Burying the lede II

Blockbuster article in the Post*

Paragraph 20 -- Quoting the lie

White House officials say Rove had two basic rules: the first was to avoid meddling with grant and contract decisions made by career government employees;

Paragraphs 31-32 ! show it's a lie. This was not just sco-ordinating pin, this was directing grants which is totally illegal.

Between April 2006 and Election Day, Shays was able to announce at least 25 new federal grants or projects totaling more than $46 million [snip]

In contrast, Shays announced just $39 million in grants and got just one visit by a federal official in the prior 15 months, the analysis shows.

paragraph 33-35(thirty three thrity four and thirty five !!!) the smoking guns

Shays wrote Bush on Sept. 8, 2006, to seek the early release -- before the election -- of heating assistance money for low-income residents in his state. Just four days later, the White House released $6 million. Asked to comment on the administration's help, Shays's campaign manager Michael Sohn said, "Chris was grateful to be returned to office based on his record of hard work and accomplishment."

Similar efforts to promote grants in key states took place across the government. When the Department of Health and Human Services, for example, released 22 grants totaling $35.7 million for community health and disease-prevention programs in late September 2004, The Post analysis found, half the awards went to targeted election states or congressional districts, the rest to noncompetitive areas that included Democratic strongholds such as Boston and New Orleans.

The agency's news release about those grants, however, detailed at the top just four recipients -- in Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania and an Oklahoma congressional district -- that Rove's team identified in earlier 2004 briefings as key to the GOP's reelection strategy.

Excellent investigative reporting, but why the hell did I have to read 30 paragraphs of chit chat and lies before getting to the proof of illegal actions ?


Nice close though

In an e-mail obtained by congressional investigators, Kloiber wrote, "Sometimes these folks need to be reminded who they work for and how their geographic travel can benefit the President.

I think Kloiber shouldn't be reminded he works for the people of the USA, because we should fire him.

* The Post was scooped by only 1 day by McClatchy (you're getting their WAPO maybe some day you'll reach the McClatchy level ... naaaah but you gotta dream).