BUSH Admin Hiring Lawyers In Expection Of Dem Probes & Investigations & Possible Subpoenas

[kpete]

Bush is bracing for new scrutiny
White House hiring lawyers in expectation of Democratic probes
By Julie Hirschfeld Davis
Sun reporter
Originally published December 26, 2006

WASHINGTON // President Bush is bracing for what could be an onslaught of investigations by the new Democratic-led Congress by hiring lawyers to fill key White House posts and preparing to play defense on countless document requests and possible subpoenas.

Bush is moving quickly to fill vacancies within his stable of lawyers, though White House officials say there are no plans to drastically expand the legal staff to deal with a flood of oversight.

............

Still, in the days after the elections, the White House announced that Bush had hired two replacements to plug holes in his counsel's office, including one lawyer, Christopher G. Oprison, who is a specialist in handling white-collar investigations. A third hire was securities law specialist Paul R. Eckert, whose duties include dealing with the Office of the Special Counsel. Bush is in the process of hiring a fourth associate counsel, said Emily A. Lawrimore, a White House spokeswoman.

...........

Bush will need "people who have experience in responding to subpoenas, overseeing document production and preparing witnesses," said Amy R. Sabrin, who defended several Clinton administration officials during the investigations of the 1990s.
more at:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nationworld/bal-te.investigate26dec26,0,7071390.story?coll=bal-home-headlines

[Botany]

1. happy new year!

Ah, Vice President Cheney about that energy task force?

Ah, Mr. Blackwell about those missing provisional ballots?

Ah, Madame Sec. Rice about you being briefed about bin Laden & al Qaeda?

Ah, Mr Rumsfeld about these KBR contracts?

[Imagevision]

15. But according to Gonzalez, "Bush is above the law"

[Botany]

16. Tell that to Mr. Waxmen

He might have something to say about that.

Those signing statements will go real far in fair hearing too.

[NewJeffCT]

2. If they're not guilty of anything

Why would they need all these lawyers?

[19jet54]

28. Everyone is guilty of something...

... especially when under a microscope?

[maine_raptor]

3. Of course Snowjob would shoot down the notion

I mean what's he gonna say:

"Yea we're hiring lawyers like crazy and not only that, we bought out Staple's' entire yearly supply of office shredders, too." :sarcasm:




:eyes:

[conscious evolution]

4. I wonder if this is in responce

to some of the shenanigans at State Street Bank or with the Hal/KBR spinoff and IPO.
The fact that they specialize in securities law and whitecollar crime makes me think that this could be the case.

[Quantess]

5. Recommended thread!

Noteworthy.

[babylonsister]

6. As their obvious level of discomfort increases, so does my

level of satisfaction. :evilgrin:

[formercia]

8. Too bad the taxpayers have to pay their fees

it would be better if it came out of Fearless Leader and Darth's hide.

[peacetalksforall]

7. Compare Congress-Clinton with Congress-Bush-Cheney.

The Republicans brought out tons of lawyers to help in the character assassination and impeachment of Clinton for lying about an affair. Some were on the government payroll, others were on the Republican team who showed up every day all day long to stab at President Clinton from sweet Victoria Toensing to even Jonathan Turley.

Now Republicans are bringing out lawyers to help them fight investigations into their crimes against the people - extremely serious and obvious (shall we say alleged?) crimes against the country.

One seems trite in comparison considering all the ways the people's time and money was spent to win over lovers of morality who are themselves saints and create their saintly political image.

While right wing corporate media made plenty of money covering the morality scandal during the last decade. Now, in this deoade, they are also making money on the right wing, but they are silent on the crimes.

Let's hope that someone gets something done about these crimes so that we can have hope for our country.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

11. MSM will side with Repugs on either side of conflict

During the Clinton debacle the mediawhores breathlessly printed every GOP talking point while dissing anything that came from the Clinton camp. Starting January we can expect the exact opposite -- how unfair the Dems are to the president (sic) in wartime, how the Dems are just out for revenge re: Monica, how the Dems are wasting taxpayer money pursuing personal vendettas when they should be working to straighten out the mess the country is in (which exists because the Dems didn't support *'s agenda, of course).

* is going to try to run out the clock on his term without any indictments or convictions. The sad thing is that he has the resources to pull it off.

[rfranklin]

24. Junior will best his father by pardoning scores and scores of his cronies../

Mark my words, you young whippersnappers! By crikey!

[G_Leo_Criley]

9. k & r

:kick:

glc

[G_Leo_Criley]

10. hmm...

"A third hire was securities law specialist Paul R. Eckert, whose duties include dealing with the Office of the Special Counsel."

What a pleasant thought....


glc

:woohoo:

[Imagevision]

12. It's probably why Bush needs much distractions, sending more troops, Saddam hanging

whatever it takes to test the determination of the new house & senate powers, how firm and serious will Pelosi be? she already took impeachment off the table, the investigations better produce serious results for keeping Bush unimpeachable!!

[nadinbrzezinski]

13. Step two for the I word

right on schedule

[oasis]

14. Whistleblowers will be coming out of the woodwork to nail Chimpy's arrogant ass.

He can't hire enough lawyers.

[The Wizard]

17. They're not really lawyers

but stone masons disguised as lawyers. We are about to witness a stonewalling the likes of which are alien to American jurisprudence. No substantive questions will be answered, and no penalties will be imposed. There job will be to run out the clock until Bush changes the statute of limitations by decree. He's the Decider. The Bushes are the American version of the Romanovs in Russia.
When Nino the Fixer declared Bush the winner in 2000, our Constitutional government ceased to exist.
As the Sayer of the Law would say in Wells' "Island of Dr. Moreau," "Law no more."

[lonestarnot]

18. A good sign.

[racaulk]

19. Heh heh heh!

Those boys are running scared. And they should be! :evilgrin:

2007 is going to be a great year!

[curiousdemo]

20. You can run, but you can't hide...

You filty animal!!!

:spank: :spank: :spank:

[IWantAChange]

21. GOP sphincters tightening - now that's a good omen for '07!!

[BonnieJW]

22. My goodness!

Can't Speedy Gonzoles and Harry Meyers handle these little things? They're supposed to be "tops" in their field.

[mrJJ]

23. He's got enough cash/donations ... for lawyers

Jordanian Prime Minister Marouf al-Bakhit said Tuesday that a former Iraqi Cabinet minister who escaped from a Baghdad prison this month had arrived in Jordan on a U.S. plane.

Ayham al-Samaraie, a former minister of electricity with dual U.S. and Iraqi citizenship, was serving time for corruption when he escaped in mid-December.

Lou Fintor, spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, said the U.S. government was not involved in al-Samaraie's escape "in any way."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061222/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_escaped_official

A Sunni Arab, al-Samaraie was a member of the transitional government set up after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion and led by former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi.

He was convicted on one of 13 charges of corruption earlier this year, but the conviction was thrown out on appeal a few days before his escape. He still faces trial on the other 12 counts. The charges concern an estimated $2 billion in missing funds for contracts on rebuilding the country's electrical infrastructure.

[lovuian]

25. He's going to need a bunch of them

Ted Olsen can do it

:evilgrin:

[johnaries]

26. "who defended several Clinton administration officials " ?!?!?!

:rofl:

That is TOO rich! I don't know where to begin!

[Supersedeas]

27. the advice of trial lawyers is suddenly in demand at the WH

[vkobaya]

29. Paraquay, Paraguay, Paraguay!!!

If you think the hiring of lawyers is damning, then what do you think of Air Force One being kept constantly fueled and ready for flight, specially selected pilots on 24 hour, immediate call with flignt plans to Paraguay?