Representative finds president too sneaky

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher lashed out at the Bush Administration during a congressional speech Tuesday, saying the president’s contempt for congressional oversight was the rule, not the exception.

“When I hear my friends on the other side of the aisle accusing this administration of stonewalling, of cover-ups, or of thwarting investigations, I sadly must concur with them,” he said. “This White House exemplifies needless hostility, turf jealousy and obstructionism.”

While always hoping the Bush Administration would succeed, Rohrabacher said a denial of his request to interview federal prisoner Ramzi Yousef — indicted as a co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombings — during his investigation of a possible tie between those bombings and the 1995 Oklahoma City bombings was “the straw that broke the camel’s back.”

Rohrabacher delivered the remarks on the 15th anniversary of the World Trade Center bombings, which left six dead and more than 1,000 injured.

“Senior members of Congress have the right to interview federal prisoners,” he said in a post-speech interview. “Denying me that right ... is just one of a long string of dismissals and arrogant behavior on the part of this administration toward members of Congress exercising their legitimate authority.”

Beyond denying Rohrabacher access to Yousef, the congressman complained of a failure to pardon border patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and José Compean for shooting a fleeing drug suspect. He also said the Bush Administration had hid information about what he characterized as discussions with the Mexican government about Social Security assistance to illegal immigrants; similarly, he said clandestine talks with the Iraqi government regarding a long-term U.S. presence in Iraq was another “egregious” example of the administration’s misbehavior.

“George Bush was not elected king,” he said. “The American people need to be in on the dialogue ... policy decisions and actions taken by the government need to be discussed under oath.”

“The administration has been keeping these hugely important agreements secret, and trying to not disclose what they’re agreeing to,” he added.

CHRIS CAESAR may be reached at (714) 966-4626 or at chris.caesar@latimes.com.