Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Howard Fineman: Administration Probably Launched Special Counsel Investigation Of Itself To Stymie Dem Investigations
NEWSWEEK's Howard Fineman thinks the investigation the Office of Special Counsel launched into Karl Rove's political activities is going to be used to throw a wrench into any Congressional investigations into the administration.
I'm paraphrasing, but he said on MSNBC's Countdown that in addition to executive privilege, the administration will say "We can't make Rove, Miers, Goodling et al. available for testimony because the Office of Special Counsel is already investigating the matter."
Then they will use the investigation as a whitewash and say "See, we told you nothing wrong was going on."
I don't know what to think myself. David Iglesias, the fired US attorney from New Mexico, told Tweety on hardball that he believes the Office of Special Counsel can get to the bottom of the Prosecutor Purge which is why he filed a complaint against Karl Rove, Alberto Gonzales, Paul McNulty and Monica Goodling with the office.
I know the administration's track record tells us that a whitewash is probably in the works.
Part of me hopes David Iglesias is right that the investigation will be honest and real.
But I'm probably being naive.
More than likely, Fineman's right and this will be another excuse to gum up the works of Congressional oversight.
UPDATE: Apparently the guy in the Office of Special Counsel who launched the investigation of Rove and Company is himself the subject of an anti-discrimination investigation and has been accused in the past of running an overly partisan office.
OK, I get it now - this is a White House whitewash.
I'm paraphrasing, but he said on MSNBC's Countdown that in addition to executive privilege, the administration will say "We can't make Rove, Miers, Goodling et al. available for testimony because the Office of Special Counsel is already investigating the matter."
Then they will use the investigation as a whitewash and say "See, we told you nothing wrong was going on."
I don't know what to think myself. David Iglesias, the fired US attorney from New Mexico, told Tweety on hardball that he believes the Office of Special Counsel can get to the bottom of the Prosecutor Purge which is why he filed a complaint against Karl Rove, Alberto Gonzales, Paul McNulty and Monica Goodling with the office.
I know the administration's track record tells us that a whitewash is probably in the works.
Part of me hopes David Iglesias is right that the investigation will be honest and real.
But I'm probably being naive.
More than likely, Fineman's right and this will be another excuse to gum up the works of Congressional oversight.
UPDATE: Apparently the guy in the Office of Special Counsel who launched the investigation of Rove and Company is himself the subject of an anti-discrimination investigation and has been accused in the past of running an overly partisan office.
OK, I get it now - this is a White House whitewash.
