Scandal, corruption bedevil Bush administration

President Bush has been confronted with series of scandals and corruption cases in the administration and congress as well, which is keeping it from sticking with the agenda that he laid out to accomplish during his second term in office.

A series of scandals involving most powerful Republican congressmen on the Capitol Hill and advisers of President Bush and Vice-President Dick Cheney in the White House demonstrate that the country is not governed on the right track, to say the least.

The indictment of House Majority Leader Tom Delay, Republican from Texas for alleged campaign funding illegally and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, Republican from Tennessee, who is facing subpoena in an insider-trading investigation, have caused serious jeopardy in conducting the business in the congress during the Republican's 11 year reign. Tom Delay has resigned from Majority Leadership by now. Tom Delay is facing another case in Texas for money laundering and conspiracy. He is now on a bail.

These have created crisis also in carrying forward President Bush's agenda. In a letter to Democratic supporters on the eve of Governor Election in Virginia, Senator John Kerry on October 20 said, "we all watched as Katrina exposed not only misplaced priorities but also the staggering lack of competence that has come to characterise this administration in recent years. We are fed up with the steady stream of stories about misplaced priorities and corruption." This is the reflection of the sentiments of majority people in the United States.

Apart from reform in Social Security and tax cut proposals, President Bush appears to be making little headway in attempting to sell the Supreme Court nominee of the White House aide Harriet Mires, who will replace Justice Sandra Day O'Conner, to skeptical conservative Republicans in the Senate.

Karl Rove, Deputy White House Chief and advisor to the President, who is known as architect in planning President Bush' s winning second term, is facing the grand jury for disclosing the name of CIA operative Palme to journalist or journalists. The same is the case with Lewis Scooter Libby, Chief of Staff to Vice-President Dick Cheney, reportedly involved in leaking out the name of CIA operative to newsman to cause embarrassment to former American Acting Ambassador Joseph Wilson to Iraq (1990-1991), who said in a signed column in the New York Times that President had misrepresented the facts in his State of the Union address in 2003 wherein the President said that Saddam Hussein attempted to import uranium from Niger. That might have caused embarrassment to Bush administration.

Judith Miller, investigative reporter of New York Times on release from jail having served four months agreed to disclose the name of the person or persons divulged the name of Palme, CIA operative to her. Judith Miller suffered imprisonment for refusing to testify before the grand jury.

The Republicans are also worried about Jack Abramoff, conservative lobbyist, whose business and political links brought him in contact with dozen of lawmakers and top White House officials. He is under severe investigations. Tom Delay's corruption is intertwined with that of Jack Abramoff, who is the target of a string of Federal kickbacks and illegal lobbying probes. Tom Delay is facing arraignment on charges of money laundering and conspiracy. Already David H. Safavian, top White House procurement official, who was Karl Rove's business partner, was arrested on charges that he lied about and impeded an investigation into his dealings with Abramoff.

President Bush's nominee, Timothy E. Flanigan, for Deputy Attorney General had to withdraw following raising questions on his dealing with Abramoff. Meanwhile, Chairman of the House Administration Committee Robert W. Ney, Republican from Ohio, is facing questions about ties to Abramoff, including his participation in a golf outing in Scotland which was sponsored by Abramoff in 2002. According to the Washington Post, Karl Rove's allies are entangled in the investigation of Abramoff. The newspaper further said that twin investigations of Abramoff by the Senate Indian Affairs Committee and a multi-agency Federal task force "appear likely to tar a host of lawmakers the White House has relied on for the passage of critical legislative initiatives."

2006 in the United States is the year for elections in the Senate. Attention, therefore, has focused on the constituencies of Republicans and Democrats alike. Presently both the House of Representatives and Senate are in the hands of the Republicans, they being majority. A number of seating Republican Senators have decided not to contest elections in North Dakota, West Virginia, Florida, Michigan and Vermont. That has caused anxiety in the Republican Party. Besides this, the Republican Party is also facing formidable problem to select candidates to face Democratic challengers in 2006 elections. The reasons are: unpopular war in Iraq, scandals involving top Republican congressmen coupled with corruption, inept handling of devastating hurricane Katrina and Rita by the Federal government and high gasoline price.

The awarding contract to Halliburton Company, (Vice-President Dick Cheney's former organisation) without any bid for the reconstruction works in Katrina affected Gulf coast has been questioned by lawmakers from both parties. This is another scandal. Halliburton was given no-bid contracts in Iraq for reconstruction and repairing oil pipelines etc. after invasion. While survivors of the Katrina and Rita continue to suffer without home and basic necessities of life, Bush administration is granting contracts without bid to enrich their corporate friends and adding misery to the survivors by cutting wages for reconstruction. President Bush is having lowest approval rating in handling state affairs. If Karl Rove and Lewis Scooter Libby are indicted as speculation goes, Bush administration could be in serious trouble indeed.

Mohammad Amjad Hossain, a former Bangladesh diplomat, resides in Virginia.