'clinton vandalism' ......this was the first indication that bu$h* & friends were assholes

[spanone]

Bushies Spent $200,000 of YOUR Money on the Phony Vandalgate Investigation
16-Jun-02
Clinton Vandalism

Toledo Blade writes, the GAO "spent a year and $200,000 investigating the alleged 'damage, theft, vandalism, and pranks' in the transition from the Clinton Administration to that of...Bush in January 2001. The result: 'little corroborating evidence' to support Republican claims that departing Clintonites had shamefully trashed the White House. The GAO inquiry, which resulted in a 217-page report, was never a legitimate fact-finding exercise but a sophomoric attempt by GOP partisans to further embarrass Bill Clinton, even after he was already out the door... The report was commissioned - the GAO had no choice - by that paragon of congressional virtue, Rep. Bob Barr (R-GA), who for eight years never missed a chance to unleash partisan and personal vitriol on Mr. Clinton... Partisan jabs are one thing, but this one was childish and expensive. The American people must be wondering whether Mr. Bush's aides have nothing better to do with their time. Don't they know there's a war on?"



GAO Vandalism Investigation Was Nothing More than Another Bob Barr Witch Hunt
13-Jun-02
Clinton Vandalism
Here we go again... the rabid right-wing is yapping about the GAO investigation (which cost way more than the alleged vandalism) of damage to the White House during the Clinton-Bush transition. The report indicated that the damage was fairly typical of that left by an outgoing administration, and we never saw Clinton getting up in arms about Poppy Bush's outgoing pranks, which are well documented in the report. The report also states vaguely that "it was unclear whether, in all cases, the reported incidents occurred, when they occurred, how many occurred, and who was responsible for them." Bob Barr ought to get therapy for his pathological Clinton obsession instead of running up the taxpayers' bill for such ridiculous dead-end witch hunts!



We Know What Was Missing in Bush's Budget, More Wasted Taxpayers Money Investigating Clinton Vandalism
19-Apr-02
Clinton Vandalism
More wasted taxpayers money was used to investigate the supposed vandalism in the White House after the Clinton Administration left office. The cost of this investigation was around $200,000 to determine that there was approximately $14,000 in damges, most of which was attributed to normal wear and tear, not vandalism. A former Clinton Official said "You have $14,000 versus $200,000. It really documents less than $1,000 worth of problems that one can attribute to a prankster. So much sound and fury signifying nothing," Wouldn't it be funny if someone proposed a Tax increase just to pay for the Clinton investigations? Maybe they could tax the top 5%... Wait that might not cover the costs the republicans wasted on this witch hunt!



Vandalgate: Bush Spent $200,000 to Investigate White House 'Vandalism' of $14,000
19-Apr-02
Clinton Vandalism
The NY Daily News reports, "Sixteen months after Bush staffers complained that Clinton aides had trashed the White House, a report has found they could not prove serious vandalism, and that damage totaled at most $14,000, Democrats familiar with a draft audit said Angry Democrats who had scoffed at the accusations were quick to say 'I told you so' and said the investigation and subsequent report cost the federal government at least $200,000." We demand an apology from Bush himself - and a refund to the taxpayers from Ari!

http://archive.democrats.com/preview.cfm?term=Clinton%20Vandalism

[CatWoman]

1. kick

:kick:

this is important to remember.

[spanone]

2. they exhibited no class from the very beginning.

[CatWoman]

4. and all they did was continue the bullshit, and add to the venonous atmosphere

during those days, it was quite fashionable to trash all things Clinton.

How far we've come, eh?

And yet, not one single, solitary scumbag republican has apologized.

[underpants]

3. As they spent all their time on that, what did they neglect?

[ThomWV]

6. Flight lessons in progress ...

[EFerrari]

7. Bingo.

[HillbillyBob]

5. I think we should slap the bushfiends with the cost. Just freeze their

A$$ ets and take back, from haliburton the costs run up for the war and the funds that the bushfiends 'gave' to all their cronies.
And slap bob barr for friviolous suit and take it out of his pay to repay that 200,000$ back.

[spanone]

8. President Obama is a class act...we are so lucky we made it thru the last 8 years

b a r e l y

[Batgirl]

9. It was also an early opportunity for the media to show how willing they were to carry Bush's water

and set the tone for their years of service as the Bush administration's PR firm. Which I recall was a topic of much outraged discussion at the gone but never forgotten mediawhoresonline

Rereading this old Salon article on the topic, I continue to be amazed at having lived through the Bush years without having a strss-induced stroke or aneurysm. I'd forgotten how Ari Fleischer actually fueled the lies while actually claiming the new administration was taking the high road. ("Then, asked to detail the damage, Fleischer responded, 'I choose not to. I choose not to describe what acts were done that we found upon arrival because I think that's part of changing the tone in Washington.' :puke: )

"The White House vandal scandal that wasn't
How the incoming Bush team nudge-nudged a credulous press corps into swallowing a trashy Clinton story.

Suddenly newspapers and TV news shows were featuring extensive reports of Clinton administration "vandalism," stretching from the EOB offices of former Vice President Gore to the West Wing. Reports alleged expletive-ridden graffiti, sliced computer and telephone wires, file cabinets glued shut, presidential seals steamed off doors, stolen pictures and so-called porn bombs, which were never exactly described. The technological problems the vandals wrought were so severe that, according to a report in the New York Daily News, "a telecommunications staffer with more than a quarter-century of service was seen sobbing."

snip

A close look at the way the scandal mushroomed bolsters Podesta's view: The Bush administration helped the vandal scandal along, publicly appearing to try to douse the flames, while privately fanning them with detailed, off-the-record allegations of damage. On Tuesday, after the GAO's review was made public, Fleischer was left trying to spin himself out of a very deep hole, insisting he had tried to "knock down" the vandal story when it first emerged.

But a transcript of Fleischer's Jan. 25 briefing on the issue contradicts him. It shows the Bush spokesman coyly encouraging reporters' suspicions about the vandal scandal, while refusing to confirm or deny the reports of damage. According to one leading White House reporter, the story was also nudged along by two unnamed Bush aides.

snip

The scandal played well for the new administration. "We learned more about the pardons. We learned about the gifts. We learned about a little bit of vandalizing of the White House and the Old Executive Office Building," Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol pointed out to Fox News. "It's been really great for Bush to have people -- and including many Gore voters, I think -- just look up and think, 'You know what? Maybe I didn't want Bush to be president, but I am glad that Bill Clinton is gone.'" :puke:

By the time the scandals began to fade from the media, in the first weeks of February, Bush's favorability ranking had soared (to 60 percent according to CNN/Time). It couldn't have gone better for members of the incoming Bush administration had they choreographed it themselves. And, in fact, they had." :puke:

edited to add Salon link: http://archive.salon.com/politics/feature/2001/05/23/vandals/index2.html

[spanone]

10. yep

[Old and In the Way]

11. We ought to take an audit of what the Bush administration has cost us.

Take the Clinton bill and multiply it by 500,000,000.

[cornermouse]

12. And yet Barbara Walters

repeated the vandalism lie on The View and Schieffer repeated it on either Face the Nation or the Early Show as recently as a month or two ago.

[Lil Missy]

13. And what was the total bill for 8 years of investigating Clinton's underwear??

:grr:

[DCKit]

14. In excess of $500 million.

I was there and "stumbled" across some relevant papers.

[Lil Missy]

15. I sure wish the worst of the problems in the last 8 years was a dammed blow job.