Bush stands by housing chief

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Bush stands by Housing and
Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson despite the
cabinet official’s impropriety in claiming to have denied a
contract for political reasons, the White House said on Friday.

“Alphonso Jackson has admitted that what he said earlier
was improper, that it was a mistake, and the president accepts
that and still supports a man with whom he’s had a long and
close relationship,” White House spokesman Tony Snow told
reporters.

Jackson, a longtime Bush friend, was quoted in the Dallas
Business Journal saying he denied a contractor government
business after expressing a dislike for Bush.

“Why should I reward someone who doesn’t like the
president, so they can use funds to try to campaign against the
president? Logic says they don’t get the contract. That’s the
way I believe,” Jackson was quoted as telling a real estate
group.

Jackson and a spokeswoman later disavowed those comments,
but Democrats have called for an investigation into Jackson’s
contract decisions .

Pressed on whether Bush would withhold judgment pending any
investigation, Snow said, “At this point the president is
supporting Alphonso Jackson.”

Snow, delivering his first news briefing since becoming
press secretary, declined to elaborate.

Two Democratic congressmen, Barney Frank of Massachusetts
and Henry Waxman of California, wrote to Jackson saying the
comments originally reported by Jackson would be “improper and
most likely illegal.”

Sen. Frank Lautenberg, Democrat of New Jersey, has called
for Jackson’s resignation.

But HUD spokeswoman Dustee Tucker has said Jackson was
speaking anecdotally and offering an example of “how politics
works in D.C.” She also said Jackson is not involved in
contract decisions at HUD.

Agency officials did not respond to calls seeking comments
on Friday.