Thug selected to be Bush's policy chief:

From TPM Muckraker:

The man Bush tapped to fill Karl Rove's spot as his policy wizard is none other than Joel Kaplan, who took part in the infamous "Brooks Brothers riot" of 2000. That's when a bunch of Washington GOP operatives, posing as outraged Floridians, waved fists, chanted "Stop the fraud!" and pounded windows in an effort to intimidate officials engaged in the Florida recount effort.

From the Smirking Chimp link (above, dated 14 July 2002?):

Three members of the window-pounding crowd that on Thanksgiving Eve helped persuade the Miami-Dade County canvassing board to abandon the recount are now members of the White House staff: Matt Schlapp, now a special assistant to the president; Garry Malphrus, deputy director of the president's Domestic Policy Council; and Joel Kaplan, also a special assistant to the president.

He's not in this picture (at least not identified) but here is a reminder of what Republicans stood for back then, and still stand for today.

(from http://www.americanpolitics.com/20001206GOPTanksBipartisanship.html)

For those of you who missed the story, Kamen [of the Washington Post] named names and provided occupations of a few of the rioters featured in a Reuters photo.

(1) Tom Pyle, policy analyst, office of House Majority Whip Tom DeLay (R-TX.) -- speaking of Dixie Cro-Mags
(2) Garry Malphrus, majority chief counsel and staff director, House Judiciary Subcommittee on Criminal Justice.
(3) Rory Cooper, political division staff member at the National Republican Congressional Committee
(4) Kevin Smith, former House Republican conference analyst and more recently with Voter.com
(5) Steven Brophy, former aide to Sen. Fred D. Thompson (R-TN.) and presently with consulting firm KPMG
(6) Matt Schlapp, former chief of staff for Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-KS), at the time with the Bush campaign staff in Austin
(7) Roger Morse, aide to Rep. Van Hilleary (R-TN)
(8) Duane Gibson, aide to Chairman Don Young (R-AK) of the House Resources Committee
(9) Chuck Royal, legislative assistant to Rep. Jim DeMint (R-SC)
(10) Layna McConkey, former legislative assistant to former Rep. Jim Lightfoot (R-IA), currently with Steelman Health Strategies

posted by Quiddity at 4/19/2006 12:48:00 PM