Waxman plans hearing to issue subpoenas.
Waxman plans hearing to issue subpoenas.
The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee announced that next Wednesday it will consider issuing four subpoeanas for the following testimony and documents:
– The testimony of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice regarding the fabricated claim that Iraq sought uranium from Niger and other issues;
– The testimony of former White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card regarding the leak of Valerie Plame Wilson’s covert identity and White House security procedures;
– RNC documents related to possible violations of the Presidential Records Act and the Hatch Act by White House officials; and
– Contacts between the White House and MZM, a federal contractor implicated in bribery charges.
More from the Committee website.
UPDATE: Waxman asks Andy Card: you’ll talk to Jon Stewart but not to me?
“On April 16,2007, you appeared on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and discussed the leak of [former covert CIA Agent Valerie Plame] Wilson’s identity,” Waxman (D-CA) wrote to Andrew Card, the former White House Chief of Staff. “[White House Counel Fred] Fielding’s position appears to be that it is appropriate for you to discuss these matters on The Daily Show, but not before a congressional committee. You will not be surprised to learn that I take a different view of this matter.”
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Go, Waxman! A great American hero!
April 20th, 2007 at 1:39 pmNice. Looks like the first serious attempt to investivate the severe structural corruption issues of this administration.
April 20th, 2007 at 1:43 pmDeath by 1,000 cuts for the BushCo.
April 20th, 2007 at 1:46 pmElections have consequences.
Bush Administration, meet Consequences.
April 20th, 2007 at 1:46 pmRNC documents related to possible violations of the Presidential Records Act and the Hatch Act by White House officials.
“possible violations”? You don’t need a hearing to discover the obvious.
April 20th, 2007 at 1:46 pmWonderful! The more subpoeanas, the better!
April 20th, 2007 at 1:47 pmBetter late than never.
April 20th, 2007 at 1:47 pmDo I smell an impeachment burning…?
April 20th, 2007 at 1:47 pmIf I try read between the lines – I think they are gunning for Dick.
April 20th, 2007 at 1:49 pm(no pun intended)
Ah, the burning bush…..
April 20th, 2007 at 1:51 pmyou got my attention now, sky guy…
Dick is the truly dangerous one…………
April 20th, 2007 at 1:53 pm(and I’m being very kind…)
Good thing we aren’t at war.
April 20th, 2007 at 2:00 pmSadly, I really don’t see the point. Sure, the Bush administration has done a consistently horrible job at every single thing I can think of (besides preserving ocean floors). 60%-70% of the American public knows this. Another 30% have already had too much of the Koolaid. They’d probably be all for putting Muslims into concentration camps, and repeating some of the greatest horrors of last century.
So what good is really going to come from this? Do a little to persuade the 10% who are for some crazy reason still wishy-washy? Impeach Bush? The impeachment isn’t going to happen for anything he’s done up until now. The only way they’ll impeach him is if he bombs Iran without congressional approval. And even then, it would be a struggle.
It really seems like hope is lost. Congrats to Waxman for trying, but nothing of importance is going to come out of this. I mean, the AG is firing attorneys for prosecuting Republicans or for not prosecuting Democrats quickly enough, or for not prosecuting cases of voter fraud (in which a Dem won) despite not having evidence. Then lies about a faulty memory to the senate… and he gets to keep his job. Wow. The vice president can shoot a guy in the face while he’s hunting drunk and nothing happens. That there is no revolution about these sorts of things goes to show this nation is in decline. Where’s the military coop? Where’s the impeachment? The system and the people are too corrupt. I’d greet Canada or the EU as liberators if they invaded us.
April 20th, 2007 at 2:07 pmGood thing Repukes lost their grip on their majority.
Michael, define “war” then define “illegal occupation of a soveign nation” and see how the two compare. Maybe you’ll begin to see that your smart-assed comment is 100% accurate.
April 20th, 2007 at 2:07 pmGlad to see Congress is finally beginning to get the gears in motion on oversight of the executive branch, you know, like the Constitution envisioned and spelled out.
#12 Not sure I get what your quip is trying to say, are you suggesting that Congress should abandon all oversight of the Executive Branch when our military is deployed?
April 20th, 2007 at 2:08 pmMichael,
The Constitution does not only apply during peace time. War is no excuse to break the law.
April 20th, 2007 at 2:08 pm#13 the good is, carrying out their Constitutional obligation as a check on the executive branch, and investigating the Executive Branch and if need be, hold them to account for their actions up to and including impeachment and criminal hearings if need be.
April 20th, 2007 at 2:10 pmGO GO GO, this is why they are not impeaching the chimp, they are out to show the world what a bunch of criminals they are so that their kind can not ever hold office again, PLEASE totally destroy they Repuke Mafia and make their followers cower in the their darkened caves for all eternity.
Hating the Repuke Mafia daily
April 20th, 2007 at 2:13 pmBen,
I think you’re wrong on a few different points. We (or at least I) voted Democrats into office to see accountibility. By doing nothing, you are letting down the voters that put you in office, who also want to see that accountability – an you’re sending a message to the WH that it is OK to continue to violate the Constitution. It is hard to determine the long-term ramifications of allowing a WH to get away w/ what Bush has gotten away w/ up to this point. I think pointing all of this out will make this, and future administrations, more accountable to the American people.
April 20th, 2007 at 2:14 pmGood thing michael understands the War was never declared. Therefore the president doesn’t have all encompassing powers.
Good thing indeed.
April 20th, 2007 at 2:19 pmThank you, Mr. Waxman! Here’s his website:
http://oversight.house.gov/
Go get ‘em!
April 20th, 2007 at 2:19 pm.
#17, that’s sort of the problem. There are not enough people in congress that will vote to impeach. I agree that Waxman is doing a good thing, but it’s not going to result in anything that’s going to bring any real good to the people. They’re not going to impeach, which is the only thing that would hold the admin to account (and bring good to the people). Instead, the American people just grow accustomed to the executive branch breaking the law and having hearing and nothing of substance coming from it.
It’s just sad. We attacked a country that didn’t attack us, nor was it even a threat to us. And nothing happens… Corruption tolerance levels are too high here, and I don’t see them going down anytime soon. We’re sorta screwed. I put my hope in Canada and the EU to be the leaders of good in the world. It sure isn’t us anymore, as painful as that is.
April 20th, 2007 at 2:23 pm#19, again, I want accountability, but I just don’t see it happening. It’s not that I don’t want Waxman to do this, I wish everyone in congress was like Waxman. If that were the case, we’d be rid of this administration a long time ago.
The problem is that Waxman’s constituents aren’t the majority here. The tolerance levels of corruption are too high, and even pointing it out doesn’t accomplish enough because too many just don’t care.
April 20th, 2007 at 2:26 pmEmail-Gate FACTS: Felons, georgewbush.com, gwb43.com , et. al.
April 20th, 2007 at 2:31 pmDiscussion thread: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389×523978
Yeah, good thing it is just an illegal occupation and Congress never Declared War.
April 20th, 2007 at 2:33 pmWaxMAN – Your oversight committee will have alot of steam (and more credibility) when you conduct your proxtology exams of Dianne Fiensteins’ and Maxine Waters’ business affairs. Lets clean up all of government – not just the Repub portion.
April 20th, 2007 at 2:35 pmBring ‘em on!
April 20th, 2007 at 2:38 pmBen,
We have no idea of how deep the corruption goes because the 109th didn’t do their job. Who knows that Waxman might uncover that could lead to an overwhelming number of Americans to become outraged and press their reps into taking action.
April 20th, 2007 at 2:38 pm#22 don’t disagree that more Dems in Congress, and Congress as a whole (regardless of party) should reassert its powers as coequal branch and oversight powers of the executive, up to and including impeachment, which should never be “off the table” but be an eternal “Sword of Damocles” over ANY administration to help keep it on the up and up.
I also don’t disagree that this administration shouldn’t be impeached for the grievous acts it has committed, from giving false reasons to launch the invasion of another country, to effectively removing habeas corpus, to illegal rendition flights, to NSA warantless wiretapping, and the list goes on and on.
Unfortunately, the mass media, and the perverting influence it has had for decades on our processes has seriously eroded this institution. The events of 9/11 only accelerating and amplifying that. Where fear of media smearing and assignation by punditry, which as be so severely perverted by Fright-Wing ideologues in essence “working the ref” and the rise of Fox News Channel which is basically a P.R. arm of the RNC.
I think it will take a long, slow (too slow I would say) process for Congress to find it’s way back. It will take numerous incremental moves to have it sink in for an all too large a swath of the members of Congress, to realize that they can and must stand up and re-assert their Constitutional powers and obligations. It has also been a painfully slow process for most of the electorate (i.e. the public) to shake off the fear-based blindness that 9/11 has caused.
April 20th, 2007 at 2:39 pmLets clean up all of government – not just the Repub portion.
Comment by valiant venus
I (gulp) have to agree 100%. But you know that as long as the two parties have us bickering at one another, they can continue their corruption. Until WE stand together, nothing will change.
April 20th, 2007 at 2:41 pmWaxMAN – Your oversight committee will have alot of steam (and more credibility) when you conduct your proxtology exams of Dianne Fiensteins’ and Maxine Waters’ business affairs. Lets clean up all of government – not just the Repub portion. Comment by valiant venus — April 20, 2007 @ 2:35 pm
When faced with an avalanche of *real* corruption and criminality among the entire republican party – what does valiant venus do? Fabricate a problem among Dems, so she can claim it’s *government-wide*, and avoid the direct realization that *her* party is the party of crooks!
Poor little venus, what a pathetic, sad, and st*pid little c*nt you are.
April 20th, 2007 at 2:48 pmI also agree, Not Canadia. However, you have to look at why Feinstein isn’t be investigated right now. He is a BUSY man…perhaps one of the most busy in D.C….submitting subpoenas day after day. Had the 109th did their job, perhaps we could have eliminated this bottle neck of investigations and cleaned up Congress to a greater degree.
April 20th, 2007 at 2:48 pm#23 Ben B.
The more investigations and hearings that Waxman holds, the more we find out about other crimes that we hadn’t even considered, yet. The Bushies have so many lies going at the same time and so many people trying to keep their secrets for them, there’s no way they can keep it together. The whole thing is unraveling. There will be a point at which there will be so much public support for an impeachment that Republicans who want to run for re-election won’t be able to oppose it.
April 20th, 2007 at 2:55 pmoff topic, but/
Get busy ya’ll:
APRIL 28 NATIONWIDE IMPEACHMENT ACTIONS
April 20th, 2007 at 3:05 pmhttp://www.a28.org/
INVESTIGATE
April 20th, 2007 at 3:16 pmIMPEACH
INCARCERATE
IMPOVERISH
when you conduct your proxtology exams
Comment by valiant venus 326
…Yet another ruined legal scholar and ‘gradiate’ sic of…
…Pat Robertson Law Factory and Conned’self-serving Cookie-cutters Academy…
…”proxtology”…
…um um um…
…I suppose it IS in the “vicinity”…
April 20th, 2007 at 3:27 pmGo Waxman Go! The sooner the better. Turn that rock over so we can see the insects flee!
April 20th, 2007 at 3:30 pmAnd all at once, the cries of a million conservative scholars beginning to weap was heard; the rest of them were too busy drinking beer and watching nascar races on their TV boxes.
April 20th, 2007 at 4:23 pmconservative scholars…isn’t that an oxymoron
April 20th, 2007 at 4:37 pmCongressman Waxman is a credit to his country. Maybe he should run for President.
April 20th, 2007 at 5:25 pmComment by Karim #40
…let’s draw some “blood” first…
April 20th, 2007 at 5:34 pmMy question is, when is Waxman going on the Daily Show? He appears to be a fan. He should go.
April 20th, 2007 at 7:13 pmWaxMAN – Your oversight committee will have alot of steam (and more credibility) when you conduct your proxtology exams of Dianne Fiensteins’ and Maxine Waters’ business affairs. Lets clean up all of government – not just the Repub portion.
comment by vermin venus
Are we to believe you were posting similar letters when the Rethugs were chairing committees and especially when Joel Hefley, a Reagan Repub, was removed by Porker of the House Hastert just for doing his job as Chairman of the Ethics Committee by admonishing Tom Delay for ethics violations? Oh, yeah, Mighty Hypocrite!
April 20th, 2007 at 8:07 pm#26 — WTH is a “proxtology” (sic) exam? Who is Diane Fienstein (sic)?
April 21st, 2007 at 5:45 pm