Memo-Leak Probe Expands to Frist's Office

[HFishbine]

WASHINGTON Jan. 27 — An aide to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist has been put on leave during an investigation into how Republicans gained access to Democratic memos concerning opposition to President Bush's judicial nominees.
Manuel Miranda, who works for the Tennessee Republican on judicial nominations, is on leave pending the outcome of the inquiry by the Senate sergeant-at-arms, Frist spokesman Nick Smith said Tuesday. In the matter under investigation, Democratic memos stored on a computer server shared by Judiciary Committee members ended up in GOP hands.

Miranda told The Knoxville News-Sentinel that investigators were looking at work he performed for the Judiciary Committee before he joined Frist's office. "There was no stealing," he said. "No systematic surveillance. I never forwarded these memos period."

Asked about the investigation Tuesday, Frist refused to talk about it.

More: http://abcnews.go.com/wire/Politics/ap20040127_1700.html

[mbperrin]

1. Just in: Frist investigates self, finds nothing!

That is all.

[Gin]

11. when I read your post...the image in my mind was a chimp or monkey

searching through his fur for bugs of some kind...The analogy fits now that I think of it.

[mhr]

2. Just In, Frist Claims Amnesia Due To Low Blood Sugar And Diabetes!

The excuses these people make are pathetic!

[central scrutinizer]

3. he didn't forward them..

he used the "re-send" option to avoid all of those annoying little elbows in the message. It all depends on what the definition of is is.

[UpInArms]

7. forward them?

nah, he did the control-a and copied the files in their entirety and sent them out - no forwarding necessary.

Yeah - the whole world is so stupid according to the GOP and its criminal lackies.

[TacticalPeek]

4. The CIA made him do it.

Bring back Lott.

[worldgonekrazy]

5. So *this* is why the Bush Admin. got rid of Lott

Remember that flap over what Lott said at Strom Thurmond's birthday party? As despicable as his words were, it was actually REPUBLICANS who made a big deal out of it and forced Lott out as Senate Majority Leader as a result.

Was it because Lott wouldn't go along with plans to spy on the Democrats?

[eek]

9. great theory

but a helluva thing when Lott is the"moral" one!

[lovedems]

6. Why can't Bill Frist be put on leave?

Oh yeah, it is the whole CEO denial thingy, "I don't know everything that goes on". Yeah right.

Boy these rethuglicans have sure done a wonderful job of "restoring honor and integrity" haven't they! What would our country do without role models like this?

[yellowcanine]

8. "No systematic surveillance. I never forwarded these memos period."

A classic nondenial denial. He spied but it wasn't systematic? He didn't forward them but he printed them out? Inquiring minds want to know.

[denverbill]

10. More like he didn't forward them. He told them how to look for themselves

[Gin]

12. these guys don't lie..they just don't tell the truth...like shrub when he

said he had no war plans on his desk...he was telling the truth..they were on Rice's desk. So..we just dont ask the right questions.

[snippy]

14. "A classic nondenial denial." Exactly.

The republican party is nothing more than a criminal enterprise.

[pinto]

16. he's looking to his defense, if necessary. Systematic is big no-no.....

It all reminds me of a neighbor back when who asked the cop "What bag"
after she had been pulled over for a routine traffic stop....pot charges were subsequently filed when the officer walked back up the road for the evidence.....

[LiberalFighter]

19. How many ways not to lie??

1) Print email and mail to cohorts
2) Print email and hand deliver to cohorts
3) Print email and read it to others over the phone
4) Highlight email.. copy email text.. paste email to compose.. send email to cohorts
5) Highlight email.. copy email text.. paste email to compose.. print email
6) Highlight email.. copy email text.. paste email to MS Word.. attach to email to cohorts
7) Highlight email.. copy email text.. paste email to MS Word.. print document
8) Highlight email.. copy email text.. paste email to website page.. email cohorts with link to website page
9) Provide access to email on computer to read
10) Write content of email on blackboard or easelboard paper
11) Create video presentation containing email content
12) Have cohort do any of the above

[hippiechick]

20. or 'suggested' that a secretary do it ....

:shrug:

:hippie:

[pinto]

13. from the Knoxville paper story:

There was no hacking" into computer folders of Senate Democrats on the Judiciary Committee, Manuel Miranda, a counsel on judicial nominations for Frist, R-Tenn., said in an interview. "There was no stealing. No systematic surveillance. I never forwarded these memos - period."

<snip>

Miranda said while he did not distribute Democratic documents copied to the unsecured computer network folders, "that would not have been a violation of Senate rules if I had."

see:

http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/state/article/0,1406,KNS_348_2606822,00.html

Mr. Miranda doth protest too much....

[htuttle]

15. There was a PDF copy of the memos available online at one point

Maybe at The Smoking Gun, don't remember.

They were clearly printed from Miranda's computer (the path to the file on his desktop was printed at the bottom of several pages near the end), and then faxed at some point. I don't believe the fax number was visible in the fax header, IIRC. I'm sure this is what the investigators are looking at, in any case.

[Hobarticus]

17. GOP friend of mine is disgusted.

Got off the phone with him today, and he even said what I've been saying for three years: this isn't the country I grew up in.

[pinto]

18. good question for Repubs: is this the party you grew up with?