The Knuckleheads of the Day Carnival Part One

TFM turns one year old tomorrow. To celebrate it and have some fun, I'm going to give out knucklehead awards over at least a 14-hour period. Yes I've found 14 worthy recipients of my daily award. They are both the rich and famous and the largely unknown among these knuckleheads I've chosen. A few are here in Florida, others are as far away as The Philippines and Chile.

So sit back and enjoy.

Our first winner is President George W Bush. Pres. Bush gets one of our awards for his interference in the investigation of Louisiana congressman William Jefferson. The President has ordered the sealing of documents found in Jefferson's Congressinal office in reply to those members of Congress who protested this action.

WASHINGTON - President Bush is calling a timeout in the constitutional tussle between Congress and the Justice Department, ordering that documents seized in the FBI's raid of a representative's office be sealed for 45 days.

Bush's spokesman, meantime, branded as "false, false, false" any charges that the department led by Attorney General Alberto Gonzales had tried to intimidate House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill.

Lawmakers from both parties complained that the weekend search, said to be the first in congressional history, was an abuse of executive powers. So Bush tried on Thursday to calm the tone.

Bush granted one of Hastert's demands, directing the FBI to surrender documents and computerized records taken the office of Rep. William Jefferson, D-La.

The president told Solicitor General Paul Clement, who has a separate office in the Justice Department, to take custody of the material.

Bush said no one is above the law and that he continued to support the investigation of Jefferson. The eight-term congressman is accused of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars to facilitate a telephone investment deal in Africa.

"Those who violate the law — including a member of Congress — should and will be held to account," Bush said. "This investigation will go forward and justice will be served."

By interfering in the investigation, Pres. Bush is implying some are above the law. The constitution is clear, Knucklehead Speaker Hastert and the others protesting the search don't have a leg to stand on.

The Washington Post even agrees on this point. Plus when does a President step into a criminal investigation? Bush has overstepped here and for that he is one of today's Knuckleheads of the day.

Also expressing their views on this news- Michelle Malkin, Wizbang, Poliblog and Outside the Beltway
Cross Posted to Bullwinkle Blog