In other words: A discussion of The Bush Administration
GAO Cites Corporate Shaping of Energy Plan
But it couldn't cite much else because Cheney made sure no one helped the GAO do won't Congress asked it to it.
The task force was one of Bush's highest priorities after his inauguration and was launched on his 10th day in office. None of the group's meetings was open to the public, and participants told GAO investigators they "could not recollect whether official rosters or minutes were kept," the report said.
Looks like forgetfulness is going to be as a popular excuse for Bush's folks as it was for Reagan's folks. We do know they discussed Iraq.
Among the previously disclosed meetings were private sessions for Kenneth L. Lay, then the chairman of Enron Corp., the Texas energy trading company that collapsed in the nation's largest accounting scandal. Lay was given a 30-minute meeting with Cheney and a conference with a top aide for the task force.
David M. Walker, comptroller general of the United States and head of the GAO, said in an interview that the standoff over the task force documents called into question the existence of "a reasonable degree of transparency and an appropriate degree of accountability in government."
Walker said the energy investigation was the first instance since he took office in November 1998 in which the GAO was unable to do its job and produce a report according to generally accepted government auditing standards.
"The Congress and the American people had the right to know the limited amount of information we were seeking," Walker said.
The White House issued no substantive response. Jennifer Millerwise, Cheney's spokeswoman, said the White House hopes "that everyone will now focus as strongly as the administration has on the substance of meeting America's energy needs."
The Bush Administration: "We may or may not have done something bad, but we won't tell you. So now that that is settled, let's drill for some oil."
- rob 2:24 PM - [PermaLink] -
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