FEMA's Brown seeks White House approval to lie, mislead and...

[harlinchi]

...obfuscate.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/02/09/fema.brown.ap/index.html


"...Unless there is specific direction otherwise from the president, including an assurance the president will provide a legal defense to Mr. Brown if he refuses to testify as to these matters, Mr. Brown will testify if asked about particular communications," the lawyer wrote.

"...I see no basis for him to refuse to answer any of our questions, and I hope the White House will not try to direct him not to answer our questions," Lieberman said.

Contacted Wednesday, Brown referred questions about the letter to Lester. The lawyer described his client as "between a rock and a hard place" between the administration's reluctance to disclose certain high-level communications and Congress' right to demand it.

"Mr. Brown is going to testify before Congress. If he receives no guidance to the contrary, we'll do as any citizen should do -- and that is to answer all questions fully, completely and accurately," Lester said.


To me, it sounds like Mr. Brown is waiting for a 'get out of jail free' card from the president. With thousands of Americans dead as a result of their actions and inactions, with poor information coming from the area, with cronyism and greed preventing effective reconstruction, with Halliburton and Blackwater involved in the security and rebuilding, or should I have said, involved in the lack of security and rebuilding, many real questions remain. Any 'chilling effect' felt by future presidential advisers must be overridden now by truthful testimony.

Bogus investigations into administration errors serve only the party in power. Senate committee chairmen (or women) who facilitate these administration-supporting props of investigations should be castigated daily (Sen. Pat Roberts, Sen. Arlen Specter and any member of various 911 investigation panels please pick up the one of the white courtesy phones!)

[Nordmadr]

1. Yeah, I noticed that too...

if the President wants me to lie, I will, but I want him to cover my legal expenses, otherwise, I'm gonna hang his ass out to dry. It doesn't seem to me that he would be speaking up as a matter of conscience. Just trying to cover his own as.

Absolutely despicable.

Olafr

[harlinchi]

2. Couldn't Brown's statement be considered extortion?

It seems like a form of blackmail. Couldn't such a quid pro quo be precluded by some activity on the legislative side of government? Could we have some rule (constitutional, legislative, executive order or whatever) that says "senior administration officials may NOT be pardoned by the presidents they served"?

[TlalocW]

3. I can feel the White House panicking...

"I hope the White House will not try to direct him not to answer our questions," Lieberman said. Oh, snap, dude! Lieberman's going after them. They have no chance now! He'll brown-nose them into submission, baby! Bush and/or Brown might slip on a tile floor because their feet are so wet from Lieberman's licking them. I just hope they're prepared for all that Joementum.

TlalocW