Bush and Delay used federal agencies to hunt down MIA Texas Democrats

Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (Conn.), ranking Democrat on the Governmental Affairs Committee and a presidential candidate, said White House Chief of Staff Andrew H. Card Jr. told him by telephone Tuesday that DeLay spoke with Bush and Rove about the matter.

The issue is politically sensitive because the Department of Homeland Security has acknowledged assisting law enforcement officers who were asked by Republicans to round up Democrats who had fled the state to avoid voting on a redistricting plan championed by DeLay. The plan died when a deadline passed without a quorum.

An FBI agent also helped in the search, but the bureau said it did not act at the behest of politicians. The Federal Aviation Administration gave aircraft-tracking information to DeLay's staff, and his staff sought advice from the Justice Department.

A White House official said Bush and Rove spoke to DeLay before the departure of the Democratic legislators. The official said Bush spoke to DeLay "briefly and in passing" and that Rove and DeLay discussed "redistricting in Texas generally."

Another White House official confirmed Lieberman's conversation with Card. "The summary speaks for itself," spokeswoman Jeanie Mamo said. "The Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Transportation are looking into this matter."

A Lieberman source said Card was "vague" in his description.

A senior administration official said DeLay's conversation with Bush "likely" occurred in conjunction with a 45-minute meeting he held April 30 with Republican leaders of the House and the Senate to discuss the tax cut and other legislation. The exodus by Democrats began on May 12.

DeLay told reporters at a briefing on May 13 that, as he walked out of a Republican leadership meeting with Bush the previous week, he had told the president he thought the Texas redistricting plan would pass. The administration official did not know when the conversation with Rove occurred.

DeLay has said he and his staff made no overture to the Department of Homeland Security, and noted that the FAA information was publicly available.

A Lieberman aide said the senator sent a letter to Card yesterday asking for more details. Lieberman said in his letter that Card told him that neither Bush nor Rove "contacted any federal agencies about the missing legislators" as a result of a conversation with DeLay. Lieberman said he was told that Card "had asked others at the White House about this matter and found no inappropriate action had been taken."

The letter quoted Card as saying that he did not intend to respond in writing to a request Lieberman made on May 27 for information about White House involvement.

"In a matter of this significance, where questions have been raised about whether scarce homeland security resources were misused for political purposes, the public should not be forced to rely on private reassurances," Lieberman said.

Lieberman's letter asked for a written description of White House involvement, including "any contacts and actions, even those you do not believe to be inappropriate."




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