Ok, We're into the emergence of Watergate at this point; straight from the Washington Post:
Witnesses have told congressional investigators that the chief of the General Services Administration and a deputy in Karl Rove's political affairs office at the White House joined in a videoconference earlier this year with top GSA political appointees, who discussed ways to help Republican candidates.
With GSA Administrator Lurita Alexis Doan and up to 40 regional administrators on hand, J. Scott Jennings, the White House's deputy director of political affairs, gave a PowerPoint presentation on Jan. 26 of polling data about the 2006 elections.
When Jennings concluded his presentation to the GSA political appointees, Doan allegedly asked them how they could "help 'our candidates' in the next elections," according to a March 6 letter to Doan from Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.), chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Waxman said in the letter that one method suggested was using "targeted public events, such as the opening of federal facilities around the country."
On Wednesday, Doan is scheduled to appear before Waxman's committee to answer questions about the videoconference and other issues. The committee is investigating whether remarks made during the videoconference violated the Hatch Act, a federal law that restricts executive-branch employees from using their positions for political purposes. Those found in violation of the act do not face criminal penalties but can be removed from their jobs.
So we have proof that arms of the executive branch were actively working to harm political opponents and help allies. Great
UPDATE: In case you didn't see it on the Post's website, here's Waxman's letter to Doan. It includes allegations of a discussion among the political appointees about how to push Speaker Pelosi (this is January 2007) out of a courthouse opening in CA and how to include Sen. Mel Martinez at a ceremony in FL. The hearings on Wednesday should be interesting, to say the least.
UPDATE II: Oh, and of course Waxman's requesting all the documents:
Please provide to the Committee by Tuesday, March 13 , 2007 , the following:
(1) A list of all individuals, including GSA officials and employees as well as
contractors, who participated in the January 26,2007, teleconference with Scott
Jennings and J.B. Horton, including each individual's office, title, and contact
information;
(2) For all participants in the January 26 teleconference, all related documents,
including agendas, minutes, hand-outs, slides, audio or video tapes, or notes;
I imagine the paper shredders at GSA have been pretty taxed the last few weeks...
UPDATE III: The always excellent TPM Muckraker suggests a supra-scandal connecting the GSA and US Attorney scandals w/ Karl Rove. The gist of their angle is that after the GOP spanking in 2006, the White House (w/ Rove at the forefront) may have simply decided that the federal government wasn't being aggressive enough in aiding the Republican cause. This story and 'USAGate' are clearly the beginning of something much bigger.