DLC also calling for Annan's head

Surprisingly the Democratic Leadership Council also wants Kofi's head:

Annan's handling of the fallout over the past week has done nothing to improve his perceived credibility: He has refused requests from congressional committees for access to the United Nation's 55 internal audits and other reports, or for the chance to interview U.N. officials who oversaw the program, saying that it would interfere with the Volcker inquiry.

Blair backs him:

Mr Blair said Mr Annan was doing a “fine” job and that criticism of him was “unfair”.

So why are leading Democrats jumping on this Republican witch-hunt? It makes no sense to me.

UPDATE: Thank heavens there is somebody in the English-speaking media who is brave enough to resist:

The witch-hunt against Kofi Annan and the United Nations over the Iraq oil-for-food scandal is, quite simply, a scandal all on its own. The leaders of this lynch mob in the US Congress and the rightwing commentariat are not gunning for Mr Annan so much as aiming to destroy the UN as an institution. That would be a disaster - for all of us, including, especially, the US.