Senators Challenge White House Briefings (AP)

Senators Challenge White House Briefings
GOP Senator Questions White House's Political Race
Briefings For Diplomats

WASHINGTON, Jul. 24, 2007

(AP) Political briefings given by Bush White House aides to
high-ranking diplomats "were probably inappropriate," the top
Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said
Tuesday.

The comments by Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., were in contrast
to White House assertions that the private briefings were not
unusual or improper.

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In a January 2007 session, senior Bush adviser Karl Rove
briefed six ambassadors about Democratic incumbents targeted
for defeat in 2008. Another political briefing occurred after
the 2002 elections at the Peace Corps headquarters, the
documents said.

The diplomats were Bush appointees, several of whom had
contributed heavily to the campaigns of Bush and other
Republicans. Administration officials said Tuesday there was
nothing surprising or inappropriate about the briefings.

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