McClatchy: Commerce, Treasury funds helped boost GOP campaigns

[babylonsister]

Our tax dollars at work?

Commerce, Treasury funds helped boost GOP campaigns
By Marisa Taylor and Kevin G. Hall | McClatchy Newspapers

* Posted on Fri, August 17, 2007



Millions in federal money went to battleground congressional states and districts. | View larger image

WASHINGTON — Top Commerce and Treasury Departments officials appeared with Republican candidates and doled out millions in federal money in battleground congressional districts and states after receiving White House political briefings detailing GOP election strategy.

Political appointees in the Treasury Department received at least 10 political briefings from July 2001 to August 2006, officials familiar with the meetings said. Their counterparts at the Commerce Department received at least four briefings — all in the election years of 2002, 2004 and 2006.

The House Oversight Committee is investigating whether the White House's political briefings to at least 15 agencies, including to the Justice Department, the General Services Administration and the State Department, violated a ban on the use of government resources for campaign activities.

Under the Hatch Act, Cabinet members are permitted to attend political briefings and appear with members of Congress. But Cabinet members and other political appointees aren't permitted to spend taxpayer money with the aim of benefiting candidates.

During the briefings at Treasury and Commerce, then-Bush administration political director Ken Mehlman and other White House aides detailed competitive congressional districts, battleground election states and key media markets and outlined GOP strategy for getting out the vote.

Commerce and Treasury political appointees later made numerous public appearances and grant announcements that often correlated with GOP interests, according to a review of the events by McClatchy Newspapers. The pattern raises the possibility that the events were arranged with the White House's political guidance in mind.

more...

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/227/story/19034.html

[peacetalksforall]

1. Under what law did they THINK they could do this? Did they make

up another of their special rules? Any opinions coming from the DOJ would have been under Ashcroft as well as Gonzales.

WHY DON"T WE JUST ASK THEM FOR THE COMPLETE LIST OF NEW RULES THEY OPERATE UNDER INSTEAD OF THE DRIBBLES THAT WE GET? WHILE WE'RE AT IT - LET'S FIND OUT THE NAME OF THEIR NEW CONSTITUION.

[babylonsister]

2. Simply maddening, isn't it. Is this even legal? nt

[loudsue]

6. Hell no it's not legal! It's the same type of thing Duke Cunningham is in jail for!

They're screwing the taxpayers BLIND!

:kick:

[antigop]

7. It doesn't matter whether it's legal -- they can count on pardons, can't they? n/t

[hvn_nbr_2]

8. That was during the time when Tom Delay WAS the government...

so it was all legal.

(Do I really have to put the sarcasm smilie thingie here? Is anyone too dense to get it otherwise? Well, if you are, go suck Bush's thumb in the picture here:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1608928#1608996
)

[AlinPA]

3. The GAO used to check into how departments spend their money, a basic

accounting function. I also though that there was an office like Inspector General to look after this. The bastard Rove has taken over everything, now they are writing checks to the republicans. Even government civil service employees have been converted. The whole system has broken down.

[havocmom]

12. Now we know why Rove left and the RNC claims Executive Privilege

to say nothing of getting to the root of Jenna's wedding announcement!

Shit and fan.... CONTACT!

[wicket]

4. K & R

:kick:

[kpete]

5. K&R

[yella_dawg]

9. ..

[Octafish]

10. Can we impeach yet?

Thanks for the heads-up, Babylonsister. Great work, McClatchy.

[DeepModem Mom]

11. Outraged K&R!

[spanone]

13. ...and this will continue into the 2008 election....where's Karl?????

[havocmom]

14. Helping his former intern merry into BFEE and create massive diversion?

Keep this thing kicked. It is MAJOR and, sadly, will be lost in the jenna mania even here at DU.
:kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick:

[havocmom]

15. Explains the GOP sock puppets on TV grumbling about Hatch Act and Vote Vets guys

One more case of 'try to confuse, diffuse coming chatter about a major GOP scandal

[havocmom]

16. kick for the afternoon shift

:kick:

[ProSense]

17. A third-rate burglary

here.