Norm Coleman, the junior senator from Minnesota, called today for the resignation of key administration officials. Coleman said the decision "does not come easily" and cited the "most extensive fraud" in history as the reasons he demanded President Bush's resignation.

Political observers were shocked at the venom Coleman unleashed as he bit that hand that once smoothed his empty suit.

"The world will never be able to learn the full extent of the bribes, kickbacks and under-the-table payments that occurred" while Bush was in charge, Coleman said. He went on to accuse the administration of "incompetence and mismanagement."

Coleman unleashed his strongest charges on CNN's "American Morning": "The bottom line is, one man was in charge and if we're going to get to the bottom of this, he's got to step back so that we can have trust and credibility and transparency in sorting out what happened."

Democrats have long charged that Halliburton has been given special treatment by the administration, with some charging the company with war profiteering as it handles about $18 billion in contracts with the U.S. government. The charges have gained additional credence recently due to independent investigations, but this is the first time a Republican Senator has called for accountability at the highest levels of American government:

According to a special inspector general, the Army should withhold future payments to Halliburton, in part because the company cannot produce evidence supporting at least $1.82 billion out of $4.3 billion charged for logistical work.

The FBI is investigating whether Halliburton overcharged the government by $61 million for fuel delivery. The FBI is also talking to an Army Corps of Engineers whistleblower about whether a $2.5 billion no-bid oil contract was improperly awarded in March, 2003.

According to government audits, Halliburton has lost 43% of the property it is managing in Kuwait, and 20,000 more items in Iraq.

Halliburton is being investigated for possible overcharges in the Balkans between 1996 and 2000.

Halliburton is being investigated for kickbacks in Kuwait and bribes in Nigeria.

Halliburton is being investigated for illegally doing business with Iran.

As a special bonus, attorney general nominee Alberto Gonzales is a former partner at Vinson and Ellis, which represented Halliburton. As a member of the Texas Supreme Court, Gonzales also accepted $3,000 from the company immediately before hearing an appeal involving the company.

Apparently, Coleman was talking about Kofi Annan and the Oil for Food program, not the Bush administration. Three Way News regrets the (easily made) error.

From CNN, December 1, 2004

The U.S. senator leading the investigation into allegations of corruption and mismanagement in the Iraq oil-for-food program is urging U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan to resign.

The "massive scope of this debacle demands nothing less," wrote Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minnesota, in an opinion piece published Wednesday in The Wall Street Journal.

"The decision to call for Mr. Annan's resignation does not come easily," Coleman wrote. "But I have arrived at this conclusion because the most extensive fraud in the history of the U.N. occurred on his watch.

"The world will never be able to learn the full extent of the bribes, kickbacks and under-the-table payments that occurred under the U.N.'s collective nose while Annan is in charge."

Coleman is chairman of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, which has been investigating the oil-for-food program for seven months.

Coleman said he was not accusing Kofi Annan of anything "other than incompetence and mismanagement."

The program, administered by the United Nations, was designed to allow Iraq, when it was under economic sanctions after the Persian Gulf War, to sell oil and use the proceeds to buy food and medicine to mitigate the sanctions' impact on the Iraqi people.

Coleman said the investigation cannot be completed with Annan at the helm of the world body.

"The bottom line is, one man was in charge and if we're going to get to the bottom of this, he's got to step back so that we can have trust and credibility and transparency in sorting out what happened," he said Wednesday in an interview on CNN's "American Morning."

Freepers say:

I think its a little early to handicap 2008, but Coleman is sinking his teeth into this and if he is successful in making this issue high profile enough to get media attention, then I would say his name would be at least mentioned. Frankly whatever ambition serves to subdue the UN beast is fine with me. But its definitely a resume maker for national attention. Just speculating. (link)

I'm actually surprised at Norm's performance here. Until now he's been just another spend-happy senator waiting for the next election. (link)

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Instapundit

I think that the investigation will unearth some devastating stuff. As to what happens next, well, that depends on whether Kofi Annan's personal interests, or the United Nations' institutional interests, are foremost.

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Powerline

Or, more bluntly: what is the evidence that this was a legitimate non-compete agreement, rather than a bribe? And if it was a bribe, what was Kojo Annan in a position to deliver to Cotecna?