Monday, November 22

The Wonderful World of Henry Sugar


Rather than re-cap the Legislative Provision Formerly Known as Istook (or LPFKI, thanks to Josh Marshall), I'll just post some choice cuts for your perusal: Lawmakers Hold Out Hope for Intel Bill Sunday November 21, 2004 9:16 PM By JIM ABRAMS AP ``I have no earthly idea how it got in there,'' Frist said on ``Fox News Sunday.'' ``But, obviously, somebody is going to know, and accountability will be carried out.'' Frist referred to the bill Saturday night as the ``Istook amendment,'' and congressional aides said it was inserted at the request of Rep. Ernest Istook Jr., R-Okla. Meanwhile, in Istook-land... November 22, 2004 By ERNEST ISTOOK JR. R-Ok 5th District “I want to reiterate what I said on Sunday, namely that this was not my language. I then spent most of the day tracking down what happened. “I had nothing to do with inserting this language. I never knew what was happening until it was done. Had I known, I would have intervened to omit or to fix this provision. “I didn't write it; I didn't approve it; I wasn't even consulted. My name shouldn't be associated with it, because I had nothing to do with it, and didn't even know about it until after the bill was done and was filed.”
This is the actual text from the provision:
Hereinafter, notwithstanding any other provision of law governing the disclosure of income tax returns or return information, upon written request of the Chairman of the House or Senate Committee on Appropriations, the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service shall allow agents designated by such Chairman access to Internal Revenue Service facilities and any tax returns or return information contained therein.
I'm confused. Istook claimed it was someone at the IRS that inserted the provision, or perhaps one of his staffers. Methinks this might get added onto our ever-expanding list of unknowns...or was that known knows? Unknown knowns? Whatever. My head's killing me. Check out The Stakeholder, The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's weblog. Now, I have another blog to read whilst pretending to work. Also, if you feel like reading an action-packed, chock-full-o'blood blog, check out Kevin Sites site. He's the cameraman that captured the Marine shooting the insurgent that was "faking his fucking death." The Poetry Corner featuring: Donald Rumsfeld (courtesy of Hart Seely at Slate) As we know, There are known knowns. There are things we know we know. We also know There are known unknowns. That is to say We know there are some things We do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns, The ones we don't know We don't know. —Feb. 12, 2002, Department of Defense news briefing Things will not be necessarily continuous. The fact that they are something other than perfectly continuous Ought not to be characterized as a pause. There will be some things that people will see. There will be some things that people won't see. And life goes on. —Oct. 12, 2001, Department of Defense news briefing I think what you'll find, I think what you'll find is, Whatever it is we do substantively, There will be near-perfect clarity As to what it is. And it will be known, And it will be known to the Congress, And it will be known to you, Probably before we decide it, But it will be known. —Feb. 28, 2003, Department of Defense briefing
Click on the original Axis of Evil for a good time.

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