Wednesday, May 02, 2007
House Committee Follows Education Department Scandal To White House
If we have learned anything from the DOJ/Prosecutor Purge scandal, it's that almost all the manipulative, abusive use of power this administration engages in comes directly on orders from somebody in the White House.
It doesn't just happen.
Representative George Miller knows this and is acting accordingly:
Sure they'll act accordingly - they'll claim executive privilege and stonewall the whole inquiry.
But Representative Miller and Senator Kennedy must go to the mattresses on this.
Keep digging, keep sending out the requests for documents and testimony, keep sending out the subpoenas.
There's fire there.
It doesn't just happen.
Representative George Miller knows this and is acting accordingly:
The chairman of the House education committee asked the White House yesterday to turn over all its communications about the scandal-tarred student loan program and also Reading First, the administration’s $1-billion-a-year reading initiative, which has been besieged by accusations of conflict of interest.
The request by the lawmaker, Representative George Miller, Democrat of California, carries his inquiries into education policy-making beyond the Education Department itself and into the Bush White House.
“The committee’s ongoing investigations into both programs have revealed serious oversight failures by senior officials,” Mr. Miller’s office said in a statement.
The White House communications sought include those from Margaret Spellings, the current education secretary, who previously served as President Bush’s domestic policy adviser. Ms. Spellings is to testify on both programs next week before Mr. Miller’s committee.
Emily Lawrimore, a presidential spokeswoman, said that the White House had received the congressman’s request and that “we will review it and respond accordingly.”
...
In addition to his request to the White House, Mr. Miller asked the Education Department yesterday for records of communications from several of its current and former high-ranking officials, including Rod Paige, former secretary; William D. Hansen, former deputy secretary; Eugene W. Hickok, former under secretary and then deputy secretary; and David Dunn, the current chief of staff.
Sure they'll act accordingly - they'll claim executive privilege and stonewall the whole inquiry.
But Representative Miller and Senator Kennedy must go to the mattresses on this.
Keep digging, keep sending out the requests for documents and testimony, keep sending out the subpoenas.
There's fire there.
