By Roger Aronoff
Canada Free Press
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
The evidence clearly shows that the congressional investigation of the White House Gatecrashers is being controlled and limited. Homeland Security Committee chairman Bennie Thompson (D-MS), now the subject of an Ethics Committee investigation, has made it clear that he wants to limit the investigation. Is he trying to protect White House officials with something to hide?
Ignoring evidence of White House connections to the alleged gatecrashers, Tareq and Michaele Salahi, Thompson will not subpoena Desirée Rogers, the White House social secretary who is a very close friend of Barack and Michelle Obama.
As a result of the stonewalling and cover-up, and after several weeks of sensational media coverage, we are still no closer to answering the question: How did the Salahis get into the Arrival Ceremony of the first Obama White House state dinner on November 24, honoring the Prime Minister of India, when they were not officially invited and their names were not on the list?
The White House has consistently acted as if it has something to hide. Though an initial letter from the committee requested Ms. Rogers’ attendance at the December 3rd hearing held by the committee, the White House claimed executive privilege, or separation of powers, as the reason for her to not have to testify.
This is the same White House that promised openness and transparency.
As I alluded to in a previous column, the evidence indicates that the Salahis are publicity seekers and possibly con-artists. But the verdict is still out as to whether or not they actually “crashed” the state dinner or were waved on through by White House officials aware of their connections to a notorious Obama friend and associate, pro-Palestinian activist Rashid Khalidi.
This provocative article continues at Canada Free Press.
