Two stories …
First, from Saturday night’s <$NoAd$> article in the Associated Press …
“There will be no window where this will be law,” Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said. He referred to the provision as the Istook amendment, and congressional aides said it was put in the bill at the request of Rep. Ernest Istook Jr., chairman of the House Appropriations Committee’s transportation subcommittee.
Then this morning on Face The Nation …
SCHIEFFER: Should someone who put that in the bill be fired, Senator?
Sen. FRIST: No. Oh, I have no earthly idea how it got there.
SCHIEFFER: Do you even know who put it in the bill?
Sen. FRIST: I personally don’t know but obviously somebody’s going to know and accountability will be carried out. It was wrong. Everybody says–nobody’s going to defend this. I wouldn’t even spend any more time on it. It was fixed.
Forgetful.
And finally Sen. Hutchison on Wolf’s show …
Wolf, if I could, I think it’s a bit of a stretch to say that that clause that was inserted about IRS documents or people’s tax returns being able to be gotten to by any member of Congress or any staff — can’t be blamed on the right wing. That’s totally inappropriate. I don’t think we know how that got in, and I can’t — it’s not fair to put blame. It’s just not fair.
Not fair I tell you!
