Say Anything Blog

As readers of this blog know, I’ve been pointing out that the Countrywide scandal is far from a closed case despite attempts by apologists for Democrat Senators Kent Conrad and Chris Dodd to close the book on the matter after the Senate Ethics Committee’s “investigation.”  And by “investigation” I mean the letter they issued clearing Conrad and Dodd of any wrong-doing while not disclosing any of the exculpatory evidence they used to reach that conclusion.  An investigation that didn’t bother to subpoena evidence from Countrywide including recorded conversations between Senator Kent Conrad and Countrywide CEO Angelo Mozilo (recordings that have since been destroyed).

More recently the tension around the scandal has reached a near breaking point with Democrats resorting to locking Republicans out of committee meetings to keep them from calling for a vote for additional subpoenas for Countrywide information.

Now, two short-term House Democrats are joining Republicans in calling for a more thorough investigation of this matter.

Two junior Democrats are urging their leaders to open an investigation into the Countrywide VIP mortgage program.

Rep. Paul Hodes (N.H.), who is in his second House term, and freshman Rep. Mike Quigley (Ill.) called on the House Oversight and Government Reform panel to initiate an investigation into Countrywide Financial’s “Friends of Angelo” VIP program and whether it was used to gain influence over federal officials.

They made their case for the investigation in a letter to Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-N.Y.), the panel’s chairman, and Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), the ranking member.

Towns has stood firmly against opening an investigation in the face of months of pressure from Issa and Republicans.

Towns, who received two mortgage loan from Countrywide unit that processed VIP loans but insists he received no special favors, has said he does not want to interfere with a Justice Department probe into the matter.

Sure.  That’s totally why Towns isn’t investigating this.  Forget that the Justice Department prove didn’t bother the Senate Ethics Committee.

Of course, the Senate committee never actually gathered much in the way of evidence.

Regardless, as Rep. Issa has pursued this matter Senator Conrad has accused him of abusing his power.  I wonder what Senator Conrad will now say of his fellow Democrats who have joined Issa in a push for an investigation?