Waxman

Mankind Invented Popcorn for This

1. Congressman Henry Waxman's Oversight and Government Reform committee is on a roll. Today, he and his colleagues grilled one of the most corrupt senior managers in the Federal government, Lurita A. Doan.

You might be shocked that she agreed to appear under oath, considering the trap that Congressman Braley had set out for her today. It's a textbook examination of a witness under oath. The discussion centers around a 13-page PowerPoint presentation laying out Republican political strategy win-back majority rule in the US House of Representatives in 2008. There's nothing wrong with the presentation file itself. It comes from Karl Rove's office, which is officially known as the White House Office of Political Affairs.

But then comes the kicker (and a yet another new scandal). The presentation was given to General Service Administration (GSA) management this past January. The GSA is supposed to be nonpartisan, and it is forbidden from engaging in activity that benefits any single political party (as per the Hatch Act). GSA oversees Federal real estate, building maintenance, a portion of government automobiles, and they oversee contracts for office supplies and other consumables used by the entire Federal Government. Founded in 1949, GSA manages office expenses and is the procurement agency of most Federal agencies.

Braley blows the lid off the scandal. And Doan is unintentionally hilarious. The shit gets deeper with each passing minute (video is 10 minutes).

2. Crooks and Liars has a good update regarding the turmoil at the Department of Justice. It is deteriorating their management team.