Does anyone else wonder why the Bush team botches investigation after investigation? The answer might be found in recent comments by White House spokesperson Dana Perino. She characterized private, un-sworn and un-transcribed testimony as being “extraordinarily forthcoming”. Ask any attorney general if they can make a case on such testimony.
The list of other booted studies or complete non-investigations include:
The White House whitewashed their inactions after Hurricane Katrina in their “Lessons Learned report”. It earned a huge sigh of relief from the Carlyle Group as their brand new affiliate LifeCare Hospitals had the highest patient death toll in the storm’s aftermath. This warranted not one mention in the Bush post mortem.
The non-investigation of secret CIA prisons throughout the world and any prisoner treatment that occurred under “the program”. Allegations of torture arising in current military tribunals are referred to the Pentagon for investigation. This is the same Pentagon that repeatedly flubbed ex-NFL star Pat Tillman’s friendly fire death investigation. Our European friends conducted a study on American secret CIA prisons without us.
A United Nations group requested for three years to investigate prisoner conditions at Guantanamo Bay only to be offered the official tour. Requests to meet with prisoners were denied. International experts refused to come as this is a key step in determining whether torture actually occurred.
The non-investigation of the White House leak of a CIA agent’s name. This later resulted in the conviction of the Vice President’s Chief of Staff for perjury. The President promised to look into the matter but no internal findings were ever released. That’s because Bush’s promised internal investigation never happened.
Attorney General Gonzales serves at the pleasure of a flat footed leader and it appears Alberto imitated Bush the last few weeks. Complete with contempt of Congress he told them he had “no role” in the firings. Documents and testimony of his underlings revealed otherwise, which sent Alberto into a fierce round of word parsing. The good news is Mr. Gonzales will stay on the job with the full confidence of the President and lead the investigation now hot on the heels of truth. However this requires basic memory capabilities, something currently in doubt for the nation’s top lawyer.
What’s good for the Bush clan should be good enough for every forgetful criminal. People suspected of a crime should give private, un-sworn and un-transcribed testimony. That might be good enough to get the latest round of Congressional investigations off the desks of Attorney Generals. Rep. Jerry Lewis and ex-House Ways and Means Chair Bill Thomas likely would send Alberto a thank you note…
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