Bagnolo, Waxman VS. Rice

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By Professor Emeritus Peter Bagnolo (about the author) Page 1 of 2 page(s)

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For OpEdNews: Professor Emeritus Peter Bagnolo - Writer

Bagnolo, Waxman VS. Rice

This is a cooperative, experimental, satirical cyber-space synthesized interview with Pete Bagnolo, Karen DeYoung and Harry Waxman, prompting Harry to get tough w/Rice on the Blackwater issues.

The Case
According to a fine article by Karen DeYoung Washington Post Staff Writer and several other writers, Harry Waxman's "House Panel Says Rice Is Hindering Its Work By Karen DeYoung
Blackwater, Corruption in Iraq at Issue; Wednesday, September 26, 2007; Page A15

DeYoung:
... Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and... House committee investigating Iraqi government corruption ... activities of ... Blackwater security firm. erupted into ... skirmish ... as Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.) accused Rice of interfering with ... committee's work and preventing administration and Blackwater officials from providing pertinent information.

Bagnolo:
Below in bold are my comments, not against DeYoung's writing, but the Democrats constant posturing amounting to little substance. They remind me of a baseball team that continues to load the bases with one out and then hit into a double play; lots of base running threats, but no scoring. They remind one of a date that smothers one with kisses, while dressed in full-body chastity armour. In most cases I edited down DeYoung's writing to shorten the article.

DeYoung:
"... House committee investigating Iraqi ... corruption Rep. H. A. Waxman (D-Calif.) accused Rice ... interfering with ... committee's ...and preventing administration and Blackwater officials ... providing pertinent information."

Bagnolo to Waxman:
Accusations, accusations, arrest her for jay-walking all-over the Constitution and forget it, start doing and forget it, Start doing outrageous things as the Neo-cons are doing. Arrest Bush for War Crimes and bring him to criminal court to be arraigned. Arrest Cheney for being a vicious a-hole and forget where his cell is. Create your own answer to the Neo-con fascist explosion of evil, create an explosion of Good, and call yourselves the Ad-Hoc Neo-Vigilance Committee.

DeYoung:
"... Waxman, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, wrote Rice to urge ... she "reconsider the unusual positions you are taking." Congress has "constitutional prerogative" to look into ... issues, ... and she is "wrong to interfere with the Committee's inquiry."

Bagnolo:
"Wrote to Rice "urging," urging her? Slap her into the slammer for contempt of congress and "Urge" her to shut the hell-up!

DeYoung:
"State Department spokesman ... Casey... a "misunderstanding" on Waxman's part. "All information requested by the committee has been or is in the process of being provided."..."

Bagnolo:
"Is in the process of being provided"? Slam that SOB into jail for contempt of contempt of congress!

DeYoung:
"... dispute began ... when the Nation magazine ....said ... Iraqi government was "not capable of even rudimentary enforcement" of ... anticorruption laws and would not meet "any reasonable timeline" for improvement.

DeYoung:
"...Sept. 10, Waxman requested copies ... State Department reports on ...subject ... interviews with "knowledgeable" department officials. Saying it received no response, the committee ... issued subpoenas ... for ... documents and three officials."

Bagnolo:
Henry, now you are cooking with gas!

DeYoung:
"...Waxman's letter said, ...State Department sent ... e-mail warning the committee of "redlines" ... should not be crossed in ...unclassified sessions. ... included: "broad statements/assessments which judge or characterize the quality of Iraqi governance or the ability/determination of the Iraqi government to deal with corruption, including allegations that investigations were thwarted/stifled for political reasons; ... statements/allegations concerning actions by specific individuals, such as the Prime Minister or other [...Iraq] officials, or regarding investigations of such officials."

DeYoung:
"The scope of this prohibition is breathtaking," Waxman wrote to Rice, describing yesterday's ... interview w/Vincent Foulk ... State Department's Office of Accountability and Transparency as "virtually worthless." ....."

Bagnolo:
Harry, Now, you are en fuego! Go get her! We have had it with lawbreakers who thumb their noses at the Constitution. Throw her in the slammer for a couple of months!

DeYoung:
"A separate hearing, ..... After reports ... Blackwater employees guarding -U.S. diplomatic convoy in Baghdad ... killed 11 Iraqi civilians, ... committee .... requested ... testimony ... Erik Prince, chairman of Blackwater's parent company.

DeYoung:
"... Blackwater attorney Stephen M. Ryan told the committee ... State Department ... directed ... company "not ... disclose ... information" regarding its Iraq security contract without prior department authorization .... "This ... direction from the DOS is unambiguous."...

DeYoung:
"Ryan enclosed ... letter to Blackwater ... "all documents...." of its contract "are ... subject to the control ... State Department."

Bagnolo:
Harry, issue Contempt of congress citations to the State Department from top to bottom. Bring Elliot Spitzer on board to go get the Bastards and throw them into a dungeon, put them on the rack and force them to watch reruns of Rice sycophanting and fawning over Bush!

DeYoung:
"...Calling ... department's position "wholly inappropriate," Waxman wrote ... "unless the President is prepared to make ... assertion of executive privilege over ... Blackwater documents, the State Department has no authority to prevent ... transmission to Congress."

Bagnolo:
Harry, you went from ice cold to red hot to tepid, issue the damned subpoenas and warrants and throw them into a cell with petty thieves and murderers. You are beginning to, in Ms. DeYoung's article from En Fuego to en gasbag sans substance!

DeYoung:
"A ... letter to Blackwater, ..., clarified that only "classified" ... documents are subject to prior review, ... which the State Department "will . . . provide authorization, as appropriate, for disclosure to the Committee, consistent with Executive Branch responsibilities to safeguard national security information."

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Professor Bagnolo has majored in: Cultural Anthropology, Architectural design, painting, creative writing. As a child prodigy, abed with polio for almost two years, he was offered an opportunity to skip three grades at age 8.
Later He was a (more...)

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