It's Not What You Know, It's Who

Over at the Muck, Zach Roth notes that the Bush White House was trying to recruit help to try to spin the US Attorney firings story. National Review editor Rich Lowry's offer to help was mentioned by White House political director Sara Taylor as part of those e-mails released by the House Judiciary yesterday. He apparently wanted to help "catapult the propaganda".

In a January 2007 email, White House political director Sara Taylor wrote:

Prior is going after Griffin. He's made this his cause.... We need to find some folks to defend Tim and his credentials, not to mention our policy.

Your thoughts? Rich Lowry offered to help Tim

The best part? Taylor went on to ask: "Anyone better?"

Ouch.

But hey, that's what the White House Spin Master Political Director is supposed to do. Maybe Malkinvania and BillO were busy that week.

[UPDATE 8:53 AM] Also at the Muck, Justin Elliott details Harriet Miers' role in trying to get the DoJ to do everything possible to deny the investigation into GOP Rep. Rick Renzi of Arizona before in 2006 mid-term elections. Renzi was re-elected and later indicted.

[UPDATE 9:06 AM] Raw Story is reporting that WaPo reporter John Solomon coordinated a "more friendly response" for the White House on the US Attorney firings story when it broke.

The House Judiciary Committee has now released over 5400 pages of Bush administration and Republican Party emails (pdf) related to the firings. Several of these emails suggest coordination between Post reporter John Solomon and Bush administration officials on how to manage the Post’s coverage of the widening scandal.

In one email to a Department of Justice spokesperson, Solomon even appears to be suggesting what spin to apply in order to minimize damage from the revelations.

Your liberal media, folks.