Right down Ollie's Alley!
Details Sought on Bush Role in Texas Dispute
By Mike Allen
Washington Post
Sunday 08 June 8 2003
A Democratic leader asked yesterday for details of communication by President Bush and his
senior adviser, Karl Rove, with House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) about a partisan
Texas dispute that absorbed federal resources.
Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (Conn.), ranking Democrat on the Governmental Affairs Committee
and a presidential candidate, said White House Chief of Staff Andrew H. Card Jr. told him by
telephone Tuesday that DeLay spoke with Bush and Rove about the matter.
The issue is politically sensitive because the Department of Homeland Security has
acknowledged assisting law enforcement officers who were asked by Republicans to round up
Democrats who had fled the state to avoid voting on a redistricting plan championed by DeLay.
The plan died when a deadline passed without a quorum.
An FBI agent also helped in the search, but the bureau said it did not act at the behest of
politicians. The Federal Aviation Administration gave aircraft-tracking information to DeLay's
staff, and his staff sought advice from the Justice Department.
A White House official said Bush and Rove spoke to DeLay before the departure of the
Democratic legislators. The official said Bush spoke to DeLay "briefly and in passing" and that
Rove and DeLay discussed "redistricting in Texas generally."
Another White House official confirmed Lieberman's conversation with Card. "The summary
speaks for itself," spokeswoman Jeanie Mamo said. "The Department of Homeland Security and
the Department of Transportation are looking into this matter."
A Lieberman source said Card was "vague" in his description.
A senior administration official said DeLay's conversation with Bush "likely" occurred in
conjunction with a 45-minute meeting he held April 30 with Republican leaders of the House and
the Senate to discuss the tax cut and other legislation. The exodus by Democrats began on
May 12.
DeLay told reporters at a briefing on May 13 that, as he walked out of a Republican leadership
meeting with Bush the previous week, he had told the president he thought the Texas
redistricting plan would pass. The administration official did not know when the conversation with
Rove occurred.
DeLay has said he and his staff made no overture to the Department of Homeland Security, and
noted that the FAA information was publicly available.
A Lieberman aide said the senator sent a letter to Card yesterday asking for more details.
Lieberman said in his letter that Card told him that neither Bush nor Rove "contacted any federal
agencies about the missing legislators" as a result of a conversation with DeLay. Lieberman
said he was told that Card "had asked others at the White House about this matter and found
no inappropriate action had been taken."
The letter quoted Card as saying that he did not intend to respond in writing to a request
Lieberman made on May 27 for information about White House involvement.
"In a matter of this significance, where questions have been raised about whether scarce
homeland security resources were misused for political purposes, the public should not be
forced to rely on private reassurances," Lieberman said.
Lieberman's letter asked for a written description of White House involvement, including "any
contacts and actions, even those you do not believe to be inappropriate."
CC |
