The 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.
Did I understand that last bit with Davis correctly? Did Miller try to correct his earlier statement (saying that he learned info from the Dems website) by saying he investigated & interviewed someone, and then Miller showed that there was no evidence of this interview submitted? Then, Miller recanted his statement? Or, did that just go over my head?
Nola Sue – the problem is that I just don’t care. What’s my motivation? If I work a little harder, the company makes more money, but I don’t see a cent. ;)
the WH hit list……….
Yeah, that’s the good side.
miller seems to be sick of doan’s shit…………..
Davis: Maybe Miller should transfer to WH and everyone’ll be happy. He can investigate WH issues.
Waxman: Yea, then he make campaign powerpoints to distribute through federal agencies
Even Davis laughed at that one!
Waxman gingerly exposing the utter lies of Doan. Hmmmph, she said she wasn’t involved. Depends what your definition of involved was. Kind of like your definition of briefing. She said she wasn’t briefed, either. Slight chuckle from Miller, I think.
carolyn urban @ 135
I just assumed it was a Bush executive directive that they could only be shot from below.
juslin @ 120
I don’t think so. He’s having to deal in an open, respectful, and legally careful way with some jerks (e.g., Davis. Shame on Davis, not Miller).
Very different situation when questioned by Waxman, even tho still being pushed just as hard, but in a respectful way.
LandOfTheFree @ 133
No, davis recanted. Miller said he had a report of interview with the General Counsel, turned out it was with the Acting General Counsel. Wrong person, same effect
JGabriel @ 132
it is what it is
I’ve never been a big fan of Orrin Hatch. I have trouble with severe self-righteous conservative types but I want to thank him today for his work on The Hatch Act.
Thanks Orrin.
Dem-agog @ 131
LMAO!
Sadly that has been the case in the past. My hope is that we are beyond that.
Neil @ 143
Even a broken clock is right twice a day.
That’s CRAZED! “if the price goes up(on the contracts?) the GSA gets a larger ‘commission’”??? The GSA gets more taxpayer money for spending more taxpayer money??
Well, well, well, Doan told a story which could not possibly be true!
Neil @ 143
What goes around comes around… If Hatch had imagined this would come back to bite his own party, he might have eliminated it alng with the special prosecutor law…
Neil @ 143
Huh? The Hatch Act was enacted in 1939, and is so-called for Carl Hatch of NM….
conniptionfit @ 146
Its an old game in all kinds of govt agencies, even on the state and local level. Everyone trying to get as much in terms of budget dollars as possible.
“IT WAS A CONTRACT!!!”
Neil @ 143
Not that Hatch. Hatch Act was passed in 1939 – named for Senator Carl Hatch.
“more work to do…”
sounds like a conspiracy brewing
Waxman: what did she say that was not true?
She denied signing the contract, and she folded up the paper as if it was something else… it was not a plausible story. Other statements that it wasn’t a contract, she minimized her relationship with Ms. Frazer -
Waxman – what is the significance of whether it was a contract? Was it a contract or not?
Miller – i believe it was and that was why there had to be a letter of termination – ms doan said it was to correct misinfo that it was a contract but in fact there were emails – sorry didn’t catch the rest
re Ms. Frazer – Miller – ms. doan has paid over a half million dollars to Ms. Frazers public affairs (?) group -
Waxman – so, she paid money to her
Miller – yes, for consulting services for personally to doan and as (something else) – the fee for that was 20 thousand dollars – and (something about) this happened on her second or third day
Thanks montag. I made an assumption and I was wrong. Let me correct the record. There is nothing about Orrin Hatch I like, as far as I am aware.
$20,000 a month????
Health Insurance for a hundred children…
this guy’s hanging Doan
adie@140
i take your point but i’m saying that b/c of lurita bullshit he has to appear in front if waxman’s committee and he’s trying to explain… or maybe i’m not getting this u know…… but its very interesting however…..and hard for me to keep up
Gotta go folks, pick up my son. Been fun.
JEP @ 156
Just doing his job, an original idea.
Once again, children. It’s not the crime, it’s the cover-up.
(But Waxman’s gonna get you either way!)
Neil @ 155
Isn’t he for stem cell research? That’s something.
Davis likely needs to change his Depends…
looseheadprop @ 141: thank you very much for the clarification. I misheard which person said they withdrew their statement (I thought it was Miller). That makes me feel better.
Carolyn Urban @ 138: yes, Waxman’s doing a great job of unearthing exactly what they were investigating and why – and showing how investigations show Doan was not truthful to the Congressional committee. Fascinating stuff.
Nola Sue @ 160
No, no. It’s the crime.
JEP @ 156
Doan is roadkill.
Neil @ 155
I hear, but not on good authority, that he swings both ways. That’s something that endears Rs to Ds.
Ohhhhkayyyy….
Dear Sweet Pach.
When you have a chance.
You mentioned a classic mental phenomenon as possibility after seeing Judy Miller on the stand in Libby trial.
Um… Would you have any interest in viewing Doan testimony tape under same lens?
Thanks a bunch.
“I don’t want to go there”
Is that a new version of the 5th amendment?
ohhhhhhhh noww i seeeeeeeee – lurita wanted to cut his budget and do as she wants the dep’t to do…..and disregard his wishes hmmmmmm
“Post Truth Stress Syndrome”
How did WaPo get the info?
JF–
Absolutely. I just think it’s interesting that Miller’s description of Cookie’s missteps is so like the US Atty purge.
Technically, this group is doing things that could be construed as falling in a gray area — serving at Prez’s pleasure, making a “mistake” — but what’s getting them busted is the frantic & pathetic attempts to cover their asses.
I, of course, want to see them all (metaphorically) hang for the actual infractions.
montag @ 149
a sequence of letters is a sequence of letters, regardless of its context as a word(?)
I love it–a confidential source, ie, a whistleblower in Lurita’s office!
Davis is trying ti impune Miller by suggesting he was just holding a grudge against the “appointee” (Doan) over his head…
JEP @ 162
;->
Nola Sue @ 172
What’s funny is that the coverups just add more crimes to the mix.
But Henry ASKED FOR IT!!!
Aimed at administrator Doan
I am coining a new word before colbert does. “Sperjury” Definition: When Republicans are put under oath and try to spout there talking points (when spin turns into perjury)
guess davis got his TP from the WH to grill miller further……
If this continues, can Davis be guilty of joining in the conspiracy as a Congressional
“enabler?”
is it me or is davis going a bit far……and he’s leading to what conclusion?
“Doan is above the law” (paraphraze) Davis
J. Gabriel – thanks for the c-span link downstairs! Miraculously I think I’ve finally learned how to open two windows at once and listening to the live testimony and stay current with new threads here. Heavenly! ;~)
juslin @ 182
That it was personal vendetta on Miller’s part–that’s where he wants to go.
now issa has the knife out……….
JEP @ 181
I’d be satisfied if all the Dems on the committee turned to him and declared, in unison, “Davis, would you please shut the fuck up?”
Returning to our “theme” today, as described by the pugs-
Fishing expedition eh?
I’ve been fishing sir, lots of times.
Sir. This is no fishing expedition.
This is spearing fish in a washtub!
HAH!
oops. my bad. I see, per Issa teh wissard, this is a witch-hunt.
Davis is trying to accuse Miller of a personal vendetta against Doan.
Now ISSA is demeaning Miller because he’s not a businessman…
Hey Darrell, you used the word “fraud” correctly, it will bite you in your ex-con ass…
Ahhh-the “witch hunt” TP.
Neil @ 143
Not Orrin. Senator Carl Hatch.. Enacted in 1939.
newspaperbrat @ 184
You’re welcome. If it helps at all, take a look at the column to the left of the video window — there are standalone links which will open Real Player or Windows Media directly, so you can push the video to the side, watching and posting at the same time.
Issa’s suggesting that $20,000 is poeanuts, she could have spent millions!!!
Now Issa’s saying it outright, it is a personal vendetta.
Yaeh, Darrell, WE WILL SEE how it turns out.
montag@182
i kinda picked up on that – and how dare miller try to run his dep’t – ohhhhhh issa is sticking deep now long knives in poor miller! DAMN!!
I read the Waxman-site’s PDF introducing the elements and issues of today’s hearing. What I see in Doan’s letter to Grassley, and the statements she has made in response to direct questioning, is not the Sgt Shutltz defense.
What I see the same defense being trotted out all over the Administration time-after-time.
It’s the (Night)School of Management defense for those ambitious career business types who want to get ahead with an MBA.
It goes like this:
“You see, I am a manager. I a sit ABOVE people who have been hired for the peculair expertise in various aspects of business–contracts, public relations, whatever. My job is the big picture, not getting into the nitty-gritty of details. So when Kyl Sampson tells me it’s okay to fire 8 USA’s because he has found a precedent in Presidential History, who am I to question him. Yeah, he came in a briefed me and said everything was fine, just sign on the dotted line to make it official. So I did. How does that make me a criminal–or even incompetent. I delegated this responsibility to Sampson. Don’t you see. That is how management works. What’s wrong with you?”
Doan appears to be making the case with a bit of topspin. She is emphasizing she is ABOVE a lot of the guys who rejected Sun’s arguments, and claims she was just looking at the big picture—Sun’s infractions were chump change to the cost and disruption of not letting them have their way.
Who would’ve thought we would see the day when the word “prosecutor” became an obscenity in the Republican lexicon? And an administrator (code for bureaucratic) would be akin to some kind of an angel.
Issa just did it? Now everyone who is committed to upholding law and order is on some kind of a witch hunt.
Ah, Issa puts it on the table. “Witch hunt.”
Issa badly needs to be retired.
Issa; “my time is short”
is he talking about the next election?
Davis and Issa should be the next Ney and Delay…
Not necessarily in that order…
Late to this (III) thread, so excuse me if already posted, but here is a text quote from wykepeida… or whatever.. on..
HATCH ACT
It sounds like Rove (And his underlings??) would be exempt under (i) and perhaps (ii) refers to the DOJ.. ??
Issa is completely twisting Miller’s statements.
Issas turns the knife with another lie…
Miller “That’s not what I said.”
Miller v. Doan = Republican v. Republican.
More Mainstream Republican ™ “who’s holier than thou” auto-cannibalization.
It’s all just so… tragic.
Dem-agog @
19
Violation of the Hatch amendment is a firing offense, not a jailing offense.
“by and with the advice and consent of the Senate”
wouldn’t that exclude all the post Patriot Act appointees?
Adie: a sequence of letters is a sequence of letters, regardless of its context as a word(?)
You lost me.
Whut is it with the pugs today. Something in the cookies?
Every time they run out of questions or answers, they run out of the room…
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/…..44386.html
dude @ 195
aka Ken Lay Defense
repugs verrry angry that someone actually questions decisions made from WH………….. another repug attack on this guy – issa hands off to mica
I do have an obligation to follow the facts. No more, no less.
This is the same thing DOJ objects to with, say, Carol Lam. They didn’t like that she followed the facts, all the way to the DUkestir’s door.
ROVE is somewhere on the remote control panel…
JGabriel @ 203
Miller is an old-style law and order republican, like my grandparents were. Doan and all the other good Bushies are thugs.
JF @ 161
Only because he has a family member, IIRC, who has a condition that stem cells might help. Like other Republicans. Evil, BAD, BAD, – oh, it affects me? Uh, well, uh, GOOD, GOOD, Wonderful!
david baerwald @
16
can someone point me toward this link?
Mica
Now holding Miller accountable for things that isn’t in his mandate.
wait nevermind. I was looking for something else.
Anyone else having C-Span 3 stream issues?
Paul R @ 179
Sperjury: n. When Republicans are put under oath and try to spout there talking points; when spin turns into perjury. (c) 2007 Paul R
What does this question have to do with the issues at hand? Are they just trying to impune the witness?
A bit late for that…
This Mica is doing the “shiny object” thing…
http://oversight.house.gov/
live broadcast…
A live stream is also available on the oversight.gov site.
JEP @ 211
Ahhh–that’s the mysterious button when I go to the control panel on my computer.
NAMES NAMES NAMES!!!
Miller is getting irritated, starting to roll his eyes at Mica.
Christ, even Shays is picking up on the Witch Hunt meme. Those guys are very scared.
Hey, Shays, the IG is SUPPOSED to do the “gotcha”thing! That’s his JOB!!!
JEP @
220
Thank you!
TeddySanFran @ 191
Thanks TSF. Next time you see your Rep, tell her many of us think she’s doing a GREAT job.
Paul R @ 179
Brilliant! Send that one to TCR and demand you get credit.
Shays “What am I missing?”
THE BIG LIE!!!
ohhhhhhhh miller IS a chimpy appointee and boy did he f— up! lol mess with his lurita hmph how dare he!
Woodhall Hollow @ 212
I agree, and it’s a distinction I usually make and recognize. And you’re right, Miller is essentially being bullied by a bunch of thugs here.
But every once in a while you just have to step back and stare in gobsmacked awe at the way they eat their own like particularly vindictive piranhas.
It’s like a cross between Wild Kingdom and Faces of Death.
No money and no contract? Didn’t he say that it was a lie, that there was a contract and money was exchanged–to the tune of a half a mil? Am I missing something here?
Bruce Braley (freshman D-IA) questions Doan:
selise @
138
On Office of Special Counsel (eewww… holding my nose to say this…) I-n-v-e-s-t-i-g-a-t-i-n-g
Here is an interesting TARGET KERRY “investigation” to seemingly disrupt the 2004 election, and then hold afterward that there was no basis – from wykepedia discussion of Hatch Act.
Peeee…Yewwww! The miasma of GOP authoritarian, Fascist governance. Are all these appointees Zampolits?
Davis accusing Miller of getting revenge for not getting his pet projects financed.
My obvious question; Did Doan deny funding to deny the poswer to investigate?
Neil @ 206
[Orrin] HATCH =/not= [Carl] HATCH
eh? (just lame dumb me *g*)
Given the simultaneous threads, I want to make sure folks on this one know to be sure and check out Phoenix Woman’s powerful post on the human cost of the war.
So much information to pay attention to, so little stomach for it.
newtonusr @ 217
working fine for me (using Mozilla)
“Loyal member of the team”
LOL 707 LOL 707 LOL 707
someone stop me, please, I’m rolling with laughter!!!
God – Davis is not just spinning here. He is woefully unprepared.
The Republicans are doing everything but attack the Speakers chair today…they are acting like a bunch of Korean (or is that Taiwanese) opposition politicians mobbing the dais!
Their behavior will have the opposite effect, fools that they are. Suddenly everyone will be interested in these hearings simply because of their vehemence that the hearings are irrelevant!
Clearly the hearing today was something that the Republicans KNOW is the dagger at the heart…that’s why they were doing everything to shut it down, distract, and limit its scope that they could.
The GWB43 site seems to be the rabbithole into the otherside of the looking-glass that the Pugs know contains all sorts of nastiness for their future.
Doan removed phrases like fraud, waste and abuse from the IG’s budget.
Isn’t she from NOLA? If so, she seems to have learned quite a number of tricks down there.
thank you mr waxman
Davis “lets keep the record open”
great idea, but not for the reasons Davis imagines.
Waxman’s setting the record straight, Go Henry the Best!
emptywheel @ 210
EW, we missed you. Tell me you’ve been lurking and working on the next installment in the Douchebag of Liberty series. What’s up with Maguire’s imagination-based thought experiment
rebuttalsrefutations? No need to answer. Anyway, I’m looking forward to it.Davis- “patch it up with Doan!”
Will she have visitation rights with non-relatives?
Adie @ 236 *g*
Davis, to Miller & committee: This has become too personalized.
Well, that’s rich. Pot, meet kettle.
oooooooooooooooo mr waxman!!
And Wax smacks down Mica in the end…
It must be a very weird experience for Miller to be attacked by the party of the man who appointed him. I have never seen anything like this. Even during Watergate and Iran-Contra, the Republicans knew that if they attacked “their own” when they were obviously telling the truth, they would look like they were obstructing justice and due process.
newtonusr @ 217
My audio link is coming through fine FWIW “ignorance of the law is no excuse”. Meeting adjourned!
Did he say and you failed too?
Waxman.
Great, shut up Mica.
Adjourned.
Burton–sez to Waxman “and you failed too…”
School yard bullies, all of them.
edit: sorry that was Mica.
Mica’s trying to look laid-back, he’s going to fall out of his chair.
Waxman concludes “Ignorance of the law is no excuse”
Mica pushes the failed diversity “shiny object”, as the feed ends…
Mica — get yourself a lawnchair and a pina colada.
I can’t believe he just said that “you failed” to Henry!
It is amazing how much MicA wants to claim that the investigation of the GSA is a racist witch hunt. He keeps bringing up the “minority” and “diversity” issue over and over again, more than alluding to the IG’s investigation as racially motivated. It is very repulsive.
snowbird42 @ 254
Mica? Seems he did. It was kind of sotto voce, but that’s what I heard.
w/ apologies, but I thot mica looked & acted as if he’d had a liquid lunch. check out the tape, especially at the very end when waxman was on his way out the door…
and YES, that’s what he said on my toobz also.
When accepting an appointment to ChimpCo, appointees should be issued a pistol, cyanide capsule, and a noose.
“And you failed too” Mica to Waxman.
So juvenile. Civility indeed.
This Doan b!tch is a real sleazebag. Lucky for her she aint before a jury – she’d be DEAD as a witness.
newspaperbrat @ 253
I jumped over to the House feed – much better.
I think we are going to see this meme of a racist witch hunt all over Fox, right wing talk radio and eventually discussed as though it were seriously credible on other “msm” outlets.
Pathetic.
cinnamonape @ 242
I think this is just desperation SMOKE SCREEN.. Create a ruckus for the viewers at 6:00 “nitwork news” and they can’t see the substance…
Sort of like having Anna Nicole Smith’s tits in front of the evangelical half of SCOTUS… Which half was studying the issue? All the sexually repressed fundies, like Scalia and Alito couldn’t hold their black robes closed long enough to listen… And, Thomas… Well, what can I say!
Davis pleads for cooperation from IG Miller; didn’t ask Doan for the same.
What makes anyone think Doan, a former private businesswoman tryiong to transform the GSA, believes she has to tolerate interference from an IG?
Could there be charges?
He said he got lots of emails about the “brown bag” lunches. Sweneman(SP)told them he only sent one. Isn’t that the same Sweneman that is/was Knodell’s boss’s boss???? From the “White House Political Office”. What the heck is that? Is that legal to have a political office in the WH? Who pays them? That is most surely the source of the GWB43 emails as well.
Mica’s body language shows his disrepect for the chamber, the occasion and for America.
Repukelickin “values” in action while addressing Waxman:
Rep. Burton “You’re gonna eat it!!!”
Rep. Mica “You failed.”
Mica was such a joke. He thought he was Cookie’s advocate, but doesn’t realize that yelling at her and pointing his finger at her the whole time looks bad. He was trying to defend her and I think rattled her even more. And now he’s so concerned about “minorities.” What a crock!
Slothrop @ 270
Absolutely. No respect for anything. Just an insult. Can Waxman make a motion to remove the picture of Burton? Maybe it needs “touching up” indefinately.
I appreciate Waxman – but wish he’d be more proactive in demanding a level of respect and civility!
Slothrop @ 270
& perhaps a certain balance problem, both psych. & phys? *slosh*
annefrank @ 274
Perhaps Dean Broderella will columnize about Waxman’s unruly and uncivil hearings….
JGabriel @
203
What’s so “tragic” about demonstrable sleaze in action? “Pathetic” or “disgusting” wld be more accurate. This whole admin is a piece of pornography.
Does Miller have info on the Hatch Act violation or just on Doan’s contracts?
Solai @ 277
From what he said, maybe a little, but only enough to refer to the Office of Special Counsel. He testified that Hatch Act matters weren’t his office’s purview and it’s not something they would investigate on their own. They got an anonymous tip and some documents and his office passed them on.
the apparent admissions to violations of the “Hatch Act” also include numerous other conspiracy related crimes it appears on first read.
it is rather funny to watch someone that has been violating the law for so long try to explain it away. it is sad to see someone have a memory problem that is so hit and miss about the same few minutes in time.
indictment would seem to be forthcoming?
Another thing about Doan stuck out–on several occasions she referred to the Committee as “you guys,” something which likely grated on all of them. She also bragged on her “team” that was being “built” – and in doing so – denigrated the civil servants working in the GSA. These top an otherwisw amazing performance.
repugs have no respect for dems being in charge – i think mr waxman allows them to speak so we can see how petty and despicable they truly are….. imho
Neil @ 218
Can sperjury lead to spinjury?
Question I wish they’d ask:
Okay, you don’t remember anything about the meeting, saying anything at the meeting, anything about the powerpoint that day, okay. Forget all that. Say someone was going to have a brownbag lunch presentation, dropped this printout of the PPT on your desk for your approval before the meeting. Looking at the presentation now, in light of the Hatch act, would you say it’s an approriate presentation to have at the GSA?
I’m EPU’ing (in summary) two comments I made on Sun, two threads ago, with the ObDisclaimer that I work for Sun, but don’t speak for Sun.
1 Trusted Solaris 8 is widely deployed in .gov secure environments, and certified at Orange Book B1 equivalent. Solaris 10 has some features now, and will be getting more.
2 Sun has some incredibly powerful, very good value x64 and SPARC hardware – not just mips per dollar, but mips per watt. OTOH, HP has to back out of Alpha, PA-RISC, MIPS, and Itanium, which are all dead or dying, and their high end servers now are less powerful than the Sun Fire boxes you can get from Sun now with a 5 day lead time and a 60-day free trial.
I’m just saying.
Anyone else get the feeling Mica’s got some sort of personal stake in this mess, above and beyond his Congressional duties?
And Davis seemed to be taking his talking points right out of Karl’s playbook, as if on cue.
Only Rove could twist this onto a “Miller’s a bigot” bent, the scent of turdblossom kept wafting through the committee chambers.
Or was that just Davis’ inflatulation?
angie @ 83
Notice how all of these are associated with a Republican President even though I doubt that her Great Granny started her Praline business after Lincoln freed the slaves (likely much later). And what specifically did Rooseveldt and Eisenhower DO to allow her grandfather and father to start those businesses? Was turning adult during those administrations enough for these to be assoiciated with Republicans?
And I wonder if Ms. Doan herself has benefitted from FEDERAL benefits to minorities that resulted from LBJ or Carter’s or Clinton’s terms? Despite being a third generation “person of business wealth” and attending expensive schools I wonder if she accrued affirmative action money that rightfully should have benefitted minorities with real economic need?
JEP @
230
Here’s link to Miller’s written report. It’s a doozer & hopefully will lead to an indictment. The last document is his memo to Doan re: her attorney’s refusal to allow Miller (the IG) to view certain GSA records! Sleaze, sleaze & more sleaze. This admin is a cesspool.
Slightly OT, but: anyone around here have info on whether Davis is vulnerable in 2008? Boy, that would be a blessing!!
EllenG @ 152
Instituted after the 1938 Election when the Republicans accused WPA workers of supporting Roosevelt on Federal time. Hatch, a Democrat, essentially said, okay…we’ll prevent that…but what workers do on their own ticket and $$$ is their own business.
http://www.answers.com/topic/hatch-act-of-1939
But remember the OUTRAGE that occurred when Gore was accused of making a few phone calls to Democratic donors from the WH instead of strolling to a pay phone or office across the street?
Yet Bush has a 24-hour paid Republican shill (Rove) who not only operates from within the WH, but is privy to classified information, makes power-point demostrations on how to get everyone in every Federal Agency violating the Hatch Act, fills every Federal Agency from the GAO to the Fedaral Atty. positions with political hacks, etc.
Makes those phone calls seem sand-grains vs. the Himalayas!
hawaiilaw @ 288
Where is that link!
What is it about these people and their convenient memory loss? Maybe this quote from Nobel laureate, Andrew Webster, will shine some light.
Neil @ 143
Wrong Hatch. Probably a great great grandaddy or something. That Act dates to the 19th century.
Depo Prep 101
Yes…….No…….I don’t know…….I don’t remember. If you know keep your answers as short as possible. Never speculate or theorize. Don’t volunteer answers to questions that haven’t been asked. Never lie!! Different versions of I don’t remember…..I don’t recall, not to my recollection, I can’t be sure, gee…I just can’t put my finger on it. Just remember that the memory excuse get old fast….if all else fails, throwing up works and you be safe ’till another day (hopefully in the distant future).
It may be time for popcorn, as it appears we we will have a lot of good video to watch.
Someone is SO going to jail.
can anyone direct me to an archive of the oversight hearing wrt GSA that was held earlier today?
Thinking Southerner @ 296
Go to oversight.house.gov for the entire video. I recomend that everyone watch it in it’s entirety.
And watch the Dems hone in on the crooks and liars, and more entertainingly (is that a word?) the Rethugs simply freak out. In a sense, this is waaaaaay bigger than the US atty scandal, and that is a HUGE scandal.
Example: Doan, the GSA administrator, asks in the GSA, in a federal building during work hours, ” how can we help them [rethugs] win?
I’ve been looking at the OMB website, ExpectMore, which shows its performance ratings of our government programs, to illuminate how they rate their favorites versus how they rate their not-so-favorites. This site was set-up as an adjunct to the Sunset Commision (which did not pass 12/06), which was to be appointed by the president (serve at the pleassure of) to target non-performing programs and schedule them for elimination by that commission acting alone. Now, I know I might have my consiracy hat on too tight with all of these oversight hearings, but it looks like the party soldiers run the program into the ground, get a bad rating from OMB and possibly OMB recommends funding cuts, which further undermines the program, and then they can Sunset the whole program. Imagine oversight hearings on why the OIG was eliminated by a commision “serving at the pleassure of the president”. And isn’t it serving the American people at the pleasure of the president?
Anyway I was just wondering where the OMB is in all of this because I have a much younger brother who has worked there for several years. He has quietly been looking for another job, but says they want him to stay. As indoctrinated as these Bush solldiers are, I feel badly that 30-40 year-olds are going to jail, and those old assholes are still sipping champagne.
Let me know if you think my hat’s too tight.
first OMB link
second OMB link
Did anybody else catch the very end of the hearing after the I.G. testified? One of the Tories, er, I mean Republicans (Mica?) slammed Waxman just after he called an end to the hearing. Apparently he wasn’t done chastizing the I.G. enough, and didn’t like Waxman coming to the defense. Waxman seemed to ignore the putz, and just walked out.
The partisanship and hositility from Davis and his crew is getting tiresome. They act like little boys who’ve had their toys taken away.