Why did the Bush administration put up with this?
For exactly the same reason why the Bush Administration put up with everything else that got dumped on 'em:
THE EXACT SAME BUNCH OF CRIMINAL BLEEPIN' TRAITORS IN OUR VERY OWN "NEWS" MEDIA WHO WOULD HAVE EITHER DISSED THE OBJECTIONS AS "COVERUP" OR JUST IGNORED THEM.
Which is exactly the same as done ever since 1968.
....but I'm just repeating myself, ain't I???