THE PROGRESS REPORT
by Judd Legum, Faiz Shakir, Nico Pitney,
Mipe Okunseinde and Christy Harvey.
July 12, 2005
PLAMEGATE
It's the Cover-Up
HOMELAND SECURITY
The Not-So-Extraordinary Record
UNDER THE RADAR
Go Beyond The Headlines
For news and updates throughout the day, check out our blog at ThinkProgress.org.
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PLAMEGATE
It's the Cover-Up
Now who's ridiculous? On October 1, 2003, during the "ongoing investigation" of the Valerie Plame leak scandal, White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan said it was a "ridiculous suggestion" that Rove was "involved in leaking classified information." Following the recent revelations that Rove identified the undercover CIA agent in an e-mail to a Time magazine reporter, McClellan refused to answer any questions about Rove. NBC White House news correspondent David Gregory exclaimed, "this is ridiculous" in response to McClellan's silence. The leaking scandal, similar to Watergate before it, demonstrates that the cover-up is sometimes worse than the crime.
WHITE HOUSE STONEWALL: McClellan noted 23 times yesterday that he could not comment because there was an "ongoing investigation." But McClellan has previously cited that same investigation and then gone on to answer the questions as they pertained to Rove. For example, on October 1, 2003, he said, "There's an investigation going on ... you brought up Karl's name. Let's be very clear. I thought -- I said it was a ridiculous suggestion, I said it's simply not true that he was involved in leaking classified information, and -- nor, did he condone that kind of activity." Similarly, on October 10, 2003, McClellan said, "I think it's important to keep in mind that this is an ongoing investigation." But he then added with regard to a question about Rove's involvement, "I spoke with those individuals, as I pointed out, and those individuals assured me they were not involved in this."
MORE THAN A LEGAL MATTER, IT'S ABOUT CREDIBILITY: As the legal investigation continues and the grand jury pores over evidence, any determination that an individual has acted unlawfully is yet to be officially announced. What is clear is that the White House has plenty of explaining to do about their own cover-up. Yesterday, McClellan noted five times that it was the prosecutor's "preference" that the White House not comment on the ongoing investigation, clearly indicating that he could have answered the questions. Refusing to comment has never been a problem for the White House before. As the Washington Post reports today, "Asked about the matter on nine occasions over the years, Bush has said he welcomed the investigation, called the name disclosure 'a very serious matter,' and declared that the sooner investigators 'find out the truth, the better, as far as I'm concerned.'" The fact that the White House seems unwilling to even stand by bland assertions that the leak is a "serious matter" (which McClellan did not say yesterday) or that the White House wants to find out the "truth" (which also wasn't stated) indicates how this matter has become one of credibility for the Bush White House. The inability to stand behind those statements yields little confidence that Bush will hold to his pledge to fire anybody who leaked the agent's name.
THE COVER-UP CONTINUES: McClellan only sunk the White House's credibility further by choosing not to answer questions that he most certainly could have and should have. As Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said, "The lesson of history for George Bush and Karl Rove is that the best way to help themselves is to bring out all the facts, on their own, quickly." With so many outstanding questions lingering about the leak case, the White House has turned to crafty word games and carefully parsed statements to avoid any accountability on this issue. The White House, in attempting to turn conventional wisdom on its head by engaging in a cover-up rather than disclosing, is failing to learn from history and is now repeating it. The Associated Press notes today, "Even if Rove didn't violate the law, proof that he disclosed Plame's identity could damage his effectiveness in public life and tarnish the president for tolerating it."
SOME UNANSWERED QUESTIONS: Even though the White House isn't answering, there are still important questions to be asked. When President Bush and Chief of Staff Andrew Card elevated Rove to his position of deputy chief of staff earlier this year, did they know he had leaked this information? As Bush campaigned on security and character last year, did he know of Rove's involvement? Has Bush or Card never discussed the leak scandal with Rove, including the day the Cooper e-mail was revealed?
HOMELAND SECURITY
The Not-So-Extraordinary Record
Yesterday President Bush visited the FBI academy to discuss the war on terror and touted one of his favorite lines: "We're fighting the enemy in Iraq and Afghanistan and across the world so we do not have to face them here at home." Contrary to the president's myopic strategy, "recent history -- from 9/11 in New York to 7/7 in London -- proves conclusively that, no matter where we may choose to engage the forces of Islamic extremism, we do have to face them at home." In yesterday's speech the president made a point of praising the "extraordinary measures" that have been taken to defend the homeland and tried to impress the public with the fact that his administration has "more than tripled funding for homeland security since 2001." As the Senate "began debate yesterday on $31 billion in 2006 funding for the Department of Homeland Security," both the president and Congress need to measure progress in homeland security not by how much is spent but rather the results that are being garnered. Unfortunately, by that standard it is clear that the Department of Homeland Security continues to be a flailing agency.
THE "BUREAUCRATIC BOTTLENECK": In his speech, President Bush made a point of highlighting that he has "provided more than $14 billion over the last four years to train and equip local first responders." In actuality, "almost four years after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, more than $7 billion dollars have been appropriated for the nation's first responders, yet only a fraction of it — just over 1.2 billion — has actually gotten to the nation's emergency personnel." The delay in receiving the funds has been blamed on a "bureaucratic bottleneck" that only recently has begun to unclog. Though the Department of Homeland Security was established in 2002, it was not until this past April that the agency "put out its first 'National Preparedness Goal,' which lays out specific criteria to give the states and localities guidance on the best way to utilize their homeland-security dollars." Unfortunately, emergency responders on the ground feel the money is "still stuck" and "gaps remain in the understanding of what is acceptable stuff, what is truly a need and what is a wish."
THE "BOOTS ON THE GROUND" BATTLE: Lack of guidance from DHS isn't the only frustration faced by cities and localities across the nation. "Many towns have found that while DHS offers the opportunity to buy plenty of equipment and training, they don't always have enough people to take advantage of it." Getting more personnnel -- also known as "boots on the ground" -- has now become another battlefront. For example, DHS stands in stark opposition to the International Association of Fire Fighters, which supports "a bill that will provide grants to hire more fireman." Barry Kasinitz, director of governmental affairs for the Fire Fighters Association, points out, "We're finding lots of places where there's plenty of training available and plenty of equipment, but not enough people to use either of them."
THE RAILS REMAIN AT RISK: First responders aren't the only ones yet to see the money promised by President Bush and DHS. Though the president used his speech to reassure Americans that "we're protecting our nation's critical infrastructure" such as transportation systems, "records show that the Homeland Security Department has spent less than 7 percent of the $10 million it received this year to inspect and patrol rail lines." Furthermore, the agency has "yet to spend any of the $2 million for canine teams to patrol rail and subway stations in search of explosives." Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) "accused the [Transportation Security Administration] of 'slow-walking the critical security projects and initiatives that will help to make our commuters and our country safer.'" In fact, even though "Congress approved $150 million in local grants for upgrading transit security beginning last October ... the money didn't begin flowing until April." And the House Appropriations Homeland Security subcommittee continues to wait for DHS "to submit a five-year plan outlining how it would secure all transportation modes," a request that the subcommittee made last year.
WHEN CONGRESS IGNORES GOOD ADVICE: The September 11th Commission "recommended that homeland security money be allocated to protect the most vulnerable strategic targets from attacks that would cause the most casualties or economic damage." When Congress "decided to ignore the recommendations," the spending of homeland security funds soon became another typical case of pork barrel politics. Watchdog group Citzens Against Government Waste "estimate[s] that pork barrel spending on homeland security this year will reach $1.7 billion." Unfortunately, the public has little chance of ever tracking down the $8 billlion or so that has been "doled out to states" since 9/11. Twelve of the 34 states that responded to a recent inquiry by the Congressional Quarterly "have laws or policies that preclude public disclosure of certain details on homeland security purchases. The reason, state officials say, is that the information could be useful to terrorists." DHS uses the same excuse for why the records it keeps on states' homeland security spending will not be released to the public.
PORK BARREL SPENDING OF HOMELAND SECURITY FUNDS: With little accountability for how they spend their homeland security dollars, states have been having a field day. Colorado blew through $130 million before lawmakers even realized that the state had no homeland security plan. Even though it is a landlocked state, Oklahoma was given nearly three quarters of a million dollars designated for port security. Madisonville, Texas spent $30,000 on a custom trailer for its annual mushroom festival and a county director in upstate New York spent nearly as much on a brand new pickup truck for himself. Meanwhile, the Northern Mariana Islands, a favorite locale of House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX), will be getting $4 million.
Under the Radar
ENERGY -- EXXON EXXPOSED: A coaltion of citizen groups has launched a campaign to expose how energy giant Exxon puts "its own profits ahead of consumers, the environment, and the overall interest of Americans." The group, through its website exxposeexxon.org will "reveal the truth about the world's largest and most profitable oil company's actions, including actively lobbying Congress to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling, trying to avoid paying all the damages due to those harmed by the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, and funding organizations that work to discredit the science behind global warming." The coalition encourages Americans not to work for Exxon, buy their products or invest in the company until they change their behavior. Visit exxposeexxon.org.
CORRUPTION -- ZELL'S MAD CASH DASH: When last we heard from zany Zell Miller, he was steaming mad and challenging MSNBC host Chris Matthews to a duel. Now, it appears, "When this nationally famous figure left the governor's office in 1999, he pocketed more than $60,000 in taxpayer funds earmarked for entertainment and other expenses at the Governor's Mansion," according to a Georgia television station. "Miller also picked up a check for more than $20,000 for 'unused leave' -- a sum to which he was not entitled as a constitutional officer." Naturally, Miller had an explanation, albeit not a very good one: "In essence," Bill Schipp writes, "Miller says that he was technically eligible to take the mansion money as his own because no one said he could not." He ended up returning the money this year "when the Atlanta TV guy started asking questions."
MILITARY -- NATIONAL GUARD MISSES RECRUITING TARGET AGAIN: USA Today reports, "The Army National Guard, a cornerstone of the U.S. force in Iraq, missed its recruiting goal for at least the ninth straight month in June." According to military officials, the Army National Guard is "nearly 19,000 soldiers below its authorized strength." Now the Army National Guard is "more than 10,000 soldiers behind its year-to-date goal of almost 45,000 recruits." Guard troops "make up more than one-third of the soldiers in Iraq, numbering six brigades plus a division headquarters."
TERRORISM -- AMERICANS NOT STUCK ON "FLYPAPER" THEORY: The Progress Report has argued that last week's tragic terrorist bombings in London debunked the idea that invading Iraq would make Western nations safer by attracting the world's terrorists like "flypaper." Now we know that Americans agree. "The number of Americans who believe the war in Iraq has made the United States less safe from terrorism spiked sharply after last week's terror attacks in London, according to the latest CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll," jumping to 54 percent from 39 percent in the poll conducted a week before the London attacks. "53 percent said it was not worth going to war, up 1 point since June 24-26."
WASHINGTON -- OH WHAT A TANGLED WEB WE WEAVE: A top advisor to President Bush, James C. Langdon Jr., "met last winter with investment bankers in China to help secure his law firm's role in lobbying for a state-run Chinese energy firm and its bid for the U.S. oil company Unocal Corp." Langdon heads the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board and is a major Bush fundraiser. Langdon's involvement "underscores the tangled Washington connections beneath CNOOC Ltd.'s bid. Both CNOOC and its rival for Unocal, Chevron Corp., have enlisted lobbyists and public relations professionals with deep ties to the Bush White House and Republican leaders in Congress."
Mipe Okunseinde and Christy Harvey.
July 12, 2005
PLAMEGATE
It's the Cover-Up
HOMELAND SECURITY
The Not-So-Extraordinary Record
UNDER THE RADAR
Go Beyond The Headlines
For news and updates throughout the day, check out our blog at ThinkProgress.org.
Sign up Contact us Permalinks/Archive Mobile RSS Print
PLAMEGATE
It's the Cover-Up
Now who's ridiculous? On October 1, 2003, during the "ongoing investigation" of the Valerie Plame leak scandal, White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan said it was a "ridiculous suggestion" that Rove was "involved in leaking classified information." Following the recent revelations that Rove identified the undercover CIA agent in an e-mail to a Time magazine reporter, McClellan refused to answer any questions about Rove. NBC White House news correspondent David Gregory exclaimed, "this is ridiculous" in response to McClellan's silence. The leaking scandal, similar to Watergate before it, demonstrates that the cover-up is sometimes worse than the crime.
WHITE HOUSE STONEWALL: McClellan noted 23 times yesterday that he could not comment because there was an "ongoing investigation." But McClellan has previously cited that same investigation and then gone on to answer the questions as they pertained to Rove. For example, on October 1, 2003, he said, "There's an investigation going on ... you brought up Karl's name. Let's be very clear. I thought -- I said it was a ridiculous suggestion, I said it's simply not true that he was involved in leaking classified information, and -- nor, did he condone that kind of activity." Similarly, on October 10, 2003, McClellan said, "I think it's important to keep in mind that this is an ongoing investigation." But he then added with regard to a question about Rove's involvement, "I spoke with those individuals, as I pointed out, and those individuals assured me they were not involved in this."
MORE THAN A LEGAL MATTER, IT'S ABOUT CREDIBILITY: As the legal investigation continues and the grand jury pores over evidence, any determination that an individual has acted unlawfully is yet to be officially announced. What is clear is that the White House has plenty of explaining to do about their own cover-up. Yesterday, McClellan noted five times that it was the prosecutor's "preference" that the White House not comment on the ongoing investigation, clearly indicating that he could have answered the questions. Refusing to comment has never been a problem for the White House before. As the Washington Post reports today, "Asked about the matter on nine occasions over the years, Bush has said he welcomed the investigation, called the name disclosure 'a very serious matter,' and declared that the sooner investigators 'find out the truth, the better, as far as I'm concerned.'" The fact that the White House seems unwilling to even stand by bland assertions that the leak is a "serious matter" (which McClellan did not say yesterday) or that the White House wants to find out the "truth" (which also wasn't stated) indicates how this matter has become one of credibility for the Bush White House. The inability to stand behind those statements yields little confidence that Bush will hold to his pledge to fire anybody who leaked the agent's name.
THE COVER-UP CONTINUES: McClellan only sunk the White House's credibility further by choosing not to answer questions that he most certainly could have and should have. As Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said, "The lesson of history for George Bush and Karl Rove is that the best way to help themselves is to bring out all the facts, on their own, quickly." With so many outstanding questions lingering about the leak case, the White House has turned to crafty word games and carefully parsed statements to avoid any accountability on this issue. The White House, in attempting to turn conventional wisdom on its head by engaging in a cover-up rather than disclosing, is failing to learn from history and is now repeating it. The Associated Press notes today, "Even if Rove didn't violate the law, proof that he disclosed Plame's identity could damage his effectiveness in public life and tarnish the president for tolerating it."
SOME UNANSWERED QUESTIONS: Even though the White House isn't answering, there are still important questions to be asked. When President Bush and Chief of Staff Andrew Card elevated Rove to his position of deputy chief of staff earlier this year, did they know he had leaked this information? As Bush campaigned on security and character last year, did he know of Rove's involvement? Has Bush or Card never discussed the leak scandal with Rove, including the day the Cooper e-mail was revealed?
HOMELAND SECURITY
The Not-So-Extraordinary Record
Yesterday President Bush visited the FBI academy to discuss the war on terror and touted one of his favorite lines: "We're fighting the enemy in Iraq and Afghanistan and across the world so we do not have to face them here at home." Contrary to the president's myopic strategy, "recent history -- from 9/11 in New York to 7/7 in London -- proves conclusively that, no matter where we may choose to engage the forces of Islamic extremism, we do have to face them at home." In yesterday's speech the president made a point of praising the "extraordinary measures" that have been taken to defend the homeland and tried to impress the public with the fact that his administration has "more than tripled funding for homeland security since 2001." As the Senate "began debate yesterday on $31 billion in 2006 funding for the Department of Homeland Security," both the president and Congress need to measure progress in homeland security not by how much is spent but rather the results that are being garnered. Unfortunately, by that standard it is clear that the Department of Homeland Security continues to be a flailing agency.
THE "BUREAUCRATIC BOTTLENECK": In his speech, President Bush made a point of highlighting that he has "provided more than $14 billion over the last four years to train and equip local first responders." In actuality, "almost four years after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, more than $7 billion dollars have been appropriated for the nation's first responders, yet only a fraction of it — just over 1.2 billion — has actually gotten to the nation's emergency personnel." The delay in receiving the funds has been blamed on a "bureaucratic bottleneck" that only recently has begun to unclog. Though the Department of Homeland Security was established in 2002, it was not until this past April that the agency "put out its first 'National Preparedness Goal,' which lays out specific criteria to give the states and localities guidance on the best way to utilize their homeland-security dollars." Unfortunately, emergency responders on the ground feel the money is "still stuck" and "gaps remain in the understanding of what is acceptable stuff, what is truly a need and what is a wish."
THE "BOOTS ON THE GROUND" BATTLE: Lack of guidance from DHS isn't the only frustration faced by cities and localities across the nation. "Many towns have found that while DHS offers the opportunity to buy plenty of equipment and training, they don't always have enough people to take advantage of it." Getting more personnnel -- also known as "boots on the ground" -- has now become another battlefront. For example, DHS stands in stark opposition to the International Association of Fire Fighters, which supports "a bill that will provide grants to hire more fireman." Barry Kasinitz, director of governmental affairs for the Fire Fighters Association, points out, "We're finding lots of places where there's plenty of training available and plenty of equipment, but not enough people to use either of them."
THE RAILS REMAIN AT RISK: First responders aren't the only ones yet to see the money promised by President Bush and DHS. Though the president used his speech to reassure Americans that "we're protecting our nation's critical infrastructure" such as transportation systems, "records show that the Homeland Security Department has spent less than 7 percent of the $10 million it received this year to inspect and patrol rail lines." Furthermore, the agency has "yet to spend any of the $2 million for canine teams to patrol rail and subway stations in search of explosives." Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) "accused the [Transportation Security Administration] of 'slow-walking the critical security projects and initiatives that will help to make our commuters and our country safer.'" In fact, even though "Congress approved $150 million in local grants for upgrading transit security beginning last October ... the money didn't begin flowing until April." And the House Appropriations Homeland Security subcommittee continues to wait for DHS "to submit a five-year plan outlining how it would secure all transportation modes," a request that the subcommittee made last year.
WHEN CONGRESS IGNORES GOOD ADVICE: The September 11th Commission "recommended that homeland security money be allocated to protect the most vulnerable strategic targets from attacks that would cause the most casualties or economic damage." When Congress "decided to ignore the recommendations," the spending of homeland security funds soon became another typical case of pork barrel politics. Watchdog group Citzens Against Government Waste "estimate[s] that pork barrel spending on homeland security this year will reach $1.7 billion." Unfortunately, the public has little chance of ever tracking down the $8 billlion or so that has been "doled out to states" since 9/11. Twelve of the 34 states that responded to a recent inquiry by the Congressional Quarterly "have laws or policies that preclude public disclosure of certain details on homeland security purchases. The reason, state officials say, is that the information could be useful to terrorists." DHS uses the same excuse for why the records it keeps on states' homeland security spending will not be released to the public.
PORK BARREL SPENDING OF HOMELAND SECURITY FUNDS: With little accountability for how they spend their homeland security dollars, states have been having a field day. Colorado blew through $130 million before lawmakers even realized that the state had no homeland security plan. Even though it is a landlocked state, Oklahoma was given nearly three quarters of a million dollars designated for port security. Madisonville, Texas spent $30,000 on a custom trailer for its annual mushroom festival and a county director in upstate New York spent nearly as much on a brand new pickup truck for himself. Meanwhile, the Northern Mariana Islands, a favorite locale of House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX), will be getting $4 million.
Under the Radar
ENERGY -- EXXON EXXPOSED: A coaltion of citizen groups has launched a campaign to expose how energy giant Exxon puts "its own profits ahead of consumers, the environment, and the overall interest of Americans." The group, through its website exxposeexxon.org will "reveal the truth about the world's largest and most profitable oil company's actions, including actively lobbying Congress to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling, trying to avoid paying all the damages due to those harmed by the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, and funding organizations that work to discredit the science behind global warming." The coalition encourages Americans not to work for Exxon, buy their products or invest in the company until they change their behavior. Visit exxposeexxon.org.
CORRUPTION -- ZELL'S MAD CASH DASH: When last we heard from zany Zell Miller, he was steaming mad and challenging MSNBC host Chris Matthews to a duel. Now, it appears, "When this nationally famous figure left the governor's office in 1999, he pocketed more than $60,000 in taxpayer funds earmarked for entertainment and other expenses at the Governor's Mansion," according to a Georgia television station. "Miller also picked up a check for more than $20,000 for 'unused leave' -- a sum to which he was not entitled as a constitutional officer." Naturally, Miller had an explanation, albeit not a very good one: "In essence," Bill Schipp writes, "Miller says that he was technically eligible to take the mansion money as his own because no one said he could not." He ended up returning the money this year "when the Atlanta TV guy started asking questions."
MILITARY -- NATIONAL GUARD MISSES RECRUITING TARGET AGAIN: USA Today reports, "The Army National Guard, a cornerstone of the U.S. force in Iraq, missed its recruiting goal for at least the ninth straight month in June." According to military officials, the Army National Guard is "nearly 19,000 soldiers below its authorized strength." Now the Army National Guard is "more than 10,000 soldiers behind its year-to-date goal of almost 45,000 recruits." Guard troops "make up more than one-third of the soldiers in Iraq, numbering six brigades plus a division headquarters."
TERRORISM -- AMERICANS NOT STUCK ON "FLYPAPER" THEORY: The Progress Report has argued that last week's tragic terrorist bombings in London debunked the idea that invading Iraq would make Western nations safer by attracting the world's terrorists like "flypaper." Now we know that Americans agree. "The number of Americans who believe the war in Iraq has made the United States less safe from terrorism spiked sharply after last week's terror attacks in London, according to the latest CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll," jumping to 54 percent from 39 percent in the poll conducted a week before the London attacks. "53 percent said it was not worth going to war, up 1 point since June 24-26."
WASHINGTON -- OH WHAT A TANGLED WEB WE WEAVE: A top advisor to President Bush, James C. Langdon Jr., "met last winter with investment bankers in China to help secure his law firm's role in lobbying for a state-run Chinese energy firm and its bid for the U.S. oil company Unocal Corp." Langdon heads the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board and is a major Bush fundraiser. Langdon's involvement "underscores the tangled Washington connections beneath CNOOC Ltd.'s bid. Both CNOOC and its rival for Unocal, Chevron Corp., have enlisted lobbyists and public relations professionals with deep ties to the Bush White House and Republican leaders in Congress."
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