Bush Aide Rove Didn't Influence Policy

[kskiska]

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Interior Department's inspector general has found no basis for a claim by Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry that White House political advisers interfered in developing water policy in the Northwest.

The inspector general said President Bush's top political adviser, Karl Rove, was not involved in a 2002 decision to divert water from the Klamath River in Oregon to irrigate farms.

While Rove mentioned the Klamath in passing during a briefing with senior Interior officials, ``we found nothing to tie Karl Rove's comments ... to the Klamath decision-making process,'' Inspector General Earl Devaney said in a letter to Kerry, the Massachusetts senator.

A major fish kill and other problems in the drought-plagued region have ``fueled the flames of suspicion and distrust,'' Devaney wrote in the letter dated March 1 and released Friday by the Interior Department.

(snip)

In a statement from his Senate office, Kerry said he accepts the inspector general's findings but still questions why a political operative was briefing senior Interior officials about complex resource issues.

``There are too many examples in this administration of politics trumping science, not to be concerned,'' the statement said.

more…
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-3855137,00.html

[fearnobush]

1. Anything the Bush aids say.... believe the opposite.

seriously, it's a real simple way to figure out whats going on inside that house of shame.

[Richardo]

2. Obviously edited before publication....

Here's the edited copy the reporter submitted:

The inspector general said, with a straight face, that President Bush's top political adviser, Karl Rove, was not involved in a 2002 decision to divert water from the Klamath River in Oregon to irrigate farms.

While Rove mentioned the Klamath in passing during a briefing with senior Interior officials, ``we found nothing to tie Karl Rove's comments ... to the Klamath decision-making process,'' Inspector General Earl Devaney said, supressing a chuckle.

[tinymontgomery]

3. I love it

just keep making them deny things. Makes them look bad not matter what and keeps them on the defensive. Also keeps the ethics problems on the front.