GOP and Dem Faux Pas of 2005: List Compilation Requested

[pattylou]

It seems the GOP has been beleaguered this year. Can we start a list of specific items? If this is frowned upon, please feel free to delete it, Evo. I just would like to compile a discrete list for some of my friends, who are unaware of all the problems besieging the republican party.

Also, I am not trying to be partisan (though I realize I am) - we can also compile a similar list for what's gone wrong for the democrats this year. I say that sincerely, for example the gaffe by H. Dean.

GOP:

Boxer/the electoral vote question
Terry Schiavo
Hurricane Katrina (made a mockery of Bush's platform of national security)
Memogate
Rove/Libby - the Plame issue
Cindy Sheehan
No WeaponsMassDestruction
Tom Delays indictment

...I know I'm forgetting some biggies for this year... what are they?

Democrats:

Boxer/the electoral vote (heh, that one cuts both ways - depends whose philosophy you agree with)
Howard Dean's gaffe

... I know some of you are more aware of the dems goofs. Feel free to share.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I think one of the biggest issues for the reps is that Bush is the biggest spender in history. This, along with near record setting - Johnson level - discretionary spending from a rep held congress pretty much kills the long help rep claim of tax and spend democrats. Now we have the borrow [from the Chinese] and spend republicans.

I believe the correct number is approx 3 trillion dollars added to the debt in five years of rep control.

 

[Tsu]

This is a list of "current and recent Republican criminality" found at this site:
http://www.kuro5hin.org/story/2004/6/21/114441/301
I couldn't find a similar one for Democrats using the same google wording, but I'm sure one exists somewhere...

* There is a grand jury investigation into the leaking of the name of then-undercover CIA agent Valerie Plame's name to the media by "senior White House officials". John Ashcroft recused himself from the case, and the investigation has so far centered on the Office of the Vice-President.

* Bush's Medicare scam and the circumstances that led the administration to lie to Congress about the cost of that legislation is under investigation by the Health and Human Services Inspector General's office.

* Bribes offered on the House floor to Rep. Nick Smith (R-Mich.) in exchange for his vote on Bush's Medicare plan are under investigation by the House Ethics Committee and the Justice Department.

* Republican staffers on the Senate Judiciary Committee are being investigated for stealing thousands of confidential memos from Democratic staffer's computers, a matter that has now been referred to the Justice Department for a criminal probe.

* In 2000, now Attorney General John Ashcroft was found by the Federal Election Commission to have broken campaign finance laws when he accepted $110,000 in what were determined to be illegal contributions.

* An investigation into House Majority Leader Tom DeLay's criminal fundraising schemes in Texas -- which allegedly used corporate funds to help state GOP lawmakers -- is already before a Texas grand jury. DeLay has notified his colleagues that a grand jury indictment is possible, and that he may be forced to step down as Majority Leader.

* Republican Connecticut Gov. John Rowland resigned from office after facing a criminal investigation and an impeachment proceedings after he lied about prominent state contractors and several government aides paying for refurbishments to his lake-front cottage. He was also involved in a failed loan plan involving $220 million in state funds.

* California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was found guilty of violating state campaign finance laws. The state has a $100,000 cap on candidate loans; Schwarzenegger loaned himself over $4 million in the closing days of his campaign.

* Former Rep. Bill Janklow (R-S.D.) was convicted of vehicular manslaughter after running a stop sign and killing a motorcylcist.

* There are several investigations into criminal activities by Halliburton Co., including:

- A Justice Department "inquiry into whether Halliburton Co. was involved in the payment of $180 million in possible kickbacks to obtain contracts to build a natural gas plant in Nigeria during a period in the late 1990's when Vice President Dick Cheney was chairman of the company". (Newsweek, Feb 4 2004)

- An SEC investigation is underway into $180 million worth of bribes paid by Halliburton subisidary Kellogg, Brown, and Root to the government of Nigeria for gas contracts also during a period when Dick Cheney was chairman.

* Also under Cheney's leadership, Halliburton was found by the Treasury Department to have done business with both Iran and Iraq during a period when both nations were under US and (in the case of Iraq) UN sanctions.

* The forged documents that led Bush to inaccurately claim that Iraq had sought to purchase uranium from Niger are under investigation by both a Senate committee and the FBI.

* John Korsmo, Bush's choice to chair the Federal Housing Finance Board, is the target of an ongoing Justice Department criminal probe related to his political fundraising activities and their subsequent cover-up. The scandal cost Korsmo his career; he was forced to resign from his position in March 2004.

* The Texas GOP's decision to seek assistance from the FAA to track down Democratic lawmakers fleeing the state to deny a legislative quorum was the subject of two formal inquiries -- one from the U.S. Department of Transportation, the other from the Department of Homeland Security.

* The General Accounting Office ruled that the White House broke two federal laws when they used $100 million in public funds to pay for the broadcast of "video news releases": fake news pieces which contained false information about the alleged benefits of Bush's Medicare plan.

* The Treasury Department's inspector general's office has launched a "preliminary" investigation into whether officials were misused to calculate data for GOP talking points on John Kerry's tax proposals.

* The Federal Election Commission fined the National Republican Congressional Committee after it determined that the GOP illegally transferred donations to outside independent groups for assistance in the 2000 campaign. The NRCC was fined $280,000.

* There are both Senatorial and military investigations into the torture and murder that occurred at Abu Ghraib prison, in military prisons in Afghanistan, and the military base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. A legal memorandum drawn up in August of 2002 by White House legal counsel sought to provide a legal basis for the torture, effectively placing the president above the rule of law. More recently, two-star Army General George Fay requested that he be replaced with a more senior officer because he is not high enough in rank to interview everyone necessary (military procedures forbid lower ranking officers from interviewing more senior ones.)

 

[SOS2008]

Bush administration/GOP scandals

I think we may blow up the server trying to track all this, but here are more lists provided by other sources. One can start with the topic of controversial elections and go from there:

Bush administration scandals, as of January 18, 2005, according to Salon's Peter Dzikes, come to a grand total of 34 for the "first four years of George Bush's presidency." (http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2005/01/18/scandal/index_np.html?x ) [NOTE: And that's only for the first four years.]

On January 13, 2005, Katrina vanden Heuvel posted her list (http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20050131&s=kvh ) in The Nation of "the Bush Administration's Ten Most Outrageous Scandals thus far uncovered by government investigators." :
· Halliburton's Corruption
· Iraq's Decline
· Abu Ghraib Prison Torture [+ Guantanamo Bay?]
· CIA Pre-9/11 Intelligence Failures
· HHS Deceptive Ad Campaign
· HHS Scully Scandal
· Government-wide Accounting Problems
· Sex Education Misinformation
· CAPPS II Failures
· Real Costs of the Iraq War

It was less than one year ago, on April 20, 2004, Thomas R. Asher, writing for Tom Paine, headlined with "Losing Control" (http://www.tompaine.com/feature2.cfm/ID/10271) -- "Echoes of Watergate fill the air: a president is charged with misdeeds.

…Additionally, Asher writes, "Bush faces a wider range of potential scandals, which include: (http://www.tompaine.com/feature2.cfm/ID/10271)
· Iraq: the rationale for, cost of, and occupation plans following America's conquest (DOS, DOD, CIA, FBI);
· Suppressed Medicare costs (HHS) and bioterrorism studies (DOD);
· Insufficient terrorism preparedness and prevention, domestic and international, before and after 9/11 (CIA, FBI, DOD, etc.);
· Mounting fiscal deficits and tax relief only for the wealthy (Treasury, OMB); and
· Skewed or suppressed scientific research and policies (NIH, HHS, FDA, EPA).

"The president and his administration, in Watergate mode," he says, "already find themselves focusing more on damage control than new initiatives, both in Washington and Baghdad. They spend time with lawyers and spinmeisters, rather than policy advisors, and are bogged down in old problems, which prevents them from focusing on the cascade of new ones.

….Amazingly, he points out, "Mr. Bush's multiple misrepresentations and misjudgments put him in position to break a key Watergate speed record.

…Compared to the Vietnam War fallout, he writes, Bush may establish another "world record"

…A month earlier, in fact, on March 19, 2004, the administration's scandals were reaching the point that The Carpetbagger Report--"Scandal after scandal after scandal"--claimed to be having flashbacks to scandal fatigue ("a conservative buzz phrase from the late 90s").

At the time of that posting, the daily weblog cited no less than twelve "substantive scandals involving the GOP in the last three years":
· Dick Cheney's secretive Energy Task Force was investigated by the GAO and the case is currently pending at the Supreme Court.
· The Homeland and Lilly Protection Act
· The Plame Game is under investigation by the Justice Department.
· Bush's Medicare scam and the circumstances that led the administration to lie to Congress about the cost of the legislation is under investigation by the HHS inspector general's office.
· The massive intelligence failure that led Bush to lie to the world about the Iraqi threat is under investigation by a congressionally-authorized independent commission (which Bush fought the creation of).
· Bribes offered on the House floor to Rep. Nick Smith (R-Mich.) in exchange for his vote on Bush's Medicare plan are under investigation by the House Ethics Committee and the Justice Department.
· Attorney General John Ashcroft was under investigation by the Federal Election Commission for violating campaign finance laws in 2000, and the FEC concluded that Ashcroft accepted $110,000 in illegal contributions.
· An investigation into House Majority Leader Tom DeLay's criminal fundraising schemes in Texas -- which allegedly used corporate funds to help state GOP lawmakers -- is already before a Texas grand jury.
· Republican staffers on the Senate Judiciary Committee were investigated for stealing thousands of confidential memos from Dem computers, a matter that has now been referred to the Justice Department for a possible criminal probe.
· Republican Connecticut Gov. John Rowland is under a criminal investigation (and an impeachment investigation) after he lied about prominent state contractors and several government aides paying for refurbishments to his lake-front cottage.
· Former Rep. Bill Janklow (R-S.D.) was under investigation for vehicular manslaughter, a crime for which he was later convicted.
· The Pentagon launched a formal investigation into well-armed evangelist and three-star General William G. Boykin, Bush's pick for deputy undersecretary of defense for intelligence, and his record of extreme religious rhetoric.
· The circumstances that led to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 are under investigation by a congressionally-authorized independent commission (which, again, Bush fought the creation of and then later resisted cooperating with); and subsequently the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States
· And honorable mentions should go, of course, to investigations into Halliburton (Dick Cheney's former company) and Enron (George Bush's biggest corporate supporter).

From SourceWatch - http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Bush_administration_scandals

2000 -
· Linda Chavez, nomination as Secretary of Labor derailed by past employment of illegal alien. (2001)
· Jim Traficant financial corruption conviction and expulsion from House (2002)
· Robert Torricelli bribery scandal (2002)
· Trent Lott resigned as Senate majority leader amid racial controversy
· Yellowcake forgery false evidence presented in case for 2003 invasion of Iraq (2003)
· Valerie Plame affair (2004), eventually implicating Karl Rove (2005)
· Halliburton Company (2000-2004)
· Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse scandal (2004-2005)
· Tom Delay, reprimanded twice by House Ethics Committee and indictments of aides (2004-2005)
· Bernard Kerik, nomination as Secretary of Homeland Security derailed by past employment of illegal alien as nanny, and amid allegations of various other ethical improprieties. (2004)
· Bush administration payment of columnists including Armstrong Williams, Maggie Gallagher and Michael McManus (2004-2005)
· Downing Street Memo minutes of U.K. government secret meeting (dated 23 July 2002, leaked 2005) include summary of MI6 Director Sir Richard Dearlove's report that "Bush wanted to remove Saddam, through military action, justified by the conjunction of terrorism and WMD. But the intelligence and the facts were being fixed around the policy."
· Duke Cunningham (R-Cal.) announces (2005) he will not seek reelection in 2006 after investigation into financial misdealings
· Jack Abramoff, Republican lobbyist and key figure in Tom DeLay scandal, is indicted on wire fraud charges (August 2005).
· Abramoff-Reed Indian Gambling Scandal A separate grand jury investigation involving Jack Abramoff, Ralph Reed and Grover Norquist

From Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_scandals_of_the_United_States#2000_-

Also there are the lesser known “gate” scandals - Votergate (2004 U.S. Presidential Elections), Coingate (Ohio), Gannongate (more on pundit probes). The more recent investigations such as Brown/Katrina, Frist/Insider Trading, are not yet listed.

 

[Tsu]

The more recent investigations such as Brown/Katrina, Frist/Insider Trading, are not yet listed.

I noticed that. They just can't keep up with it all?? :rofl: :rofl:

 

[kat]

Just curious...for those who've had more time then I lately...
Who on the GOP side has been indicted other then Delay...and how many have been convicted in the last year?



and then..on the Dem side?

 

[Manchot]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think that any representative or senator has been indicted for anything in the past year.

 

[SOS2008]

What's the average time of an investigation? The Clinton investigation took nearly eight years. The large number of investigations, and in regard to top GOP leaders (DeLay, Frist, Rove) is what is striking at this time.

 

[pattylou]

Just curious...for those who've had more time then I lately...
Who on the GOP side has been indicted other then Delay...and how many have been convicted in the last year?



and then..on the Dem side?

It sounds like you know the answer.

This is the sort of thing I am asking for. (The OP says something like "I am sure there are democratic examples as well") By all means, you are under no obligation to add the information you have. But if you would I'd appreciate it.

thanks Kat.

 

[pattylou]

What's the average time of an investigation? The Clinton investigation took nearly eight years. The large number of investigations, and in regard to top GOP leaders (DeLay, Frist, Rove) is what is striking at this time.

Libby should be coming up as well, correct?

 

[pattylou]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think that any representative or senator has been indicted for anything in the past year.

DeLay has been indicted. Surely you knew that?

 

[kat]

It sounds like you know the answer.

This is the sort of thing I am asking for. (The OP says something like "I am sure there are democratic examples as well") By all means, you are under no obligation to add the information you have. But if you would I'd appreciate it.

thanks Kat.

erm..what in my question suggests I know the answer?

I'm not really sure..I know pelosi had issues..and then the guy who stuffed documents in his pants and sox...other then that...
oh..let me google...
I'll be back...

 

[Manchot]

DeLay has been indicted. Surely you knew that?

Very funny. :tongue2:

 

[pattylou]

No really.

Twice.

 

[pattylou]

erm..what in my question suggests I know the answer?

I'm not really sure..I know pelosi had issues..and then the guy who stuffed documents in his pants and sox...other then that...
oh..let me google...
I'll be back...

I dunno. It just felt like a loaded question. I could be wrong - looks like I was.

Thanks for the Pelosi tip.

 

[kat]

Here's something...I'd forgotten all about this.
What I don't get is why there's no direct connect to Hillary in this case and yet it appears to be somewhat similar to Delay's.
Clinton campaign indictment
http://www.washtimes.com/op-ed/20050114-083241-4048r.htm

The federal government revealed last week that the finance director of Hillary Rodham Clinton's Senate race has been indicted on multiple counts of fraud related to an August 2000 Hollywood fund-raiser, which reportedly raised at least $1 million in hard-money contributions and untold amounts of soft-money donations. It appears that the direct beneficiary of the alleged fraud was Mrs. Clinton's campaign, which at the time was desperate for as much federally restricted, extremely valuable hard money that it could gather

 

[SOS2008]

It appears that David Rosen was indicted by a federal grand jury for "repeatedly misrepresenting to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) the costs associated with an Aug. 12, 2000, fund-raiser. The Editorial/Op-Ed was dated January 15, 2005. Maybe it isn't a big head-liner because no one knows who David Rosen is, or maybe after almost eight years of the Clinton investigations with no indictment, people aren't gung ho for another round.

 

[GENIERE]

...or maybe after almost eight years of the Clinton investigations with no indictment, people aren't gung ho for another round.

The Clinton legacy (excluding impeachment)

14 convictions or guilty pleas to date (including one governor, one associate attorney general and two Clinton business partners)

47 individuals and businesses associated with the Clinton machine have been convicted of or pleaded guilty to crimes.

122 congressional witnesses pleaded the Fifth Amendment, fled the country to avoid testifying, or (in the case of foreign witnesses) refused to be interviewed.

15 Guilty pleas and convictions obtained by Donald Smaltz in cases involving charges of bribery and fraud against former Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy and associated individuals and businesses resulting in $11.5 million in fines and penalties assessed.

But we republicans owe him thanks! (Not up to date)
- GOP seats gained in House since Clinton became president: 48
- GOP seats gained in Senate since Clinton became president: 8
- GOP governorships gained since Clinton became president: 11
- GOP state legislative seats gained since Clinton became president: 1,254
- State legislatures taken over by GOP since Clinton became president: 9
- Democrat who have become Republicans since Clinton became president: 439
- Republican who have become Democrats since Clinton became president: 3


All from:
http://prorev.com/legacy.htm

and edited for effect.


.



.

 

[Informal Logic]

The Clinton legacy (excluding impeachment)

14 convictions or guilty pleas to date (including one governor, one associate attorney general and two Clinton business partners)

47 individuals and businesses associated with the Clinton machine have been convicted of or pleaded guilty to crimes.

122 congressional witnesses pleaded the Fifth Amendment, fled the country to avoid testifying, or (in the case of foreign witnesses) refused to be interviewed.

15 Guilty pleas and convictions obtained by Donald Smaltz in cases involving charges of bribery and fraud against former Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy and associated individuals and businesses resulting in $11.5 million in fines and penalties assessed.

But we republicans owe him thanks! (Not up to date)
- GOP seats gained in House since Clinton became president: 48
- GOP seats gained in Senate since Clinton became president: 8
- GOP governorships gained since Clinton became president: 11
- GOP state legislative seats gained since Clinton became president: 1,254
- State legislatures taken over by GOP since Clinton became president: 9
- Democrat who have become Republicans since Clinton became president: 439
- Republican who have become Democrats since Clinton became president: 3


All from:
http://prorev.com/legacy.htm

and edited for effect.

That link appears to be a 'think tank' blog site with the tag line of "Washington's Most Unofficial Source." If you browse around you may note a bit of sensationalism, and mostly criticism of Bush. The 'Clinton investigations,' or as this site refers to it, the "Clinton Machine" is about a a number of people other than the Clintons, but it appears that justice was served.

Currently, the GOP seems to be breaking the "Clinton Machine" record.

 

[SOS2008]

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2000/09/20/national/main234848.shtml

"The office determined that the evidence was insufficient to prove to a jury beyond a reasonable doubt that either (the) president or Mrs. Clinton knowingly participated in any criminal conduct."
Independent Counsel Robert Ray

"It's ironic that the president's potential legal troubles relating to the Lewinsky investigation would outlast, if you will, his legal troubles over Whitewater - which of course started it all."
CBS News Legal Consultant Andrew Cohen
----------
Ray's investigation began in 1994 under his predecessor, Kenneth Starr. At the heart of the probe was the Whitewater land deal, a failed Arkansas real estate venture involving the Clintons in the 1980s when the future president was the state's governor and the future first lady was a partner in the prominent Rose Law Firm in Little Rock. The independent counsel's office had probed whether the First Couple had committed any criminal offenses, including perjury or obstruction of justice.

...And so, Wednesday's announcement closes the book on the investigation into the failed Arkansas savings and loan owned by the Clintons' Whitewater real estate partners, Jim and Susan McDougal...

Regarding investigations into Clinton's alleged perjury and obstruction in the Lewinsky scandal, which continued after Clinton left office:

WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, February 12) -- After a year full of investigations, hearings and a 21-day impeachment trial, President Bill Clinton was acquitted Friday by the Senate of charges he committed perjury and obstructed justice

http://edition.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/stories/1999/02/12/impeachment/

How many times must this be posted -- Clinton was acquitted!

In any event, it appears that use of Independent Counsel (statute) never resulted in an indictment versus Justice Department investigations. Anyone know? I found this academic paper to be of interest:

http://www.igpa.uiuc.edu/publications/pdf/SCANDALv2.pdf

 

[sid_galt]

Bush has messed up and the entire Senate has messed up. That's what's gone wrong.

The Republicans are spending as much as they can. The Democrats are assisting.

The Republicans are trying to insert the army in everything (Bush recently said he would like the army to assist in preventing the spread of bird flu if it becomes a problem.).

We get an SC nominee whose judicial views we don't even know and he gets confirmed.

Now we get an SC nominee who seems to be extremely pro-life and senate minority leader is actually endorsing her.

Everytime there is a problem, the only solution the white house and the senate has is more government.

The Republicans have slept off on Iran and the democrats instead of cashing on this opportunity, simply don't care.

Instead of launching a strong counter offensive against the terrorists in Iraq, Mr. Bush wants to fight a feel good war.

etc. etc. etc.

Sorry for the rant. The govt. is making me mad.