If the WH tries to influence a "bipartisan" commission during election year, that's not impeachable?

[BurtWorm]

Would they have tried to impeach Bill Clinton for something like that during his second term?

:evilfrown:


http://www.salon.com/wires/ap/2008/02/03/D8UJ290G0_sept_11_commission/index.html



Ties Between White House, Sept 11 Chief
By HOPE YEN Associated Press Writer

Feb 3rd, 2008 | WASHINGTON -- The Sept. 11 commission's executive director had closer ties with the White House than publicly disclosed and tried to influence the final report in ways that the staff often perceived as limiting the Bush administration's responsibility, a new book says.

Philip Zelikow, a friend of then-national security adviser Condoleezza Rice, spoke with her several times during the 20-month investigation that closely examined her role in assessing the al-Qaida threat. He also exchanged frequent calls with the White House, including at least four from Bush's chief political adviser at the time, Karl Rove.

Zelikow once tried to push through wording in a draft report that suggested a greater tie between al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden and Iraq, in line with White House claims but not with the commission staff's viewpoint, according to Philip Shenon's "The Commission: The Uncensored History of the 9/11 Investigation."

Shenon, a New York Times reporter, says Zelikow sought to intimidate staff to avoid damaging findings for President Bush, who at the time was running for re-election, and Rice. Zelikow and Rice had written a book together in 1995 and he would later work for her after the commission finished its job and she became secretary of state in 2005.

The Associated Press obtained an audio version of Shenon's book, which is to go on sale Tuesday.

...

[MadMaddie]

1. Would this be considered Obstruction of Justice?

[RB TexLa]

2. I don't think that commission had any judicial or law enforcement authority

[BurtWorm]

3. The commission didn't have legal powers, other than to find facts.

It was not like a special prosecutor or investigator. It was commission created by Congress to create an official narrative of 9-11.

So was it an impeachable offense, as far as Congress is concerned, for the WH to try to spin the commission? Apparently not. Should it have been? Wouldn't it have been if Clinton had been the one in the WH pulling what Rove allegedly tried to pull?

[gratuitous]

4. The GOP would have impeached Clinton regardless

In fact, they did impeach him. And they couldn't even muster a majority vote on any of their bullshit charges. So of course they would have impeached Clinton for this.

But Bush is untouchable. And the 9/11 Commission doesn't feel like there was any undue influence on them, because they aided and eagerly abetted the Bush administration's obstruction of justice. I mean, it's not like they required Bush and Cheney to testify under oath. Or separately. No, it was the Bush and Dick show, and the truth got screwed just like the public did.

[L. Coyote]

5. If starting an illegal war and killing a million humans does not get start an impeachment ....

need I say more about the Junta-ness of our current "state"??