White House officials release "their side of the story"

[sabra]

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/03/13/88406.aspx

WHAT BUSH KNEW
"The president was generally aware of the complaints." In October 2006, Bush "may have mentioned this to the attorney general during a discussion of other matters." While the complaints were appropriately passed along to White House counsel Harriet Miers and the Justice Department, the counsel's office and the president did not direct Justice to take any specific action concerning individual attorneys.

MIERS' IDEA
In early 2005, Miers discussed with Justice chief of staff Kyle Sampson her suggestion -- which was described as "Let's take a look at replacing all the US attorneys." The White House says that Sampson told Miers "he did not think that was a good idea," in part because many had not served their full four-year term. And officials point out that Senate confirmations had not all happened at the same time. US attorneys serve one four-year term.

WHITE HOUSE INVOLVEMENT
In 2005 and 2006 the White House counsel's office and the Justice Department decided there should be "limited changes in the ranks of US attorneys." Justice "generated a preliminary list" based on "performance and managerial issues."

KARL ROVE'S INVOLEMENT
According to White House officials, Karl Rove "remembers" Harriet Miers "mentioning her idea to him." Officials say that Rove says he told Miers it "that he thought it would be unwise."

THE LIST
The final list from Justice on the US attorneys to be replaced was received in late 2006 -- "at no time were any names added or subtracted by the White House."

SUMMARY COMMENT:
"We continue to believe the decision to remove and replace US attorneys who serve at the pleasure of the president was appropriate and entirely within our discretion."

[wake.up.america]

1. Hard to believe Rove....

KARL ROVE'S INVOLVEMENT
According to White House officials, Karl Rove "remembers" Harriet Miers "mentioning her idea to him." Officials say that Rove says he told Miers it "that he thought it would be unwise."

[rodeodance]

2. umm.. I do not ever recall the WH doing this kind of move???

[Fridays Child]

5. I know...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=408381&mesg_id=408600

[Richard Steele]

3. Sounds like this one is gonna get blamed on Harriet.

Because we all know what a freethinking loose cannon she was, right?
Always full of her own independant ideas- not a toadying asskisser
at all.

[bdamomma]

7. oh, yes, sounds like Harriet will get sucked in.

their tactic or strategy is always blame the other person, and never implicant yourself.

[Fridays Child]

4. Gosh, the WH is being so methodically defensive, don't you think?

Are they scared of what else might bubble up, if the surface of this issue is scratched hard enough?

[EST]

6. Repuglycons always lie.

Finding truth among their misconstructions is like finding a needle in a septic tank. Tain't likely.

Whatever they say is a planned, media friendly rationalized piece of waste. No decisions should ever be made based upon what they report.

[Norquist Nemesis]

8. Was "The List" addressed to Karl Rove?

Just because the final list was 'received by the WH' and no changes were made, does not mean that the WH (specifically the President's political guru) didn't have a hand in setting the stage for it's formulation.

[maddezmom]

9. and this: Bartlett offers new explaination: Lax Voter-Fraud Investigations in U.S. Attorneys' Firing

Bartlett offers new explaination: Lax Voter-Fraud Investigations in U.S. Attorneys' Firings
White House Cites Lax Voter-Fraud Investigations in U.S. Attorneys' Firings

By Amy Goldstein
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 14, 2007; Page A06

White House officials, in providing new explanations of how and why several U.S. attorneys were fired in December, have said that President Bush mentioned to Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales in October that he had heard complaints from Congress that some federal prosecutors were lax in pursuing voter fraud.

In attributing the firings at least partly to an inattentiveness to voter fraud, the White House is invoking a contention that has gained prominence in Republican circles starting with the 2000 presidential election, as both political parties have become aggressive in trying to leverage election law into Election Day victories.


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x268724

[blogslut]

10. At the Pleasure of the President

Golly, I hope the Bush administration keeps using the phrase. I hope the media keeps repeating it. That phrase is a keeper. </sarcasm>

[paparush]

11. How many schlubs are going to be willing to take the fall for this

crooked administration?