Private E-mails Next White House Worry?

The Skinny: Democrats Say Use Of GOP Computer System May Violate Federal Rules

(CBS)  The Skinny is Joel Roberts' take on the top news of the day and the best of the Internet.

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A private e-mail system used by Karl Rove and his top deputies at the White House may be the latest headache for the already migraine-addled Bush administration.

According to a report in Monday's Los Angeles Times, back in 2001, the Republican National Committee provided Rove and others with laptops and a "back channel email and paging system" to be used alongside their government-issued equipment. The purpose was to avoid charges that government resources were being used for political campaign purposes.

Now, Democrats say there's evidence suggesting the RNC's e-mail system was being used for political and government policy matters – which would be a violation of federal rules.

Further, Democrats say some e-mails obtained through ongoing inquiries suggest the system may have been used to conceal activities such as contacts with convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

Democratic congressional investigators are seeking access to the RNC-White House communications system, which, the Times says, was used by several top White House officials besides Rove.

That prospect has the White House nervous. Some Republicans fear the e-mails may contain previously unavailable inside information about the administration's political activities.

"There is concern about what may be in these e-mails," one GOP activist said.

The private e-mail system first came to light in the controversy over the firings of eight U.S. attorneys when a Rove deputy used an RNC e-mail account to correspond with the Justice Department about dismissing one of the prosecutors.


Is It Safer In Iraq?


Is the Bush administration's security push in Baghdad working, as the White House and supporters like Sen. John McCain assert? Or are conditions in the Iraqi capital as dangerous as ever, as Democratic critics claim?

Nearly two months after the push began, the New York Times offers an assessment of its progress Monday, and the results are decidedly mixed.

While overall death rates for all of Iraq have not dropped significantly, the Times says the number of victims of sectarian death squads in Baghdad has dropped, and some parts of the capital appear calmer, as more U.S. troops stream into the city.

But there's been little indication that the push is achieving its main goal of creating a stable environment in which rival Iraqi factions "can try to figure out how to run the country together." The Times says there's been "no visible move toward compromise on the main dividing issues, like regional autonomy and more power sharing between Shiites and Sunnis."

And Baghdad has become a far deadlier place for American forces. In the seven weeks since the push began, the rate of U.S. fatalities in Baghdad has nearly doubled from the previous period, from 29 to 53. The overall rate of U.S. deaths in Iraq has stayed about the same.


Clinton Inc.

The Wall Street Journal takes a look Monday inside the "potent political machine" that is the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign.

While the "charismatic" Barack Obama can generate media buzz and draw large crowds, and John Edwards has strong appeal to the Democratic Party's liberal base, Clinton's greatest asset, the Journal says, is the strength of her national political organization.

That organization helped Sen. Clinton top the field in first-quarter 2007 fundraising with a record $26 million.

The Journal says Clinton's staff is packed with experienced political professionals, including many former members of Bill Clinton's presidential campaign teams. Hillary Clinton's organization is "a direct descendant" of the one that propelled Mr. Clinton to victories in the 1992 and 1996 presidential races, and then helped her to easy wins in the 2000 and 2006 Senate contests in New York.

And what's Bill Clinton's role in his wife's campaign? The Journal says the former president is one of the campaign's "pillars," advising his wife and often making appearances on her behalf.

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[long_rider]

I wonder if there are records of the chimp sending emails on the RNC system, perhaps cheney uses it also? We may get enough evidence to impeach both of them.

IMPEACH the chimp, and cheney!!!

[firststate]

The LIBS cry foul when the patriot act permits the justice department to intercept conversations between the U.S. and terrorists. BUT, the LIBS want access to the PRIVATE e-mails of the Administration. The LIB congress is a BUNCH OF HYPOCRITES.
Posted by mbcsmith

It is a matter of law that individuals within the upper levels of the executive branch do not hold title to documents that they produced or received in the course of their performing their jobs. Those documents are the property of the United States. Documents subject to executive privilege shouldn't be stored on private servers or networks since there are specific requirements about their handling, storage and ultimate release under proper circumstances and time constraints.

The US Archives take possession of presidential documents when a president leaves office. The archivists aren't supposed to need to track down government property in the possession of the political parties or other entities.

How dare the Libs expect anyone in the dicknbush junta to obey the law? Aren't dicknbush a law unto themselves?

With regard to the illegal wiretapping, what criteria are used to determine which calls or transmissions involve terrorists? Could the determination be made in part, through unlawful data mining?

[mbcsmith]

The LIBS cry foul when the patriot act permits the justice department to intercept conversations between the U.S. and terrorists. BUT, the LIBS want access to the PRIVATE e-mails of the Administration. The LIB congress is a BUNCH OF HYPOCRITES.

[bobnjersey]

private email systems, signing statements, recess appointments for cronies, political firings of us attorneys, wiretapping w/o a warrant, collecting and analyzing data on us citizens, abuses of the patiriot act ... lying to make my case for war .. outing cia operatives ... paying back my contributors w/ govt contracts?

so what's your problem ... this isn't anywhere near as bad as that 'lincoln bedroom scandal' ... or ... travelgate!

[mcvet]

It's absolutely AMAZING! The Republican's spend decades upon decades convincing the American People that they have learned their lesson's, they can lead all three branches of the Government, even going to the extreme of creating a new name for themselves, "Compassionate" Conservatives. Yet when they are given the chance what to we get? The same garbage we got the last time we gave them the okay. NO oversight, Back Room Deals, Gutter Politics and FASCISM. What is it with them that makes them love FASCISM so much? Hard to figure. Sieg Heil

[swwils]

Karl Rove is in the middle of every scandal on Capital hill or has nobody but me noticed that.He needs to be ousted before something really terrible happens due to his involvement.

[tucson23]

Oh no heaven forbid we have taxes...we're SO much better off borrowing trillions of dollars from the Chinese and Europeans so that our children and grandchildren will have to spend half their economic output on the interest. You people are sick--you want a big army, you want roads and street lights, you want Social Security, but you want it all with no taxes whatsoever. Conservatives are the STUPIDEST people in America. You don't understand religion, science, economics, government, psychology, history, or pretty much anything else. Just *** do you understand? The evils of gay marriage? Your own selfish interests? Racism in all its forms? All of you need to go to h*ell.

[vinnyboiblue]

COULD IT BE WHEN ,PRES.G.BUSH MENTIONED THE "AXIS OF EVIL" IN DESCRIBING IRAQ,IRAN AN N.KOREA, BE IN TRUTH TO MEAN THE AXIS IS OF HE,V.P.CHENEY, AN KARL ROVE, HIS LONG TIME ADVISER? EVERYTHING THAT IS DONE WITHIN THE SECRECY OF THIS ADMINISTRATION, ALWAYS SEEM TO LEAD BACK TO THESE 3 STOOGES. IS ANYONE SHOCKED TO HEAR OF THESE "BACKROAD "EMAILS? COULD IT BE TRUE THAT THIS ADMINISTRATION IS AS WORSE AS PRESIDENT R.NIXON'S ADMINISTRATION AS SOME SUGGEST?

LET ME SEE, FIRST, THERE WAS THE SO-CALLED"NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND ACT" IN WHICH SCHOOLS WOULD LOSE FUNDING IF CERTAIN BENCHMARKS WERE'NT MET. YET HE REFUSED TO FUND THOSE SCHOOLS WHICH HAD A LARGE IMMIGRANT POPULATION, WITH THE PROPER TEACHERS WHO SPOKE THE LANGUAGE OF THESE IMMIGRANTS. HE HAD PAID CONSERVATIVE RADIO SHOW HOSTS, TO ENDORSE THAT POLICY WITH FEDERAL TAX DOLLARS. BROKE THE LAW BY FUNDING THE FAITH BASED INITIATIVE, WITHOUT SO MUCH AS GIVING EQUAL FUNDING TO ANY ATHIEST BASED GROUPS EQUAL OPPORTUNITY, WHICH ALSO MEANS HE VIOLATED THE LAW BY,BYPASSING THE SEPARATION OF CHURCH AN STATE. HE INSTALLED 2SUPREME COURT JUSTICES, WITH RIGHT WING VIEWS. PAID A GAY ESCORT,TO POSE AS A WHITE HOUSE PRESS CORP REPORTER TO ASK EASY QUESTIONS WHENEVER PRESS CONFERENCES BECAME TOO HEATED.

[toldyouso21]

Nancy Pelosi on her trip to Syria: I was "helping George Bush" Nancy if you still don't know it, we do not approve of the Bush policies, in fact if you remember the election, we swept in the democrats. Now if you are going to support the Presidents policies, its time for u to resign or be recalled. Remember we put u in and we can take u out of office. Don Imus its time you step aside George Allen made those remarks and see what happened to him. Now you need to resign or be fired. Your journalist friends should not be protecting you.
Posted by airmanc5 at 01:12 PM : Apr 09, 2007


Nancy was being disingenuous--you know when you do something that on the surface cannot be criticized or reproached but deep down everyone knows you just d1cked them?

Nancy made Bush look like a petulant fool and also at the same time, gave the impression she was pushing his agenda--but since it was against his wishes, it was very amusing for her and Syria et al to know first hand, that Bush does not control or run this Congress like he did the other one. This is what is called nuance. And if people were more aware of it--Bush would not have been elected once, let alone twice.

[randalds]

Posted by bdfriedman0 at 10:34 PM : Apr 09, 2007

The law is that all official government business that is conducted via email be conducted on government servers so it is preserved as historical documents and for future reference in investigations. Since it is to be assumed that government business is to be conducted in an above board manner this should only be a problem for those who don't intend to do so. Yes members of congress and the supreme court are covered by this same law and it's no different then the fact that any emails you send and receive while at work on your companies server belongs to them and they can read them any time they wish. The White House staff knew this and used a private server provided by the RNC to conduct official (if questionable) business, which is also a violation of the law. All email to and from White House offices is considered official since they are employees of the government and are at work, therefore all email to and from White House office MUST, by law, be on government servers and subject to review. Personally I think it's a great law, unless they have something to hide, just like their supporters say about spying on Americans. lol!

[firststate]

How in the world did it develop that executive-branch officials have to send E-mail messages in a manner in which they can be monitored? . . .
Posted by bdfriedman0

All official documents and records are subject to the Presidential Records Act of 1978. The PRA changed the legal ownership of the official records of the President from private to public, and established a new statutory structure under which Presidents must manage their records. It applies equally to records of vice-presidential records.

[bdfriedman0]

How in the world did it develop that executive-branch officials have to send E-mail messages in a manner in which they can be monitored? Don't they have the right to share ideas without the other branches of the government being allowed to rummage through the conversations? If E-mail messages have to be open to everyone's inspection, officials will simply ensure that discussions of policy will be accomplished orally, depriving the executive branch of the efficiency that E-mail communication offers. What would be next--requiring that all telephone conversations be recorded or even that tape recordings be made for all conversations that occur in the offices of executive officials? Are Supreme Court justices required to preserve their written communications with each other when they discuss drafts of opinions? Are members of Congress required to preserve their written communications with each other when they logroll their votes on pork-barrel projects? I don't know how this lunacy took hold in our government.

[randalds]

Why no coverage on the largest tax hike since 1993?? I guess the libs think we're all so stupid we won't notice. Then again, being a two income household, putting myself, my husband and kids through college puts us in that "rich" category. Thanks libs. You're doing a heck of a job. You're really working hard there. Now, just what did you accomplish in those first hundred days?? Oh yea, minimum wage & trying your dardest to cut funds for the troops. That and your tax hike. WAY TO GO!
Posted by janem4 at 07:37 PM : Apr 09, 2007

It's not a tax hike, so please stop lying about that. It's not extending parts of the tax cuts for the rich that Bush shoved thorough the rubber stamp congress after he took power. This tax cut came with an expiration date and the congress is going to expire it sooner rather then later. Also only those temporary cuts that affect the upper 1% (the bulk of those who saw their taxes cut back then) are being expired. 99% of Americans will see no difference at all. Also we are not cutting funding for the troops (another lie) we are actually trying to give the president more money then he asked for, but are putting some conditions on the money as Congresses did for generations before the rubber stamp congresses of the first 6 years of the Bush regime. Please stop lying. Thank you.

[pakaal]

I would find it really hard to believe the Federal government would dare subvert their own communications channels - there SPECIFICALLY to convince the public of honesty and ensure no wrongdoing - unless it was because they had something to hide. I say "WOULD" find it hard to believe, in that we're talking about the Bush administration here, arguably the most devious, manipulative and ill-willed administration since Nixon, if not ever.

Hey Janem4, what's this commnet about tax hikes on a story about the Bush administration's ongoing abuses of our federal governance system? Good attempt to divert attention from the Bush administration, nice one.

[inventagod]

Lib Media!
Clinton!
DemoRATS!
Loonies!

Just getting lonely here, guess the neocons are under their rocks sending their support to Rove...

[sclaires]

I wonder just what the White House is trying to hide!! With a private e-mail system it makes me wonder what the Bush White House is up to!!

[randalds]

Why the lack of neo-con postings? Don't you have anything to say for yourselves?

Posted by Zoroastor at 02:32 PM : Apr 09, 2007

I don't know about that. airmanc5 is here trying to whip up a phony outrage against Nancy Pelosi, which is not only a neocon thing to do, it's off topic.

[randalds]

It's a crime for government officials to use private email systems, esp those provided by their own political party, to conduct government business since then there is no official electronic paper trail. Bush and his merry band of thieves knew this and did it anyway. Not much of a crime in and of itself, but it's what's in those illegal emails the will be so interesting. Also since they are in a private, non-official white house system, then they are not subject to executive privilege. I wonder if this is the system Bush uses to send love letters to Condi? lol!

[antoniof123]

Private E-mails may reveal something rotten in this administrtaion. Like you think we do not already know there is something rotten here. By the way were are the cons they are not posting on this site what they can not find anything to blame on Clinton.

[crater7]

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WRITE BOYS AND GIRLS. I'M SURE THE LONG ARM OF THE DOJ BOYS ARE READING YOUR POST. NAAAAAAAAAAAAAA THEY WOULDN'T DO THAT, WOULD THEY?