WHITE HOUSE HAD DRUG OFFICIALS APPEAR WITH GOP CANDIDATES

White House officials arranged for top officials at the Office of
National Drug Control Policy to help as many as 18 vulnerable
Republican congressmen by making appearances and sometimes announcing
new federal grants in the lawmakers' districts in the months leading
up to the November 2006 elections, a Democratic lawmaker said yesterday.

Rep. Henry A. Waxman (Calif.), chairman of the House Oversight and
Government Reform Committee, said documents obtained by his panel
suggest that the appearances by the drug control officials were part
of a larger White House effort to politicize the work of federal
agencies that "may be more widespread than previously known."

Waxman cited a memo written by former White House political director
Sara M. Taylor showing that John P. Walters, director of the drug
control office, and his deputies traveled at taxpayer expense to
about 20 events with vulnerable GOP members of Congress in the three
months leading up to the elections.

In a letter to Taylor, Waxman also pointed to an e-mail by an
official in the drug policy office describing President Bush's top
political adviser, Karl Rove, as being pleased that the office, along
with the Commerce, Transportation and Agriculture departments, went
"above and beyond" the call of duty in arranging appearances by
Cabinet members at campaign events.

"This recognition is not something we hear every day and we should
feel confident that our hard work is noticed," said the e-mail,
written by Douglas Simon, the drug policy office's White House
liaison. "The director and the deputies deserve the most recognition
because they actually had to give up time with their families for the
god awful places we sent them."

The drug control office has had a history of being nonpartisan, and a
1994 law bars the agency's officials from engaging in political
activities even on their own time.

Waxman's investigation is part of a broad effort by Congress to look
into White House political involvement in federal agencies. So far,
Democratic lawmakers have found evidence that White House officials
were involved with the firings of nine U.S. attorneys and that Rove
deputies made presentations to officials at the General Services
Administration and other agencies about Democrats targeted for defeat
by the GOP in 2008.

The new disclosure comes after former surgeon general Richard H.
Carmona testified last week that the White House routinely blocked
him from speaking out on politically sensitive public health matters
such as stem cell research and abstinence-only sex education. Carmona
also said he was asked to make appearances to help Republican
candidates and discouraged from travel that might help a liberal politician.

In Waxman's letter to Taylor yesterday, he asked Taylor to
voluntarily appear at a deposition July 24 and possibly testify
before his committee the following week. He said the panel wants her
to explain a memo she wrote indicating that Walters and his deputies
made trips at the behest of the White House political office in the
months prior to the crucial midterm elections.

"I recognize that federal political appointees have traveled to
events with members of Congress in prior administrations," Waxman
wrote in his letter to Taylor. "What is striking about your memo to
ONDCP is the degree of White House control, the number of trips and
the agency involved."

White House officials denied that Walters or other drug policy
officials were directed to make appearances in an effort to prop up
GOP candidates. Likewise, Taylor said through her attorney that she
ran the White House political office no differently than her
predecessors had under former presidents.

"Ms. Taylor believes she managed the Office of Political Affairs in a
manner consistent with prior administrations, both Republican and
Democratic," said lawyer W. Neil Eggleston, who added that he and his
client "are considering" the committee's request that Taylor submit
to a deposition.

"The information that Representative Waxman's committee posted today
did not give any evidence that these anti-drug events were used to
urge the election of any candidate," said Scott Stanzel, a White
House spokesman. "Director John Walters has traveled the country to
meet with Democratic and Republican elected officials in communities
hit hard by the scourge of drugs."

Stanzel noted that Walters participated in numerous anti-drug meeting
with Democratic elected officials earlier in 2006. Among them were
March 2006 appearances with then-Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack and Oklahoma
Gov. Brad Henry, and appearances with Rep. Dennis Cardoza of
California in May and Philadelphia Mayor John F. Street in July 2006.

But in the three months immediately leading up to the 2006 election,
Walters or his deputies held events almost exclusively with GOP
officials, many of whom were embroiled in tough reelection campaigns.

Two were held with then- Sen. James M. Talent of Missouri, who was
defeated last November. At one of those stops, Walters announced that
four Missouri counties had been designated part of a High Intensity
Drug Trafficking Area, which brings $500,000 in federal funding to
help local law enforcement efforts, Waxman said. It was one of
several grant announcements made while drug policy officials were
appearing with GOP candidates.

Appearances also were held with Rep. Deborah Pryce of Ohio in
Columbus and with then-Rep. Chris Chocola of Indiana in South Bend.
Pryce narrowly won reelection, while Chocola lost in November.

"You included no Democrats or Independents in your memo of suggested
travel for director Walters," Waxman said in his letter to Taylor.

The White House and drug policy officials, however, shrugged that off
as a consequence of political reality.

"I don't think it is that surprising that during a campaign season
when you're talking about events touting White House programs that
Republicans are going to be more likely to appear with us than
Democrats," said Tom Riley, a spokesman for the drug policy office.
"Teen drug use is down. There has been a lot of progress. We're very
happy and eager to do events with anyone. But it is more likely that
Republicans are going to stand up with White House officials to talk
about those successes."