Login HereThe GSA oversight hearings are continuing in Henry Waxman's government oversight committee. The GSA Administrator is still testifying before the committee. Above is a YouTube (H/T Atrios, who got this from Pelosi's video stream.) from this morning's hearing discussions.
Coming up, once Doan concludes her testimony, will be testimony from the Inspector General.
I have to run and pick up The Peanut from preschool shortly, but I wanted to give you all space to continue to discuss the hearing in my absence. Please continue liveblogging in the comments and I'll be back as soon as humanly possible.
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Man, oh man.
So many loose threads sprouting all over the place!
Zero!
Christy!
Impeach!
EPU’d from last thread:
Slate has a chart of the players and what each did and when of the Gonzo-USA mess that might be helpful:
Christy!
Hank!
Oversight!
PW at 1 — Sorry for throwing this thread up so quickly. I have to run out and get The Peanut, and I didn’t want the comment load from the last thread to keep going and crash the site before your post went up. Aiyeee - what a hearing today.
She’s so much toast in so many ways.
Ack. Sure hope somebody else comes up and posts the zed, ’cause this is OT, on the QT, just for SC…
Saw your question in your earlier thread about the Brooks conversation on Imus this morning. You can hear the whole thing by going to the wfan.com homepage and scroll down the left column to Imus 3/28 David Brooks.
By-the-by, the Chris Matthews conversation’s a good listen. He’s a lot more revelatory on Imus–and less programmed?–than on his shows.
Brooks loves the sound of his own voice, that’s obvious. Logorrhea–of the mouth–would be…ta da!…HIM. A certain theropod could have fun with this, too….
Doan needs to go home.
Phoenix Woman @
1
And looseheads.
Good gravy…they let this viper’s kid work for Stabenow’s office?
They’re pointing out the discrepancies in her testimony now. I think she’d better get a good defense lawyer.
It’s precious to see how Bushies react when they get caught absolutely Frakin’ red habded. Doan was like a deer in the headlights. Damn right you’re a target baby-y’all better lawyer up. Hank and crew is comin’ to gitcha!!
Rayne @ 12
Debbie doesn’t always show the best judgment…
RE: that video from Pelosi… Man, these guys are toast! This is just such a pathetic continuing display, of malfeasance, incompetence, malice, politicisation of govt agencies, and just simple plain stupidity! This poor imbecile Doan is absolutely at sea here. They didn’t care to come up with an exit plan for Iraq, and it appears they didn’t come up with an exit plan for their own corruption.
Incredible!
lynch - the integrity of the electoral process that has been violated here
Mods- there is a new thread from Phoenix Woman up - I think it is a mispost.
Doan needs to go home.
Agreed. Asuuming that home is a jail cell.
Phoenix Woman upstairs
Damn, they DO elect good reps in Mass. I had Tip o’Neill and then Joe Kennedy when I lived there, but most all the delegation is good.
Now Lynch just says she has the Sgt Schultz defense: I KNOW NOTHING! NOTHING!
My Rep Stephen Lynch. Let’s see if he earns his pay. He recaps her testimony.
Sarget Shultz defense.
Not to sound sexist, but where in the world does the GOP find these dingbats? I’m watching Doan’s testimony and she has the exact same oblivious-ditz demeanor of Katherine Harris. Violation of the Hatch Act? “Who knows! Can’t remember! We were eating lunch! Tee hee hee!” But maybe this ability to laugh in the face of congresspeople while denying criminal intent is a feature and not a bug.
*xyz at 18 — No, it’s not. It was scheduled for now. My extra Waxman hearing thread was thrown in as an extra, because the comment load was starting to drag the servers.
Lynch is whacking her bigtime.
Bring the cookies!!! Bring ‘em Lynch!!
…and now I really do have to go and get The Peanut. Be right back, gang.
Time to pahk the cahr.
Christy Hardin Smith @ 25
Got it - just trying to be helpful. Thanks.
Lynch is channeling FDL– you should have taken the fifth says Lynch and then he says she adopted the Sgt. Schultz defense….
ROTFLMAO!
What Christy said:
“Aiyeee - what a hearing today.”
Jeez, I didn’t even know this was going to happen. Today’s my day off, so I (was unable to resist) dropped in on my way to starting my household chores….and I’m still here at the computer! Just like the Libby trial. There’s so much going on, how can one person keep up?
Thank G for all the wonderful bloggers and posters and people who put up useful links and, and…Wonderful, wonderful.
I don’t have cable and my computer audio never came back after a recent crash, so the best I can do is watch the various streams. You can get an idea from watching body language (Ms. Doan, are you feeling tense?), but I’d be really going crazy without everyone’s comments.
Does anyone know if Waxman’s committee will have a transcript of the questioning? There’s a pdf of her submitted statement, now, but of course, it’s too soon for a transcript.
Cookies: Tim Russert told me!
EPU’d from Part II
More on Doan at KOS from someone who worked with her:
here
Peel back another layer–
She ticked off many
Now the many are letting dems do the dirty work.
UGLY all the way around!
CHS @ 25. Great idea to make a new Waxman thread and also adding one upstairs for those not so interested in the hearing but who want to blog. Nice job.
the sargent schultz defense!
(not a fan of lynch, but that was a good one!)
Lynch: “Selective memory lapse before members of Congress” “Only thing removed is original impression of incompetence, now seems intentional.”
Another prosecutor
Neil @
22
“… selective lapse of memory here.”
Nice.
Ah, the Sgt Schultz defense.
But…I totally understand. I can remember dinner, the type of crystal used, etc., and not remember Power-Point presentations.
Oh-oh - Waxman!
lynch - trying to influence the election. You’ve come here today and adopted the Sargeant Shulz approach - I know nothing. YOu testified who was there and not there, what food was served, what folks telecommunicated from CA, but there’s a blank spot in your memory about the PP presentation targeting members of congress - That is terribly troubling … certainly I’m led to believe that further action needs to be taken on this, and it’s not GOOD FOR YOU. you’re own testimony has been very selective … disgraceful…I need to be honest with you, the only thing you’ve removed is the original impression that it was INCOMPETENCE, now it appears that your actions were purposeful. I’m deeply disappointed in your testimony.
SMACKDOWN!
Lynch: the only thing you’ve done is remove the idea that it was incompetence.
yo.
Wow. Lynch didn’t ask her one question. He just recapped her entire testimony, characterized it and called her honesty into question.
“I thoought it was the date at issue. Throws up the hands in confusion
david baerwald @ 16
Well, of course, they didn’t NEED a domestic exit plan - they expected to be there forever-you know, the PERMANENT Republican Majority.
Heh-bears some resemblance to a certain 1000-yr reich that ended up being a 12-yr reich….
Waxman - that Doen said she hadn’t been briefed, but another witness said he had briefed her. Was he lying?
Doen, um, um, I’d much rather add up the dates, and uh, uh…
Did he brief you?
No, he didn’t brief me? (She’s panicking. Looking around for help. Whispered asides) No, he didn’t brief me, we never sat down and talked - we just talked on the phone.
dakine01 @ 43
Yeah, but - dates are important, ya know.
there go those hands again.
we have the worst/most devious/most incompetent administration in the entire history of our country.
it’s mind-boggling.
/back to the hearing.
“he didn’t brief me. He just spoke to me once on the phone. A brief discussion on the phone. One or two times. But he didn’t brief me.”
She says she considers a briefing to be a substantive discussion of information. Um, she is not good at thinking on her feet. Waxman is pointing out that she said she had two phone conversations about the topic but denied she was briefed.
“I don’t consider that to be a briefing”, says Doan.
“Well, that’s Clintonian”, says Waxman.
SLAM!!!!
Clintonian!
Waxman - now your backing off your comments that you hadn’t been briefed by FAS. Just a couple phone conversations.
No. I had a phone conversation.
Waxman: That’s clintonian.
Neil @ 42
You know, after years of watching the Repug majority do this kind of stuff, that was gratifying — especially after watching her testimony, just as he described.
WOW. Waxman just called Doan’s parsing “Clintonian.” Ouch, Bubba, that left a mark!!
Waxman: “Okay, that’s Clintonian.”
Waxman: that was Clintonian. LOL!
Good Rep Bad Rep. It was Lynch’s turn to react emotionally to being lied to. No one likes being lied to. Its good to have both the emotional reactions and questions from more sympathetic questioners.
Did Waxman just say about Doan’s answer “That’s Clintonian” ?
Can we say PERJURY?
Look at all those hardworking Republicans…getting paid to skip hearings.
-GSD
Now Mica is being an apologist…
This woman is toast. Perhaps she can be impeached faster than Abu Gonz. Better yet, a rapid resignation.
snuffy @ 100
from fast moving prior thread.
keep in mind that these folks have been around for up to 6 years and have been appointing permanent civil servants in their image. be afraid. be very afraid.
Neil– yes.
I had to pick myself off the floor.
707 Mr. Waxman.
Brian Miller, GSA IG
Mica pulls the race card.
Fucking pathetic.
-GSD
Waxman is walking her to the gallows that she built herself.
Mica, this is an embarrassment. I’ve never seen such an attempt to go after a MINORITY APPOINTEE. they tried to get you on the 20,000 dollars.
Ummm that was 200,000 bucks, bud.
Doan finishes for the day shortly after the “Clintonian” charge. Too damn funny. My guess is that Waxman’s assessment and comment might make the news tonight.
Miller is up in front of the committee.
Lurita “auditors are terrorists” Doan in 2006 @ KOS
here
Mica points out witness had not yet been sworn. Waxman swears him and they start all over…
God,this woman must be maddening to work for. One of those precious all me, all the time types.
GSD @ 62
What IS the race card here? Only have video - but what minority is this woman supposed to belong to? Or is her “minority” business simply being woman-owned?
Geez. Mica is leaning so far back, as if this were a beach.
snotty rich rethug broad
Mr. Mica is just a little too relaxed there in that chair. Although he did bring up a good point. That swearing in thingy.
Mr. Miller eats out a lot. I looked like that for about a year when I switched work sites that didn’t have an inhouse cafeteria and I ‘learned’ the art of packing my lunch/dinner.
EPU’d from last thread:
TribeScribe @ 304
Makes sense. I was getting the impression from her testimony that whe wouldn’t be a very popular manager. She comes across as too self-centered, too self-serving, and too ready to use her power and responsibilities for her own benefit and enrichment.
And at the cost of her own employees time, effort, and work.
Not traits likely too engender loyalty.
(Lynch practically reading out an indictment too her. Even told her she probably should have taken the fifth.)
So the IG starts right off by stating he was a fed prosecutor. This should be interesting!
And he has been “trying” to establish a good relationship with Doan (note he doesn’t already have one!).
tejanarusa @ 69
She’s black.
tejanarusa @
69
I think someone had a wiki link on an earlier thread where she’s ID’d as African-American…
tejanarusa @ 69
Dunno, but if she’s got $200,000 to give to George Fuckin’ Bush, she’s nothing like any of the minorities I know….
his body language just cries out for a smack upside the head, doesn’t it?
IG: Accountability is important. At least someone gets it…
She is descended from three generations of African-American entrepreneurs: After President Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves, her great-grandmother sold pralines in New Orleans. Her grandmother began a secretarial business school in 1908 under the administration of President Theodore Roosevelt, during which time her grandfather also started an insurance company. In addition, Mrs. Doan’s father began a business in rental property and farm management under President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
GSD @ 62
Who’s going to believe Mica is really concerned about racism? The black vote lead the rest of the country figuring out the fraud that is BushCo.
If anyone else is a little confused about the original basis for this hearing (as I was, discovering it here by accident), there’s a doc at the Waxman committee’s site that goes into some detail on the questionable Sun contract.
http://oversight.house.gov/Doc.....-20322.pdf
her minority status is highlighted in her official bio:
http://www.gsa.gov/Portal/gsa/.....=GSA_BASIC
Miller: Doan was wrong. Lack of respect for law and law enforcement.
Brian Miller - the next witness: shorter Miller - everything Doan just told you is not reality based.
carolyn urban @ 78
Henry get your gavel and straighten Mica out, would ya?
dakine01 @ 76
This is just me - I don’t use wiki because of ‘problems’ with bias and editing.
I also found some links via Business Week.
Mr. Davis is on the attack.
[Mod note: please have mercy, don’t requote more than twice, thanks]
Just read the two kos stories on Doan referenced above. The person who worked for her at her own company thought she was terrific and exceedingly competent. Yet, her record at GSA (other kos story) and her testimony today exhibits exactly the opposite. Think it’s something in the WH water. Something happens to otherwise reasonable people when they got appointed by W. Shall we say corruption? What else?
Davis throwing up strawman now…
Miller must have shopped at the “Barbershop Quartet Fashion Hut”. Or, he moonlights working at Fuddrucker’s. Just sayin’ that tie was a bad idea.
tejanarusa @ 69
She’s black.
:0
eCAHNomics @ 88
She works for George W Bush. If she appeared at all competent at any time, he’d fire her.
Davis senses this witness can be bullied so he’s trying to badger and intimidate him. Miller is uncomfortable, but he has some answers he’d like to make, if he was allowed to speak.
Isn’t that a TGIF tie?
Wordsmith @ 94
Where are his minimum 15 pieces of flare?
If this isn’t a put-up, this makes the debacle we saw today very sad.
If Doan is really what this DKos diarist says, how could she slide down that slippery slope so damned fast short of using a bobsled on Teflon?
Davis acting like the leak is the big crime, not the rest of the mess created by Doan and minions…
tejanarusa @ 91
:0
A black woman gave $200,000 to the Bush campaign? She doesn’t need a defense lawyer. She needs a shrink. I’ve already heard enough to buy an insanity defense.
OK, OK - Miller isn’t into fashion. Hopefully not corruption either.
emptywheel @ 15
I second that on Stanenbow.
What is PCIE complaint?
OT: MySpace prank on McCain, as highlighted from a top-of-MSNBC.com link. Apparently, McCain’s people were using this guy’s code & server without credit, so he punked ‘em back.
Too funny! McCain punked on MySpace
Rayne @ 96
Wanting to belong? Wanting to be part of?
W’s cult - going along to get along.
Brian Miller is a lawyer. Davis sure has him shaken but Miller won’t let it effect his competent testimony.
Miller’s answers cry out as cooperative unlike Doan “I remember the cookies” but I don’t remember the Hatch Act and I dont have to answer your questions becuase we did nothing impropoer and I’m a business woman.
Davis just called him a liar.
Nice.
not
When the questioner gets snappy, it makes the questioner look bad especially when the witness is planly cooperative.
Uh yeah, LandoftheFree, I’m gonna need you to go ahead and come in on Saturday to work on your TPS reports.
;)
I have a hard time believing that someone who’s running an agency doesn’t have numbers for MOB/8a contracts at their fingertips. Memorized is maybe too much to ask for - but she ought to have a clue about things that are part of her f*cking job.
Just saying.
From the DKos diarist who worked for Doan
“She will tell you what she thinks and has a very low tolerance for excuses.”
Compare this to her performance this a.m. - “it wasn’t my meeting” over and over, “I don’t remember that,”, stonewalling, etc. etc.
If she was really an upstanding person in private life and the Rove “shop” has intimidated her into this kind of performance, it is really a sad commentary (yet another one) on this criminal administration.
Miller’s credibility is getting hammered by Davis. He’s nervous and red in the face. Davis did a good job of painting Miller as making a partisan investigation - mainly becuase Miller obviously doesn’t know how to answer questions well in a highly politicized Congressional investigation. His statements are not definitive enough and open him up for more questions. He needs to learn the first rule of investigations: answer with as few words as possible, “yes” and “no” are good answers.
Christy Hardin Smith @
7
Christy.
Thankyou for giving full coverage to this hearing, and for starting this extra thread. I know that’s cumbersome for you folks, but it’s critically important to cover all these things, and it surely helps to have them handled separately. You do what you gotta do! ;->
(((((Peanut)))))
Davis is an idiot. Miller stating uh, this arrangement was set up by Mr. Bush after GAO report…
and we the people pay these schlumps!
It’s all a shell game for Davis: If you’re on our side I’ll feed you answers, if you’re against our side I’l do my best to confuse you.
davis is really sticking it to this miller guy
Rep. Todd Russell Platts, Pennsylvania is a repug!
His staff leaked. Would’ ja believe.
Davis dropped that subject in a hurry!
“it is really a sad commentary (yet another one) on this criminal administration.”
Yes it is. It’s an orchestrated criminal organization. Donde esta RICO? Venga aqui, hombre.
Presidential pardons need to be lifted for five years.
miller has the deer caught in the headlights look…..
Waxmas!
angie @ 106
ouch! dumb! pugs are not showing their best side today, whether they’re in kindly- or cranky- mode.
Waxman - Your investigation of this the leak was bigger than the WH investigation of Plame leak
HA! Miller’s investigation of the IG leak was more substantial than the outing of a covert CIA agent!!!!!!!!!!
WAXMAN! That was funny!
BRALEY!!!
IOWA!!!!
Davis was doing his best to parse what Miller’s job is–trying very hard to make it seem as if he’d exceeded his authority out of personal animosity. Hence the harping on the IG’s “advisory” role. That’s only part of the job and Davis knows that full well.
Waxman to IG: By the way, your investigation of the leak of the material to the WaPo was more extensive than the WH investigation into the leak of Plame’s identity - they did nothing. Maybe we could transfer some of your people to the WH, so they could learn something.
look out miller - u just got on the hit-list
He said that Miller did more investigation than the WH wrt to the leak where they did NOTHING.
Henry Snarkman.
Miller will be fired.
Doan? Medal of Freedom.
Adie @ 122
They have a best side?
They always look like assholes to me.