Fitzgerald: Bush Put “Bully” in “Bully Pulpit”
The New York Times today looks at the impact on President Bush of the special prosecutor’s recent filing in the Libby case, and finds W pitched back into the middle of the fray. The long and short of it, the NYT says via Fitz, is that the White House was out to get Joe Wilson, who went public to debunk the White House’s misinformation leaks about Iraq’s efforts to get uranium:
Mr. Fitzgerald’s filing talks not of an effort to level with Americans but of “a plan to discredit, punish or seek revenge against Mr. Wilson.” It concludes, “It is hard to conceive of what evidence there could be that would disprove the existence of White House efforts to ‘punish Wilson.’ “
For his part, Bush said yesterday he prompted Libby to leak so Americans could know “the truth.” “I thought it made sense for people to see the truth. That’s why I declassified the document,” he told reporters.
Is it no surprise, then, that a president who leaks misinformation to “punish or seek revenge” on a critic, then tells Americans it was for their own good, sees his poll numbers drop to record lows? (New York Times, Reuters)
During Katrina Response, Contractors Ripped Off Government
Poor planning and worse oversight led to private contractors overcharging the federal government to provide relief and cleanup services in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. At a Congressional hearing, top response officials defended their emergency contracting efforts as necessary to save lives. Contractors, their homes and businesses still flooded with ill-gotten profits, were unable to attend the event. (AP)
You Can Pick Your Donors, You Can Pick Your Nose, but You Can’t Pick Your Donor’s Nose
Texas GOP Governor Rick Perry has tapped campaign donors to fill a third of all appointments in his administration, according to a new report out from Texans for Public Justice. (They’re the ones what hounded DeLay for his money-laundering activities.) Looks like Perry is trying to give NY Guv George Pataki a run for his money in a crony-for-crony showdown. (Houston Chronicle)
In PA, The Buck Starts Here
“A small circle of former staffers to [PA GOP Sen. Rick] Santorum and Sen. Arlen Specter (R., Pa.) have. . . made earmarks their business, acting as the middlemen between clients and Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation in winning more than $100 million in appropriations since 2001,” reports the Philly Inquirer. (Inquirer)
Taft Graft
Ohio GOP Governor Bob Taft may be disciplined for failing to report golf outings and other gifts he received while in office — 52 in all — AP reports. Taft has already earned the distinction of being the first Ohio governor to be charged with a crime while running the state; last August he was fined $4,000 for ethics violations, to which he pleaded no contest. (AP)
In Other Muck
Sen. McCain (R-AZ) was starting up a 527 organization just as he was pushing legislation that limited 527s…(SMP)
Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH) is inexplicably running for another term despite being fingered in multiple plea agreements stemming from the Jack Abramoff scandal. Doesn’t matter much: Polls show him getting beat by either front-runner in the Dem primary. (Washington Post)
Covered Yesterday
Phone Jamming Case Touches White House…(link)
We all know Rep. Alan Mollohan (D-W.V.) is under investigation, but the papers’ coverage has obscured why…(link)
Army Flack’s Newspaper Blog to End…(link)
Foggy Bottom – It’s all about the perks…(link)
In Iran, No Clear Choices for regime change funds…(link)
The Hammer’s Consiglieri…(link)
McClellan Gets Peppered on Iran, Libby…(link)
MZM Worked on Iraq War…(link)
