Lurita Doan, Round 2043: Davis v. Bloch Edition

by emptywheel

Since I seem to be the only one interested in Lurita Doan now that Bush has apparently refused to fire her for clear Hatch Act violations, I thought I'd point out the interesting tidbit that shows up in a profile of Scott Bloch, the guy in charge of Office of Special Counsel, the office that carries out Hatch Act violations that Bush studiously ignores.

Meanwhile, the Doan matter is breeding some ironies. Before Bloch officially released his report, The Washington Post’s Web site obtained a leaked copy in May. Rep. Thomas M. Davis III of Virginia, the top Republican on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, contended the leak denied Doan any effective chance of answering her accusers. Davis arranged to have Bloch brought before the committee last month to ask if he authorized the leak, which Bloch denied doing.

Davis previously had been a Bloch defender and had praised the OSC for dramatically cutting back its backlog of personnel cases. But at the hearing, the congressman blew up at the witness, explaining that he’d obtained a personal e-mail by Bloch describing Davis as “acting like Doan’s defense counsel” when she testified before the Oversight committee.

Davis then promised to wage what might be called a Blochian crusade: He announced his intention to corral all politically sensitive e-mails Bloch may have sent from his personal account that referred in any manner to Doan or other federal lawmakers. Davis’ chief of staff, David Marin, says his boss will punish any failure to comply by urging the committee to pursue contempt-of-Congress charges. In other words, Scott Bloch, the Bush administration’s in-house Hatch Act enforcer in the U.S. attorneys scandal, could wind up facing the same charges now confronting the high-profile noncompliant congressional witnesses in the case, White House Chief of Staff Joshua B. Bolten and former White House counsel Harriet Miers. [my emphasis]

A couple of points. Davis is almost certainly going to be running against Mark Warner to replace John Warner in the Senate. Can we get a little more serious about painting Davis as the Bush mouthpiece he is serving as in Government Reform? I mean, seriously, if not for the yeoman's work Davis did in pretending Doan was the victim, it'd be a lot harder for Bush to now sit on the recommendation to fire her, as he is doing. Not to mention the way that Davis has leaked information about Susan Ralston's testimony useful to Karl Rove.

Secondly, while the move to get "politically sensitive e-mails ... that referred ... to Doan or other federal lawmakers" is not that far beyond the pale of Waxman, consider the kinds of things Davis is likely to get: emails about Doan, certainly--though the irony here is that, at one point, Bloch spiked the more negative tone of the Doan report, so those emails might actually backfire on Davis. But in spite of what she might wish, Doan is not a lawmaker. So Davis is likely culling emails that include lawmakers plus political appointees. Does that plus include Karl Rove, the big target of Bloch's current investigation? Is Davis also sneaking a peek into Bloch's investigation into Turdblossom? As I pointed out, Davis seems to have leaked information useful to Rove in the past--is he planning on doing it again?

But you know who is a lawmaker, one of the few lawmakers involved in this Lurita Doan scandal? That's right. Tom Davis.

John Bolton would be proud.

Comments

[space]

I'm confused. What authority does Davis have to get Bloch's emails? Correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't the Dems completely impotent at performing ANY oversight as the minority party. How is a Minority Republican so easily able to hijack the investigation and turn the focus back on the investigator.

This feels like the FISA vote all over again. Am I hypersensitive and over-reacting?

[big brother]

IMPEACHMENT PROCEEDINGS WILL GET it all out.

[Joel Rutstein]

I haven't known this site to get into local VA politics, but perhaps someone reading this comment will pass along to those seeking to derail Tom Davis' political future that there's a tremendous opportunity THIS NOVEMBER. Davis' wife, Jeannemarie, is running for re-election to her VA state Senate seat. Her challenger is a popular former state delegate, among other local offices, Chap Petersen. Tom and Jeannemarie have had this neat little scam whereby she can collect her measly state Sen. salary and work part time for a lobbying firm earning $80k. The firm steers business to lobby before Tom's committee (admittedly it was a better scam when Tom was the Chairman instead of the ranking minority member). The lucrative bottom line is that lots of campaign money finds it way to both Tom and his wife. If Chap can beat Jeannemarie this year. Tom may not even choose to try to persuade VA's GOP primary voters that he's really a conservative and not an elite suburban DC pol. Tom and Jeannemarie just may slink off into the lucrative private sector. Even if Tom does try for Senate (or even to retain his House seat), if he can't even get his wife re-elected one more time, he'll have a tough row to hoe. The best news is that Chap is a great Dem candidate, and the Dems who are seeking to replace Tom in the House include Leslie Byrne, who held the seat before Tom rode the Gingrich wave in '94. Anyway, this is a great opportunity that outside of VA (and the other states with odd year elections) doesn't get much play. Thanks for reading this far.

[Alex]

Lurita Doan is a phenomenon: her duplicity and malice, the humor in her eyes as she BS's her way through, and her apparent complete lack of fear despite her criminal behavior. She is part of the machine. This machine has nothing to do with so-called conservatism. It's about money, and power. It is Reaganism turned to cancer -- all that remains is greed and contempt for governmental process. It isn't the Bush machine, it's the machine that selected Bush as the front-man of the moment. Davis -- I no know, thanks to your excellent reporting -- is another tentacle of the same machine.

[Katie Jensen]

The Reagan administration WAS cancer. It was just a little slow growing squamous cell, but it has metastized to full blown democracy ENDING cancer. It has spread...to the foundation of this great nation, to the structure, to the grand design of the constitution, the heart of our country reeling from disease. We need radiation treatment now and every organ full of cancer must be removed.

I wish I could shake the fear that it has gone too far.

[Mauimom]

No, Marcy, you're NOT the only one interested in this issue!! Thanks so much for continuing to investigate & report on it.

Joel, thanks for the info about "Mrs. Davis." I live in the DC suburbs and could work on Peterson's campaign in a modest way. However, I must admit I am pretty bummed, having worked for Webb and dunned a lot of friends to donate to him.

You can reach me at aol.com.

[theendofworld]

Rep. Thomas M. Davis III of Virginia may not have a strong case regarding his assertion that the leaked report hindered Lurita Doan's defense,against accusations that she violated Hatch Act,but the leaking of report did subject Lurita Doan to premature public criticism.Especially since leaked report was subsequently contradicted.

[Boo Radley]

"No, Marcy, you're NOT the only one interested in this issue!! Thanks so much for continuing to investigate & report on it."

Seconded.

The other thing I dislike intensely about Doan is that the WH parades her around as an African American. She has zero of the ethnic features and dialect that European Americans routinely use to identify African Americans.

FWIW, imvho, Webb is a huge improvement over Allen, thanks for all your work Mauimom. Reid and Pelosi have much more responsibility than the junior Senator from Virginia. Progress not perfection.

[windje]

"No, Marcy, you're NOT the only one interested in this issue!! Thanks so much for continuing to investigate & report on it."

Third - and BTW, is Monica Goodling (who confessed under oath that she 'crossed the line') still a member of the VA bar?

[pol]

Joel Rutstein, I live in Prince William County and lots of people down our way think Tom Davis walks on water. Andy Hurst made a strong showing against him down here last year and, I believe, showed that Davis is beatable. Still, we've got to expose this creep for what he is, and that isn't going to be easy.

[radiofreewill]

The Ideology is separating away from the felt-sense of our common Experience.

The Bushies are beyond the reach of reason, and apparently the law, as well.

Isn't there a portion of 'the Right' that believes 'winning' is good, but only as long as it's done within the rules of 'fair play?'

Is it not obvious to all men and women of reason - right and left - that a reduction of worldview into 'us' and 'them' sets-up an ideological confrontation that pits brothers and sisters against brothers and sisters?

The Helmet-Haired Bush Loyalists demanding Obedience in tension with the Diversity-is-Good Constitutionalists demanding Equal Respect?

Our Government is succeding from US on the pre-text of an 'insider' narrative that defines who is worthy of 'inclusion' and who gets 'no consideration.'

Until the Right starts joining us - finally realizing that absolute power Corrupts absolutely - we might as well follow along with our scorebooks and pour on the Snark - we've got the best seats in the house!

[Rayne]

Is there a reason why HJC or House Oversight has not begun impeachment hearings for "Cookies" Doan? If Bush won't fire her, the people should, and they already have the ammo to do so.

Or is there something else they are fishing out of this situation in order to go after someone/something bigger?

[Helen]

And for those of you wondering why Bush has not fired her - here's a tidbit. At Scott Jennings' appearance before the SJC, he was asked about the meeting with Doan and the subsequent Hatch Act violations. His answer was something like: "Well, there is an ongoing decision being made in the White House so I cannot comment." The standard investigation excuse except that the investigation of Doan, is, you know, OVER.

[looseheadprop]

EW, lots of folks are interested in DOan. Keep at it.

I am confused about the end part of your post though. What makes you think Davis will actually GET those emails? He needs a vote by the committee in order to subpoena them (will Waxman allow that vote to succeed?),

Plus, Bloch has avlid ground for moving to quash the sunpoena, at least inso far as it would involve tutning over documents that would expose an ongoing invstigation (say into Rove).

So, Dacis may be trying, but I'm unclear about how he would succeed. Maybe he is just trying to posture and to intimidate Bloch? And create another bright shiny object (See? everybody leaks in DC!)

[Redshift]

I'll get on the Fairfax Dems about setting up an anti-Davis blog. We're busy with state elections, of course, but this really needs to get rolling. There's one independent one that I know of, http://www.tomdavistruth.com/, but it hasn't been updated since March. One way or another, we're not going to have a Republican in the 10th district in a year and a half.

[bmaz]

LHP is right. Davis is all sturm and drang; random noise to obcsure the facts for the base and the gullible media.

[Joel Rutstein]

Thanks to all who addressed my morning comment. Sorry for the delay. I'm not able to comment from work. Meantime, because Redshift mentioned an anti-Davis blog, I figured I'd provide a link to a new site that targets all our local GOPers, including Mrs. Davis - http://www.theydontgetva.com/. By the way, it's Petersen with an "e" and our CD is VA-11.

[MarkH]

"BTW, is Monica Goodling (who confessed under oath that she 'crossed the line') still a member of the VA bar?"
Posted by: windje | August 07, 2007 at 10:24

Excellent question.

I also keep wondering why Ann Coulter isn't in jail.

Re: Cookies

Don't worry so much about Ms. Doan. She's not the big problem. Sure she should be fired or impeached or something, but it doesn't appear that's going to happen since there are so many other bigger problems to face first.

Her involvement mostly indicated the reach of the White House and it's politicization of EVERYTHING in the administration.

We need to get rid of Bush & Cheney and the first step there appears to be getting rid of Gonzales by impeachment. Replace him with someone like Comey or Iglesias and things will go much smoother.

The Hinchey/Feingold call for censure isn't very satisfying, but acts as another vote-counting check. Where do things stand?

I don't know about calling to censure all 3 at once as that muddies the vote's meaning. But, there it is.

Chap Petersen in the VA-11, huh? I hope he's True Blue.

Does everyone realize that every so many years the color switches and what was once Red is now Blue and in the future it will switch back? Are we going to be Blue even when it indicates a Republican state?

[Paul in LA]

"Progress not perfection." -- Boo Radley

Webb's vote YEA on the FISA bill should be measured against his poliitcal problems -- namely having to deal with Senator Warner (can't be easy), and the threat of having to deal with a 'Senator' Davis (or worse, a 'Senator' Gilmore).

Wow, I thought California has problems.

In relation to the FISA bill, people might consider that Pelosi (via Reyes, Conyers) attempted to pass a better interim bill, and would have, had some progressives not shot the caucus in the foot:

"On August 3, the House failed to pass H.R. 3356, Improving Foreign Intelligence Surveillance to Defend Our Nation and Our Constitution Act.
Following are key provisions of the bill:
• Surveillance of Individuals in the United States. The bill reiterates that individual warrants, based on probable cause, are required when surveillance is directed at individuals in the United States.
• Submitting Procedures for International Surveillance to FISA Court for Approval. The bill requires the Attorney General to submit procedures for international surveillance to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court for approval.
• Audits by Justice Department’s Inspector General. The bill requires the Inspector General in the Department of Justice to conduct an audit every 60 days of U.S. person communications that are intercepted under the “basket warrant” – and requires that the audit be provided to the FISA Court and the Congress.
• Sunsetting in 120 Days.
[from speaker.gov — edited for space]

By refusing to vote for this better bill, we ended up with a worse bill. None of these restrictions were in the later bill. Everyone seems to want to bash the Dems about it — even though in the House 190 Dems voted NAY on the subsequent bill — but the reason why the poorer bill passed instead can be laid right on the doorstep of Blumenauer, Capuano, Filner, Holt, Inslee, Kucinich, McDermott, McGovern, Michaud, Olver, Stark, Waters, Welch (VT), Woolsey. (Not voting: Clark, Waxman), not that they didn't have their reasons.

But those reasons blocked a better bill, ultimately in favor of a worse one. And that's not progress. It also should be noted that September will bring a comprehensive FISA bill from Reyes/Conyers, which reverses the breaks in FISA that this R bill foisted on us all.