CNN Breaking News...Improper Conduct by 10 US Dept. of Interior Employes with Oil Contracts....Big..

[KoKo]

according to CNN. Apparently reporters are now in "Closed Door Presser" with Secretary of Interior. Apparently "sex and favors" are implied. Particularly with one employee. No other details yet. You can go to Rick Sanchez at Twitter.com...for it breaking...according to CNN.

UPDATE: Involved in Rigging Oil Bids...still waiting for more news...

UPDATE 2: Story out on DU Greatest for more info from NYT, here's link:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3481559

[Cleita]

1. K&R

Off to the greatest page you go.

[berni_mccoy]

2. Please let McCain/Palin be involved in some way. She's BIG OIL.

[cags]

4. Drill Baby Drill...LMAO

[truedelphi]

13. As for me, I got these horrible images of Cheney fornicating with

Most of the Dubai oil princes. Again, Drill BABY Drill.

[Beaverhausen]

3. oh my goodness

[KoKo]

5. DU Greatest Page has it now....go here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3481559

[Seeking Serenity]

6. Question: Are these Bush appointees or civil servants?

The former would be good, the latter not as much.

[Divernan]

12. That is THE key thresh hold question. Bush tended to appoint several layers of management

At least in FEMA, he went several layers lower than just the usual presidential political appointees. A lot of unqualified, untrained, inexperienced people like Brownie were hired. Remember, Brownie started out working for FEMA Director Joe Albaugh - Brownie was a hire, not a political appointee.

I heard of a number of major GOP donors' adult/loser kids being brought in at GS 12/13/14 levels. And after they were hired, they were also given exorbitant, 5 figure annual bonuses.

If these fed employees under investigation were at a high enough level to be worth bribing, I'd say chances are good they were hired for political connections AFTER Bush took office. The burden of proof should be on Bush to prove otherwise.

We have learned about the GOP political litmus test in the Justice Department. Odds are overwhelming that the same test was applied in other federal agencies.

[chill_wind]

7. NYT: "A culture of ethical failure." OINK! ** Enough!!**

The investigation also concluded that several of the officials “frequently consumed alcohol at industry functions, had used cocaine and marijuana, and had sexual relationships with oil and gas company representatives.”

The investigation separately found that the program’s manager mixed official and personal business, and took money from a technical services firm in exchange for urging oil companies to hire the firm. In sometimes lurid detail, the report accuses him of having intimate relations with two subordinates, one of whom regularly sold him cocaine.

The culture of the organization “appeared to be devoid of both the ethical standards and internal controls sufficient to protect the integrity of this vital revenue-producing program,” one report said.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/11/washington/11royalty.html?exprod=myyahoo

[DemoTex]

8. Corruption in the Oil Patch?

Who would have thunk it!

[JCMach1]

9. Bush: everything else AND his very own TEAPOT DOME

hurray!

[chill_wind]

10. CBS & USA Today. "Sex For Oil Scandal."

Sex For Oil Scandal At Interior Department

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/09/10/national/main4436263.shtml

Govt. officials investigated over illicit sex, gifts

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2008-09-10-US-oil_N.htm?csp=34

[Supersedeas]

11. Drill - Drill - Drill....Drill - Drill - Drill.....Drill Here Drill Now