Democrats on Capitol Hill see the world through bureaucratic shades and have been circulating this self-congratulatory Email:
"Over the last four years,the Republican Congress failed to conduct oversight on the Iraq war and failed to hold the Administration accountable for the conduct of the war. In contrast to this dismal record, in the last five weeks, the new Democratic-led Congress is already exercising vigorous oversight and demanding accountability from the Administration on the Iraq war. Attached is a list of 52 House and Senate hearings that have already occurred on issues related to the Iraq war. There will be numerous other hearings by both House and Senate committees on issues related to the Iraq war over the next several months."
Of course, the American public would very much like to see real investigations into the war, especially into the lies that launched it. But that's not what this list of 52 hearings is about. The vast majority of these hearings are simply ordinary day-to-day business. They're not investigations of any known or possible crimes or abuses. Most of them are about the future of the war, not its past or how it was begun. Six hearings on military "Readiness" hardly satisfy the public hunger for a hearing on "The Bush-Cheney Fraud." Four hearings on paying for more war hardly elimate the need to investigate Cheney's claim that Iraq had nukes and Bush's warning that we might wake up to a mushroom cloud. A hearing on the reappointment of a General hardly touches the question of why our president made claims about aluminum tubes and uranium purchases and chemical and biological weapons and ties to 9-11 that he had been told were baseless. A hearing on an annual threat assessment seems less valuable when our democracy is threatened with becoming a monarchy, and the war we were lied into four years ago is ongoing.
Dear Congress, almost all of your hearings have been about how to continue the war, not how to investigate it or end it. The exceptions are few and far between. The Senate Intelligence Committee is listed as having held one (closed) hearing. We don't know what happened there, but we know that none of the abuses of "intelligence" prior to the war were exposed in a closed hearing. Do you consider that a good five-weeks' work? Do you sense any urgency in the air? DO YOU? Can you prove it?
The House Intelligence Committee, whose chairman's office has indicated it will simply not bother investigating how this war began, is listed as having held three hearings, two of them open: one on "worldwide threats" (hint: the greatest of these is at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue) and the other on a new National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq, not the N.I.E. that was used to help launch this illegal war but a new one that's considerably more honest.
Now, the House Judiciary Committee has held a hearing on signing statements, and has talked about investigating Bush's illegal spying programs, and those worthy efforts are not listed here because they're not about the war. A couple of moderately useful investigations are listed here: The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearings on corruption, and a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the plight of Iraqi refugees. But by and large, this lengthy list of fluff and B.S. adds insult to injury for the American people, not to mention the Iraqi people and the rest of the world.
We were lied into a war. For six years, Democrats struggled to start an investigation of how that was done. Resolutions of Inquiry picked up bipartisan support and failed by one or two votes in various committees. Now those Resolutions have not been reintroduced. Now we are supposed to be grateful for a "hearing on approaches to audit of reconstruction and support activities." I'ev got to tell you: I'm not going to be grateful until investigations address the issues listed here: http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/investigations
Of course, if the Democrats were to hold real public hearings, issue their first subpoena, put their first witness under oath, and expose this war on television, self-congratulatory Emails wouldn't be needed. Staffers would be too busy figuring out what to do with all the flowers and thank you notes. Don't believe me? Try it. Hold one little hearing on the Bush and Blair meeting at which Bush proposed painting US planes with UN colors and trying to get them shot at in order to begin the war. Subpoena the minutes from that meeting, communications that preceded and followed it, Email exchanges. Subpoena those who were in the room. Subpoena the reporters who were lied to just after the meeting, when Bush and Blair told them they were working hard to avoid war. Give those reporters the opportunity to ask follow-up questions now, in light of these reports: http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/whitehousememo
If that one little hearing doesn't set our nation on a path toward restoration of democracy, then I'll apologize and be grateful for 104 hearings on how we can most efficiently kill more people.
The following list is a disgrace:
NEW DEMOCRATIC-LED CONGRESS IS EXERCISING OVERSIGHT AND DEMANDING ACCOUNTABILITY ON THE IRAQ WAR A List of 52 Hearings Already Held On Issues Related to Iraq War
JANUARY
Tuesday, January 9th • Senate Foreign Relations Committee – CLOSED full committee briefing on the situation in Iraq
Wednesday, January 10th • Senate Foreign Relations Committee – full committee hearing on "Securing America's Interests in Iraq: The Remaining Options. Where We Are: The Current Situation in Iraq."
Thursday, January 11th • House Armed Services Committee – full committee hearing on the way forward in Iraq
DAVID SWANSON is a co-founder of After Downing Street, a writer and activist, and the Washington Director of Democrats.com. He is a board member of Progressive Democrats of America, and serves on the Executive Council of the Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild, TNG-CWA. He has worked as a newspaper reporter and as a communications director, with jobs including Press Secretary for Dennis Kucinich's 2004 presidential campaign, Media Coordinator for the International Labor Communications Association, and three years as Communications Coordinator for ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now. Swanson obtained a Master's degree in philosophy from the University of Virginia in 1997.
For some time now many on the left have been attempting to break through the blind loyalty displayed by democratic conservatives, here and in many other forums.
Formerly we heard such inciteful excuses as, "the democrats are a minority so what can they do?". When noting that minority does not mean silenced or forced complicity the responses cease arriving.
Now we hear such, almost Rovian, twistings as, "its early in the new Congress, give them a chance." When noting the way they promised a slashing of the oil subsidies and delivered squat, or that the GOP seems effective in filibustering a critique of the Iraq war policy despite being now a minority again the silence deepens.
One can make excuses for the lack of a spine from the now Democratic Congress for as long as one can stand the increasing deaths in Iraq, the increasing poverty at home, the diminishing of the Middle Class, the massive debt, the increasing numbers of American without jobs or health care. How long, I wonder, can these conservative excuse makers stand those things?
by
ardee D. (6 articles, 4 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 2377 comments)
on Thursday, February 8, 2007 at 8:06:19 PM
When the War with Iran starts (and it will happen any day) and we find ourselves trying to stop a broad regional war or even World War III, you can then wonder why we are jumping on this Congress that is still playing politics with a criminal.
by
Timothy V. Gatto (348 articles, 177 quicklinks, 38 diaries, 574 comments)
on Friday, February 9, 2007 at 4:48:27 PM
Now we hear such, almost Rovian, twistings as, "its early in the new Congress, give them a chance." When noting the way they promised a slashing of the oil subsidies and delivered squat, or that the GOP seems effective in filibustering a critique of the Iraq war policy despite being now a minority again the silence deepens.
One can make excuses for the lack of a spine from the now Democratic Congress for as long as one can stand the increasing deaths in Iraq, the increasing poverty at home, the diminishing of the Middle Class, the massive debt, the increasing numbers of American without jobs or health care. How long, I wonder, can these conservative excuse makers stand those things?
by
ardee D. (6 articles, 4 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 2377 comments)
on Friday, February 9, 2007 at 5:27:08 PM
Backbone! The world can't wait for Congressional dithering.
It is not only the people of America and domestic issues that await demonstration of a new resolve by congressional leaders. The people of the entire world are waiting for some sign that America really stands for something beyond that which is in our "national interest". As Dem presidential candidate Sen. Mike Gravel said recently, "In fact, the major problems we face are all global in nature." The Dems need a backbone, the world can't wait. It is up to citizens to apply the pressure. The virtue of Gravel's candidacy is that it offers the means to empower citizens to take action directly when our eternal vigilence informs us that we are being misled. Rather than marching with little effect in protests we should be empowered to vote more often on the issues which govern our lives and directly effect the well being of the people of the entire world.
Send a signal to the world. Impeach Now!
by
GeoRip (2 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 46 comments)
on Friday, February 9, 2007 at 3:20:12 PM
Please cease this pell mell descent into childishness.
One begins investigations into the numerous violations of international and US laws, including war profiteering, including a reopening of the 9/11 Commissions yet undone second part, one carefully and articulately makes the case for the American public which in turn ,makes its case to it legislators, including those on the right side of the aisle.
One always seeks the truth and one trusts that the truth will out. Your tired screed and endless apologies are beginning to make you seem as some Alfred E. Neuman type, is that what you want? What we want, and what the American public wants, rather obviously (except to those trapped in their own private Idaho of excuse after excuse, after excuse), is for a Congress that DOES SOMETHING.
When the Democrats were in the minority your tired excuses were that they were in the minority, as if that somehow gave them lockjaw....Now they are in the majority, yet we see an effective minority party blocking that which they wish to bury and a majority that dithers and refuses their duty. Wars have been defunded before you may understand, and can be again. Investigations have brought down a Presidency before, and can again. But only if these frauds on the blue side of things actually find a spine and effective and outspoken leadership. So far, not so much.....
by
ardee D. (6 articles, 4 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 2377 comments)
on Friday, February 9, 2007 at 5:36:54 PM
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