny but I think it is a joke someone put on the Internet. Look at this picture from the NY Times story on Bush’s news conference. It is taken in the same spot but the picture is of George Washington.</p>
<p>Absolutely the first picture is a forgery. The books under the painting are the same in both photos. I believe the NYT photo is less likely to have been photoshopped. (I also believe that, no matter how stupid Bush is, he’s not stupid enough to hold a press conference like yesterday’s standing in front of a picture of Richard Nixon.)</p>
<p>On AOL, the picture over the President’s shoulder is of George Washington. The first picture is okay as a parody – but it should be labeled as such.</p>
<p>Definitely a doctored photo. I noticed it after I posted.</p>
<p>BTW, shocking, huh, that THIS president would claim executive priviledge. Why it’s so out of character for an adminstration that acts like they wrote an all new version of the Constitution. NOT.</p>
<p>Oh. And who would rule on a contempt of Congress citation? Yep. That’s right. The US Attorney for the District of Columbia. Geee, ya think he’s a “loyal Bushie?” Think he’ll be asked to resign? They could replace him with another Karl Rove dirty tricks operative hack.</p>
<p>Don’t forget, we also had the House hearing yesterday on the illegal collection of phone and financial records of American citizens.</p>
<p>I will never forget Alberto Gonzales assuring the Senate two years ago about the wonderful safeguards in place. Don’t worry. Trust us. Or some such nonesense.</p>
<p>The real picture is definitely of George Washington. the only picture of Nixon in the White House is in the “plumber’s” closet. But as to the issue at hand, W is loving this. It’s a battle he may well win in exerting executive privilege in this circumstance (no crime is involved, just a little friendly partisan abuse of his power and tradition by playing politics with the Justice Department) and it’s sure easier than talking about Iraq, Walter Reed, Katrina, Libby…</p>
<p>He may be, but I’m not sure Republican congressmen and senators up for reelection are that thrilled.</p>
<p>The Congressional Hearing yesterday on widespread FBI/Justice Dept. illegal gathering of data on US citizens was interesting. The congressmen/women were brutal in their attacks on the FBI witnesses. However, the two most angry may have been a couple of Republicans who said their anger was even stronger because they had supported streamlined procedures based on assurances that the FBI would use them responsibly.</p>
<p>By the way, I understand there is a multi-week gap in the Justice Department e-mails dumped on the Congress this week. Nothing from the weeks when the actual decisions to fire US Attorneys like Carol Lamb, who was fired for investigating the #3 at CIA and a defense contractor for corruption.</p>
<p>Some have jokingly speculated that the gap in e-mails may prove to be an 18 day gap.</p>
<p>That’s not clear. US Attorney Carol Lam had put Republican Congressman Duke Cunningham behind bars for accepting lavish bribes from a defense contractor. In May 2006, she notified her superiors at the corruption unit in Justice that she had obtained additional search warrants in the case, one for the defense contractor’s office and one for the #3 official at CIA. The next day, the e-mails started flying between the White House and Justice that Lam had to be removed from office. If it could be proven that she was removed to stop the investigation of administration officials (#3 at CIA), that would be a classic case of obstruction of justice. </p>
<p>If there is nothing to hide, why are the “Bushies” making such a big deal about this? Why the concern about not having a transcript if Karl Rove and Harriet Miers don’t intend to lie to the Senate Judiciary Committtee?</p>
<p>“In May 2006, she notified her superiors at the corruption unit in Justice that she had obtained additional search warrants in the case, one for the defense contractor’s office and one for the #3 official at CIA.”</p>
<p>Were the search warrants ever executed? It could well be that a crime was involved, a crime to cover up another crime. Sound familiar?</p>
<p>Yes. In fact, Carol Lam indicted the #3 at CIA and the defense contractor on corruption charges the day before she left office as US Attorney in San Diego. You could call it her little parting gift after being fired.</p>
<p>The US Congressman Duke Cunningham plead guilty to corruptions charges based on bribes he had received from the defense contractor Brent Wilkes. Wilkes bought Cunningham’s house for $1.7 million and sold it nine months later for $900,000. Wilkes provided housing on a yacht in Washington to the Congressman. Gave him a Rolls Royce, paid for his daugther’s graduation party, and so forth. The plea bargain resulted in a max of 10 years in prison.</p>
<p>The defense contractor, Brent Wilkes, was named as a co-conspirator in the Cunningham plea bargain. His company had received numerous defense and CIA contracts, including one CIA contract to supply drinking water to troops in Iraq. He was a member of the Bush Pioneer Club – donors who had gathered at least $100,000 in contributions.</p>
<p>The indicted CIA guy was Dusty Foggo, appointed to the #3 spot at CIA by Porter Goss. Foggo (and reportedly Goss) had been guests at “poker parties” in DC thrown by the defense contractor, parties with prostitutes, etc. In retrospect, the surprise move of Goss out of the CIA position was probably related to this investigation – a CIA CYA move, so to speak.</p>
<p>In any case, Carol Lam is a key fired US Attorney to keep an eye on. Firing her has all the telltale signs of obstruction of justice. Lam is an Asian American woman, graduate of Yale undergrad and Stanford Law School.</p>
<p>In addition to the indictments of Wilkes and Foggo, Lam was also investigating Republican Congressman Jerry Lewis from California, ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee.</p>
<p>On the criminal aspect of this, I still think it is within a President’s discretion to hire and fire USATTY’s. </p>
<p>It’s the “traditions” (and purposes) here that are the issue- that you do not use those (US atty offices) for political purposes, which appears to have been clearly done at least as to Ms. Lam. The subsequent misrepresentations as to what was done as to the firings and why they were carried out is just more White House incompetence and poor handling of most everything and the constant desire to act in secrecy (and/or with deceit).</p>
<p>Brownie, oops, I mean Gonzo, you’re doin’ a heck of a job…</p>
they don’t have a track record of being very good at it…)</p>![http://i46.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/f125/tedpo/wnix.jpg[/url]](http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f125/tedpo/wnix.jpg%5B/url%5D){kind=link}
