Bartlett Falsely Claims Bush Supports Full Investigation of ‘Any Allegation of Public Corruption’
Bartlett Falsely Claims Bush Supports Full Investigation of ‘Any Allegation of Public Corruption’
Dan Bartlett, senior counselor to President Bush, appeared on CNN this evening and was asked where the President stood with regards to the FBI raid on Rep. William Jefferson’s office. Bartlett said it was important to pursue the investigation to wherever it may lead:
BARTLETT: The good thing is that all parties recognize it’s critically important that this investigation continue; that anytime that there’s any allegation of public corruption of a public official or a congressman, that we do everything we can to fully investigate this.
A very sound principle — one that unfortunately does not apply to President Bush. Here’s Bartlett on CNN, 1/29/06:
BLITZER: What’s wrong with the White House releasing the photographs of the president with Jack Abramoff?
BARTLETT: Because they’re not relevant to the investigation. And one thing that the president argued this past week is that there is an important investigation. Here is a man who has admitted guilt to some egregious conduct and behavior in the course of several years. It’s important that the prosecutors get to the bottom of that case and follow that case wherever it may take them. But the fact that the president has taken a picture or two or five or however many it may be at fundraisers or other events is not related to the investigation.
Remember, as the “decider,” Bush gets to decide what’s relevant to the investigation.
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“I will swear to uphold the honor and dignity of the office to which I have been elected, so help me God.”
…Candidate George W. Bush, August 3, 2000.
“I don’t know if we’re going to find out the senior administration official. Now, this is a large administration, and there’s a lot of senior officials. I don’t have any idea. I’d like to. I want to know the truth. That’s why I’ve instructed this staff of mine to cooperate fully with the investigators — full disclosure, everything we know the investigators will find out. I have no idea whether we’ll find out who the leaker is…”
…President George W. Bush, October 7, 2003.
For the details, see:
May 26th, 2006 at 6:39 pm“What the President Knew and When He Knew It.”
Yes Mr Bartlett your investigations will classify all alleged wrong doing..intimidate any non cooperating witnesses, pay off the others…hook a conservative judge that agrees with the unitary executive so that if Bush said so it is legal;..and stone wall all requests for any paperwork with executive priviledge…..
May 26th, 2006 at 6:39 pmI’m still wondering how people can believe that there is going to be an election this year…
50 Ways To Dump The Dubya
May 26th, 2006 at 6:40 pmno chance in hell that Bartlett would be for this if Jefferson were a repug.
May 26th, 2006 at 6:41 pmlemme see a freeze on FBI seized documents, another freeze on photogaphic evidence, and well this looks like yet another job for Pat Roberts! YaY! Cheer YAY!
May 26th, 2006 at 6:42 pmMr Freeze enters stage right. Shloooooooooooshhhhh another frozen scandal! YaY Cheer YaY!
No offense, but this is a pathetic blog entry. The best example you can come up with of Republicans thwarting investigation of possible corruption is this? Come on. Out of all of the cases of corruption and potential corruption and all of the Republican attempts to evade investigation in the last 5 years, you’re going to use Bush’s refusal to release some photos of him alongside Abramoff? Very weak.
May 26th, 2006 at 6:44 pmMike, I think the point is Bartlett’s hypocrisy
May 26th, 2006 at 6:49 pm#6 – No Mike, this is not the best. If you want more information scroll to the top of this page, find the list entitled “Think Progress Highlights,” and read all of the entries. Quite enlightening. Enjoy!
May 26th, 2006 at 6:50 pmPlease read the small print! Queen George the Dumb said he would investigate any “ALLEGATION” of public corruption. If QGtD is involved there is no allegation to contend with—IT IS A FACT he is corrupt.
Click on Clyde.
May 26th, 2006 at 6:56 pmHe must be dreaming. So much fantasy versus reality.
May 26th, 2006 at 7:04 pmDumbya wouldn’t even try to stop the evidence for any period of time, much less 45 days unless this is just the slipcover for a larger scandal involving REPUGnicans.
There is just no way in hell dumbya would do something just because it is the right thing to do, he never does ANYTHING good, it may appear good on the surface, but it is masking something evil. So don’t think for a moment that he is interested in helping a Democrat, nor is he the slightest bit interested in doing something to right a wrong.
If you think he is interested in doing something because it is the right thing to do, see all the many stories on:
Rover/cheeney/libby leaking Plame (still has dumbya’s fingerprints on it)
Being lied into an illegal war
Spying on Americans (remember when we are talking about wire taps…it requires a warrant)
We are not wiretapping Americans, just overseas calls to Al-Quaker (oops) Al Queda
We are spying, just not listening to domestic calls
we don’t spy on Americans, I just don’t know how those peace activists and Quakers got on the terra list
I wonder if the hypocrits in DC can even sleep at night without medication.
May 26th, 2006 at 7:06 pmoh, and please pass the whores and bribes.
May 26th, 2006 at 7:08 pmBartlett: …‘Any Allegation of Public Corruption’ — of our choosing.
May 26th, 2006 at 7:14 pmMike, I think the point is Bartlett’s hypocrisy
Comment by Jack
Yes, and my point is that this is a pitiful example to use if you want to show Bartlett’s hypocrisy. There are so many better ones to choose from. The fact that there are some photos of Bush in the same room as Abramoff is NOT evidence that Bush was involved in Abramoff’s criminal activity, and it certainly does not constitute an “allegation of public corruption.”
May 26th, 2006 at 7:24 pmIt does not matter anymore because 78 Senators voted YES for Hayden and if America had a real opposition Democrat party then Hayden could only have gotten 54 votes since Spector voted against him! Either Senators are afraid of Bush or brain-dead?
May 26th, 2006 at 7:24 pmYou are new here. We have been covering every single scandal this administration has been involved in, since day one. You have a lot of reading to do to catch up.
May 26th, 2006 at 8:16 pmThe Senators really don’t give a shit.
May 26th, 2006 at 8:21 pmYou are new here.
Wrong. I’ve been getting Progress Reports and checking out ThinkProgress for over a year.
We have been covering every single scandal this administration has been involved in, since day one.
Irrelevant. It’s too bad that, having of all of those scandals to choose from, this particular blog entry used a non-scandal in a failed attempt to demonstrate the hypocrisy of Bartlett’s statement.
You have a lot of reading to do to catch up.
Strike three. It should be obvious that I’m well aware of the many Republican/White House scandals; my WHOLE POINT is that there are so many scandals to choose from, why the hell choose a non-scandal?
May 26th, 2006 at 8:31 pmBartlett is a dull prick if ever there was one and a liar to boot. I can’t stand the son of a bitch.
May 26th, 2006 at 9:27 pmWhat scares me is Rumsfeld’s remark, “I serve at his pleasure”.
May 26th, 2006 at 9:45 pmPleasure? How?
Re: “Here is a man who has admitted guilt to some egregious conduct and behavior in the course of several years.”
Which one is he talking about?
May 26th, 2006 at 10:08 pm“…it’s critically important that this investigation continue; that anytime that there’s any allegation of public corruption of a public official or a congressman, that we do everything we can to fully investigate this.”
A very sound principle — one that unfortunately does not apply to President Bush.
or rove or cheney or delay or frist or the iraq war architects or anyone else on the “cia leak list” and everyone else i’m sure i’ve left out…
May 26th, 2006 at 10:41 pmyou get the idea…
kimmy – i googled the oft heard phrase “i serve at the pleasure of the president” and after 10 or so pages i’m still not sure if it started on The West Wing tv show and has been popular since or if it is an historical phrase… but rummy’s remark was probably condensed from that phrase… and it means what it says…
May 26th, 2006 at 10:58 pmI hope Bush is pleasured!
May 26th, 2006 at 11:03 pmI am beginning to think that all the Senators and many of the Representatives in DC left skidmarks leaving on vacation today to clean up their homes and offices before the FBI searches them! Many of them are certified crooks so cash is probably in most of their freezers > lol.
May 26th, 2006 at 11:23 pm“If a monarchist be in office anywhere and it be known to the President, the oath he has taken to support the Constitution imperiously requires the instantaneous dismission of such officer; and I should hold the President criminal if he permitted such to remain. To appoint a monarchist to conduct the affairs of a republic is like appointing an atheist to the priesthood.” –Thomas Jefferson: Newspaper letter, 1803. FE 8:237
May 27th, 2006 at 12:38 amBartlett says, “it’s critically important that this investigation continue.” Oh, yes it is. I do not doubt his sincerity, not one little bit. But he is not interested in truth, justice, or the American way. Hardly. And GWB made sure this story will be a popular topic on Fox News, and psycho radio by freezing the FBI booty from Jefferson’s office for 45 days. Not exactly the actions of a supporter of investigations. DETAILS!!! Jefferson needs to go. He needed the help of the FBI to get in trouble, while Republicans can take care of business all by themselves, no set-up required.
May 27th, 2006 at 12:58 amSo I wondered for a moment, “who the heck is he pandering to THIS time…” — turns out it was Gonzales he was pandering to.
May 27th, 2006 at 1:14 amIsn’t it just a little stinky with all these corrupt republicans taking money for official acts that the Justice Department raids the office of a democrat?
May 27th, 2006 at 1:35 amPost 29 that is why they raided a Dems office to cause a stink so NO Repubs offices will be searched by the FBI! GOP has at least 10 Reps involved in scandals at the moment versus the Dems one with Jefferson!
May 27th, 2006 at 2:28 am#15 Jay, you know exactly why Hayden got all the votes – Blackmail. It is the same old story, from 1989 to present (before 1989 but never reported). The corrupt “power players” throw sex parties with underage objects of desire and photograph it and video tape it. It exploded in 1989 and got quickly covered up.
Why the heck do you think DeLay would go around the floor and talk to the voters and some cry while casting the votes to approve bad legislation. Remember not to long ago….that was the one that the democrats were chanting “shame, shame, shame” over.
And #26 – Yes the president does take an oath to uphold the constitution, and when we find that he is not fulfilling that duty, he should be immediately removed from power using whatever means necessary. This little smirking chimp is on record saying : ” the Constitution is just a godammed piece of paper.” and Alberto-I love torture-Gonzoles is on record as saying that the constitution is an “outdated document” so why are these Nazis still in power?
May 27th, 2006 at 2:47 amPost 31 > you could be correct because NSA spied on every member of the Congress, so Hayden had material to blackmail most of the Senators! Strange vote yesterday because it was done fast and then the Senators rushed out of DC like the devil was after them > lol.
May 27th, 2006 at 2:52 am“…it’s critically important that…anytime that there’s any allegation of public corruption of a public official or a congressman, that we do everything we can to fully investigate this.”
****************
Since when?!? Yeah, right — if you believe that, I happen to know of this great bridge on the East River which just happens to be for sale at a very reasonable price….
Yeah, I’m sure they do everything they can to ‘fully investigate it” provided that it’s not a Republican…
May 27th, 2006 at 8:45 amWe will persue all leads as long as they don’t involve investigating Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld and George W Bush, he, he, he, he.
Signed “W”.
May 27th, 2006 at 8:51 amViva Zapata and Tex-Mex justice with sour cream on it.
May 27th, 2006 at 9:16 amHayden was approved simply because the WH has all the dirt on all the senate that it needs.
Specter voting against with approval from the gray house.
May 27th, 2006 at 10:14 amI suppose that is different than Think Progress and others deciding that the photos are relevant. Oh wait… no it’s not!
Photos of the president with Abramoff in the picture doesn’t prove anything. Documents or other things will. So obviously the photos are just some distraction for people like Think Progress, while the FBI are adults and know how to do their job and find things that are actually relevant to establishing corruption.
Talk about the pinnacle of hypocrisy.
May 27th, 2006 at 1:12 pmSeixon, speaking of the FBI:
Now, judging from what has been in the media thus far, Jefferson should be investigated for his alleged criminal activity. However, the search of his Congressional Office would likely not have raised such concerns had an independent prosecutor been appointed for the task.
As it stands now, we have a Republican controled Executive Branch searching the office of, and seizing records of a Congressman of the opposition party.
On the other hand, although several Republican Congressmen have been implicated and even charged with criminal activity, there has been no reported incidences of their Congressional offices being searched by the FBI.
When the opposition party ascends to power will your position on the propriety of this Administration’s actions remain the same? Will you support a Democratic President and a Democratic Congress doing the same things to Republicans? Will you accept a Democratic majority on the Supreme Court upholding these activities against Republicans?
May 27th, 2006 at 2:06 pmIsn’t bartlett one of the co-conspiritors on the Plame case? I believe he is classified as a non-indicted co-conspiritor.
But never forget, bush said “…the Constitution is just a Godda**ed piece of paper”
Never forget, gonzoles siad the Constitution is an “outdated document”
Lovely people to have spying on you and spiriting you away to torture you at concentration camps.
Dumbya is the male equivilent to Kelly Bundy.
May 27th, 2006 at 2:30 pmDan Bartlett is a liar. He once tried to claim that the Bush Administration was a very open one with no secrets. Either he was completely ignorant of the truth, or he was lying. (Thank you, John Dean, for that tidbit.) I can understand why Fox News Channel might want to have someone of his ilk on their shows, but why would any other news organizations concerned about its reputation for accuracy and reliability want to even bother talking to this man? He frequently tells lies (at least, every time that I have seen him talking on TV, I’ve heard him assert at least one thing that was just plain false), so you can’t be thinking that you’ll get an accurate account of things from him. His job is to go out to the media and try to make his president look good, even if the facts indicate otherwise. He has no problem whatsoever with telling flat out lies. As a source for accurate information, I wish the media would learn that Dan Bartlett is the wrong man to go to. (And if they are worried about protecting “access” to these people, I ask, “Why?” Why do you want to protect access to people who are going to lie to you? I would think you would want to write them off as a source if you can’t believe anything they tell you.)
May 27th, 2006 at 2:48 pm