SEN. COLEMAN WANTS BUSH ADMIN OFFICIALS TO STEP DOWN

GOP attack dog Sen. Norm Coleman (R? Minn.) this week called for the resignation of UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. By inference he also called for the resignation of (new) Sec. of State Condoleeza Rice, Sec. of Defense (still) Donald Rumsfeld, Vice President (for now) Dick Cheney and yes, (so-called) President George W. Bush.

Coleman reasoned that because there are implications of impropriety and wrongdoing in the UN Oil for Food program in Iraq, Annan, as the head of the organization, should step down. Coleman acknowledged the fact that there is nothing to implicate Annan in any wrong doing or that he was in any way aware of any mishandling of the relief program. However, Coleman said in a 12/1 WSJ opinion piece: ". . . I have arrived at this conclusion (asking for Annan's resignation) because the most extensive fraud in the history of the U.N. occurred on his watch. The world will never be able to learn the full extent of the bribes, kickbacks and under-the-table payments that occurred under the U.N.'s collective nose while Annan is in charge."

Of course by this logic Coleman must call for the resignation of those top officials in charge of organizations and departments that not only oversaw the worst intelligence disaster in U.S. history, but manufactured false and misleading evidence that led us into an unnecessary and wasteful, lied about shortages of flu vaccine, lied about the benefits of tax cuts, granted no-bid contracts to their friends and associates who have defrauded the U.S. government, and who continue to terrorize the American people with false rumors of terror simple to maintain their positions of power. Who? Rice, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Bush and a long list of others in the Bush Taliban.

Note: Coleman is the ultimate flip-flopper. Once a bullhorn wielding radical on the left, he recently found faith with the new radical right. He's become a favorite spokesman of the GOP who use him in places where his former left leanings might make him seem more "reasonable." The neocons and religious right seem to love him, though they won't let him into their country clubs.

It should also be noted that it was the United States who was charged with overseeing most of the funds relating to the Oil for Food program before the U.S. attacks on Iraq. Once the Pentagon placed its choice of new Iraqi prime minister (the now discredited felon) Ahmed Chalab, on the ground in Baghdad, he took over administering the program and others like it.

CNN Item:
http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/12/01/annan.coleman/index.html