It's not enough that the Bush gang has been withholding 3/4 of the Clinton administration's documents from the 9/11 commission. It's not enough that Bush has successfully refused to testify without Vice President Big Time at his side.

Apparently, the Bush administration has felt the need to coach Republican commission members:

White House counsel Alberto Gonzales telephoned at least one and possibly two Republicans on the panel hours before a hearing where they sharply questioned former counterterror guru Richard Clarke.

...The Family Steering Committee, which represents many of the 9/11 families, called on the White House to explain the calls.

"These ex-parte communications raise serious concerns regarding the impartiality of these commissioners, and questions about whether the commission has been sidetracked from its mandate to focus on the facts and circumstances of 9/11," the families said in a statement.

The Washington Post reported that Gonzales placed calls to Fred Fielding and Fred Thompson, both Republicans, before the hearing. During the hearing both questioned Clarke's motives for his allegations against the Bush administration. [Say it isn't so!]

The flap over Gonzales' calls - which White House officials do not deny were placed - comes as the commission prepares to hear from national security adviser Condoleezza Rice in public and under oath for 2-1/2 hours on Thursday.

ABC's The Note, predictably, treats this as Democratic squealing about a matter of no importance rather than serious misbehavior on the part of an Administration with no credibility left to squander.

And their take on the White House's anti-Letterman farce and overkill? Gosh, what a strange and complex story. Read Krugman, but don't believe him.

They're not even journalistically 'neutral' at this point. Mark Halperin and company have clearly slid into lackey-dom.