RNC To Waxman: We’ll Only Show You The Emails We Want You To See

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/04/18/waxman-rnc-search-terms/

In a new letter to the Republican National Committee, House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Henry Waxman writes that the RNC has provided only minimal information regarding White House officials’ use of RNC e-mail accounts. The purpose of Waxman’s inquiry was in part to determine the extent that White House staff used “non-governmental e-mail accounts to conduct official government business.”

In the new letter, Waxman reveals that the RNC’s response thus far has been to propose that any Congressional requests for emails be filtered through “eight search terms, such as ‘political briefing,’ ‘Hatch Act,’ and ‘2008.’” Waxman notes that these proposed search terms would not have produced the RNC email that transmitted a copy of Karl Rove’s Powerpoint slides that were presented at a General Services Administration meeting. That e-mail read: “Please do not email this out or let people see it. It is a close hold and we’re not supposed to be emailing it around.”

Waxman says that before Congress can agree to the RNC’s proposed “search terms,” the RNC must provide basic information about the extent their email accounts have been used to transact government business:

(link to letter here)

http://oversight.house.gov/story.asp?ID=1256

Smirky, le provocateur.

Issue subpoenas and send federal marshals to pick up the computers.

The United States Marshals Service is based in Arlington, Virginia and, under the authority and direction of the Attorney General, is headed by a Director, who is assisted by a Deputy Director. USMS Headquarters provides command, control and cooperation for the disparate elements of the service.

(Wikipedia)

Who are they to propose...anything? Everytime someone in the RNC coughs up some bullshit offhand quip instead of the information requested, they need to be arrested, ziptied, and thrown in jail, period.

This sounds like a gradeschool game. I'd pay good money to see them try that shit on a hardened criminal in the pen.

"President Bush"
"Vice President Cheney"
"US Attorneys"
"Karl Rove"
"Kyle Sampson"
"Attorney General Gonzales"
"Patrick Fitzgerald"
"Monica Goodling"

At numerous places in Waxman's letter he uses the word "total," and once uses the word "all." Maybe the White House doesn't understand the words "total" or "all."

Maybe they'd better understand the words "contempt" or "obstruction of justice."

The direct link to Waxman's letter is at
http://oversight.house.gov/documents/20070418161112.pdf