Feith Chickens Out Of Congressional Hearing On Torture, Refuses To Appear With Wilkerson
Feith Chickens Out Of Congressional Hearing On Torture, Refuses To Appear With Wilkerson
Today, the House Judiciary subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Rights held a hearing on abusive interrogation to look at the role of administration lawyers in crafting policies allowing the torture of detainees.
Former Undersecretary of Defense Douglas Feith was scheduled to testify today about his role in vigorously pushing to eliminate the standards of the Geneva Conventions and making the detention camp at Guantanamo Bay a “Geneva-free zone.” However, at the opening of the hearing, subcommittee chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) declared that Feith “withdrew from the hearing.” Nadler explained:
Despite his prior commitment to testify, this morning, Mr. Feith informed this committee through his counsel that he would not appear today because he is not willing to appear alongside one of our other witnesses.
Watch it:
Sources on Capitol Hill told ThinkProgress that Feith was afraid to appear with Colin Powell’s former chief of staff Lawrence Wilkerson, who was also testifying today. After leaving the State Department in protest over Bush’s policies, Wilkerson became an outspoken critic of Bush’s foreign policy and aggressively criticized Feith’s incompetence. From a speech to the New America Foundation in 2005:
Undersecretary of Defense Douglas Feith, whom most of you probably know Tommy Franks said was the stupidest blankety-blank man in the world. He was. Let me testify to that. He was. Seldom in my life have I met a dumber man.
Nadler emphasized that Feith would “appear before this committee before too much time has elapsed,” adding, “We will reschedule a hearing at which Feith will appear so he can elucidate his testimony on this issue.”
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Won’t appear “alongside another witness”…
won’t testify under oath…
won’t testify with a transcript…
These WH guys are total p*ssies. Who’da thunk it?
June 18th, 2008 at 3:09 pmOn the other hand, I guess it’s consistent with their whole “talking with no preconditions” thing…
June 18th, 2008 at 3:10 pmFeith has always been sort of a big wuss.
June 18th, 2008 at 3:12 pmChickenshit Chickenhawks aren’t men enough to serve, nor are they men enough to come forward when a critic is present.
Fi Feith Fo Fum, I smell the stink of NeoCon scum
June 18th, 2008 at 3:12 pmROFL….And another one bite’s the dust….These folk’s are all the same….Labotamies for Republican’s, it should be the law….Blessings
June 18th, 2008 at 3:13 pmIs it possible that there is just too much going-ons in the Chimpy administration that no matter what issue addressed, it will lead to an opening of Pandora’s Box, and just about everyone will be implicated?
June 18th, 2008 at 3:13 pm.
So I CAN conspire to commit acts of torture AND refuse to testify at my leisure with impunity… ?
.
June 18th, 2008 at 3:15 pmSimilar to Norman Podhoretz, who regularly refuses to appear on a panel with anyone critical of his warmongering.
June 18th, 2008 at 3:15 pmOHHH Dougie, Ye of little ‘Feith’!
What a Scumbag, Chickenhawk NeoCon Arsehole.
Ooops, that was redundant, My Bad!
June 18th, 2008 at 3:16 pmAnd Congress does what about this dis-respect? …crickets…
June 18th, 2008 at 3:16 pmD. Feith is a WAR CRIMINAL. He is also a coward!
June 18th, 2008 at 3:19 pmFeith is not only stupid, he’s a liar and a coward. Lately he’s been telling anybody who’ll listen that all of the pre-war claims being made by the neocons didn’t actually happen, that they were misunderstood. unf**king believable.
http://progressiveworldreview.com
June 18th, 2008 at 3:20 pmRunning and hiding because you don’t like your classmate?
How intelligent.
Like I’ve said before, it’s not easy making Tommy Franks look so smart.
June 18th, 2008 at 3:20 pmSTOP rescheduling and send the sergeant of arms after him. Isn’t this contempt of Congress?
June 18th, 2008 at 3:20 pmWell, he can testify tomorrow, or another day; it won’t matter much. Today or tomorrow, he’ll still be the stupidest blankety-blank man in the world. If he were to die before testifying, then Sean Hannity or Michael Reagan will be able to vie for the title.
June 18th, 2008 at 3:21 pmThis is one of the guys who needs his ass handed to him on some shape or form.
June 18th, 2008 at 3:22 pmStupidest man in the world? How can he say that? It’s just silly. Has he met every stupid man in the world?
June 18th, 2008 at 3:22 pmPearlPodFeithOwitzistalMan
June 18th, 2008 at 3:24 pmDon’t worry… his day will come and he will be facing a tribunal!
June 18th, 2008 at 3:25 pmWhen they reschedule their hearing with Feith they should make sure to also schedule a recently released detainee to ask how he enjoyed Doug’s Feith Based Initiative and ask Dougie how he helped come up with such innovative techniques. I’d like almost nothing better than to see this sh1tstain of a human being sit face to face with one of the unfortunate former detainees. Now THAT would be some TV entertainment!
June 18th, 2008 at 3:25 pmHas he met every stupid man in the world?
Getting every Republican male together at once would be difficult.
June 18th, 2008 at 3:26 pmI watched him shilling his ‘book’ on the Daily Show a week or so ago and it was SOOOOO fun to watch him squirm when Jon even hit him a few softballs. I really think he flet sorry for th little feller.
I wonder how he will stand up to Sen. Reed, probably will wet himself. Heh Heh
June 18th, 2008 at 3:28 pmMr. Feith informed this committee through his counsel that he would not appear today because he is not willing to appear alongside one of our other witnesses.
Well, then let’s water board him to get the information!
June 18th, 2008 at 3:29 pmAfter all, it’s not torture. It’s just a mindless little fraternity prank!
rmwarnick Says:
Stupidest man in the world? How can he say that? It’s just silly. Has he met every stupid man in the world?
Wellll, a couple new posters here might also be in the running for that most coveted of titles.
June 18th, 2008 at 3:29 pm“Feith Chickens Out Of Congressional Hearing On Torture”…
Well, what do you expect from a chickenhawk?
June 18th, 2008 at 3:34 pmCowardice on a scale unimaginable.
June 18th, 2008 at 3:37 pmWaaahhh, he said mean things about me! Waaaahhhh!
“Undersecretary of Defense Douglas Feith, whom most of you probably know Tommy Franks said was the stupidest blankety-blank man in the world. He was. Let me testify to that. He was. Seldom in my life have I met a dumber man.”
He had lots of company.
June 18th, 2008 at 3:38 pmWTF? Strap his butt to a chair and don’t let him up until he provides satisfying answers. And the same for every one of Bush’s squirming worms who continue to defy the Will of the People.
ENOUGH!
June 18th, 2008 at 3:39 pmFlash! Wilkerson’s a meany. And I’m not going to be in the same room with such a meany. So Nanner nanner boo boo!
June 18th, 2008 at 3:42 pmNadler emphasized that Feith would “appear before this committee before too much time has elapsed,” adding, “We will reschedule a hearing at which Feith will appear so he can elucidate his testimony on this issue.”
Can you please be honest to us , Mr Nadler ?
You should have just said that Feith will appear alone , so no one can counter his bullshit claims………..
June 18th, 2008 at 3:42 pmI’m sick and tired of Democrats catering to the convenience of these criminals…This is why they get no respect and that their threats have no substance…you have to follow through with your threats…
June 18th, 2008 at 3:43 pmDon’t know why everyone is surprised that a person who’s principle loyalty lies with israel would do such a thing. It is no different than any of the other dual citizenship jews have done while part of this administration.
I can’t believe the American people are still fooled at all by thier duplicity and traitorous behavior.
June 18th, 2008 at 3:44 pm#14-
I agree. Why in the world did the House Judiciary subcommittee not subpoena Feith which would have COMPELLED him to testify? Perhaps the next time the Democrats can grovel on their hands and knees so as not to offend the sensibilities of anyone in this administration. This is not that surprising, unfortunately, considering that the majority of the Democrats are against impeachment, despite the fact that this may may be the most corrupt and criminal administration in this country’s history. This reinforces what Gore Vidal has pointed out in the past, that the United States has two major parties, the right wing and the extreme right wing.
June 18th, 2008 at 3:50 pmNot that our Congress really wants the answers or accountability, but why diddle around with invitations. These aren’t supposed to be cotillions with an RSVP. These criminals will require subpoenas, not invitations.
June 18th, 2008 at 3:50 pmSorry to be so completely off topic but this is vitally important!
http://www.salon.com/ opinion/ greenwald/ 2008/ 06/ 17/ hoyer/ index.html?source=newsletter
Steny Hoyer is Behind the push for amnesty to telecomms and he MUST be STOPPED!
Thanks.
June 18th, 2008 at 3:56 pmAnother bail out of testimony from one of the Sith Lord Administration’s cronies. One minute Fieth criticizes the Administration and now he bails out on testimony. I did read Wilkerson’s testimony. Feith is dumb as doorknobs as like the Bubble boy in office.
June 18th, 2008 at 4:01 pmContact Steny here:
Contact
Rep. Steny Hoyer House Majority Leader, H-107 Capitol Building, Washington, D.C. 20515 • 202.225.3130
If you are trying to reach my Maryland 5th District offices, please visit my district contact page.
And after you’ve let him Know your displeasure… Donate what you can here:
June 18th, 2008 at 4:04 pmhttp://www.actblue.com/page/fisa
rogerse Says:
He wrote a well-reviewed tell-all, can’t he be forgiven?.
HAHAHA! Good one, Roger2. I do take that as a humorous comment, right?
All the more reason for him to testify and explain some of the asinine statements in that ‘book’.
Scottie is going to and I think when Wilkerson and Scottie are done, so will Dougie, fried to a crisp. He may well be the next scapegoat BushCo hands to the public but I think he may actually do time as no one in the Cabal really likes him, unlike Scooter.
June 18th, 2008 at 4:05 pmAs long as bush doesn’t get impeached, a future prez could round all these cowards up and secretly imprison them indefinately. Each morning they could read their own secret memos justifying their incarceration.
June 18th, 2008 at 4:09 pmBut since Douglas Feith is a Disciple of Judas, doesn’t that make him okay?
June 18th, 2008 at 4:23 pmCongress made Roger Clemens sit next to his trainer, Brian McNamee, after the trainer publicly called Clemens a liar. I’m sure they didn’t feel comfortable sitting at the same table. Why should Doug Feith get any special consideration?
June 18th, 2008 at 4:27 pmBob Says:
As long as bush doesn’t get impeached, a future prez could round all these cowards up and secretly imprison them indefinately. Each morning they could read their own secret memos justifying their incarceration.
June 18th, 2008 at 4:09 pm
Now that would be Justice.
June 18th, 2008 at 4:28 pmGod Bless Colonel Lawrence B. Wilkerson, soldier, citizen, American. Here’s to the man with the brass to speak the truth to power, and the conviction and courage to do it. This is a quote from the end of his testimony, everybody, and I Do me Everybody, should follow the link and read it:
“There is bad leadership enough to sink a battleship, poor decision-making, a dysfunctional bureaucracy, and a President too removed from the day-to-day details of a war he essentially declared himself, with the help of a Congress acting largely as a rubber stamp. As a student and teacher of every president’s decision-making since Truman, I find the
present circumstances rich ground to plow. There are unique insights available with every president, but none so full of such insights into failure as the current one.”
That’s from the end of his testimony, and its All like this. Here’s to the Colonel, retired, yet serving his country still!
June 18th, 2008 at 4:28 pmImpeach Pelosi, Cheney and Bush, Save the Constitution and Put America Right!
rogerse Says:
——————————————————————————–
He wrote a well-reviewed tell-all, can’t he be forgiven?.
June 18th, 2008 at 3:59 pm
“Well reviewed” by whom ?
You 19%’ers who still blindly , stupidly and stubbornly still adore this garbage administration ?
BTW
RogerRoger
A “tell all” is exactly that ; it “tells all” about everything.
Feith’s load of crap book is a sorry attempt to exonerate himself and lay blame at everyone elses feet…………
June 18th, 2008 at 4:29 pmIs the McCain mentioned in the story the 2000 McCain or the nominee McCain? He has since flip flopped on torture and now agrees with it.
June 18th, 2008 at 4:34 pmChickenhawk = chickensh!t.
June 18th, 2008 at 4:42 pmZimzone, I used the same phrasing - sorry to step on your towes.
June 18th, 2008 at 4:42 pmtoes.
June 18th, 2008 at 4:43 pm#44 - I agree. He slapped it to the administration.
June 18th, 2008 at 4:52 pmWhy do the trollish types feel compelled to defend every loser Bushco has cast off? The neocons have written this guy off. Especially after his book pimping circuit when he made a complete rump of himself on every venue willing to stick a mic in his face.
From the excerpts and comments, I would say Doogie could have titled his book, “I didn’t do it, except the stuff when the big kids dared me but most of that never happened”. So far as I can tell his great tome has a net content of zero. I might pick it up from the library some day to see if it’s as bad as it sounds. But, I don’t see any need to read it to arrive at my own conclusion that Doogie is an idiot who did harm to our country.
June 18th, 2008 at 4:55 pmThe only way Feith would sound intelligent is if he was appearing with someone diagnosed as severely retarded. The few times I’ve seen this guy being interviewed, he always looks like a deer in front of the headlights. Idiotic and immoral. No wonder he wound up in the Bush administration. Good fit!
June 18th, 2008 at 4:57 pmrogerse Says:
He wrote a well-reviewed tell-all, can’t he be forgiven?.
a great man once said that the only review that matters is your own. can’t you even take the time to read the book for yourself?
(question mark, period?)
*
June 18th, 2008 at 5:00 pmForgive Doogie? Let’s wait till he appears under oath. 300 pages of “I didn’t do it” doesn’t exonerate him.
June 18th, 2008 at 5:46 pmHe’s afraid they’ll put panties on his head.
June 18th, 2008 at 5:54 pmIs he scared of something that’s really dangerous or just of being exposed as a complete and utter jerk? Hasn’t he gotten that already — that he is a turkey of the highest order? Is this going to be devasting new news that will send him to putting his head in the oven?
Or is he just trying to cover what little shame he has left?
June 18th, 2008 at 6:12 pmMaybe he though Jon Stewart would be there?
June 18th, 2008 at 6:59 pmOops! “thought”
June 18th, 2008 at 7:04 pm“FEITH: I think that we did not. I don’t think that administration officials purposely overstated, I do think there were errors made in the presentation and the main error was of course relying on the CIA’s assessment that we would find not just the chemical and biological weapons programs, but actual stockpiles.”
Well then lets see what Drumheller, the CIA’s top man in Europe has to say! Seems he’s calling wingnut extremists Bush and Feith LIARS!!! Live on 60 Minutes video at link below…
“(CBS) When no weapons of mass destruction surfaced in Iraq, President Bush insisted that all those WMD claims before the war were the result of faulty intelligence. But a former top CIA official, Tyler Drumheller — a 26-year veteran of the agency — has decided to do something CIA officials at his level almost never do: Speak out.
He tells correspondent Ed Bradley the real failure was not in the intelligence community but in the White House. He says he saw how the Bush administration, time and again, welcomed intelligence that fit the president’s determination to go to war and turned a blind eye to intelligence that did not.
“It just sticks in my craw every time I hear them say it’s an intelligence failure. It’s an intelligence failure. This was a policy failure,” Drumheller tells Bradley.
Drumheller was the CIA’s top man in Europe, the head of covert operations there, until he retired a year ago. He says he saw firsthand how the White House promoted intelligence it liked and ignored intelligence it didn’t:
“The idea of going after Iraq was U.S. policy. It was going to happen one way or the other,” says Drumheller.
Drumheller says he doesn’t think it mattered very much to the administration what the intelligence community had to say. “I think it mattered it if verified. This basic belief that had taken hold in the U.S. government that now is the time, we had the means, all we needed was the will,” he says.”
http://www.cbsnews.com/ stories/ 2006/ 04/ 21/ 60minutes/ main1527749.shtml
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June 18th, 2008 at 7:43 pmYes,#6 you are precisely right.
June 18th, 2008 at 10:26 pmI guess the reason they kept Feith around was so that Bush could at least occasionally be the adult in the room.
June 18th, 2008 at 11:28 pmIt is people like this in the Bush Adm that agetted in sending troops into war (not as a last resort) and they are so weak that they cannot stand uo and face questions from Congress?
It is not like a roadside bomb going off under their car now is it?
If our troops chose not to do their job as the Bush Crew, then what?
June 19th, 2008 at 2:17 amTo call this man chicken sh!t is an insult to avian excrement. What is it with the Republicans that fear drives their every action?
June 19th, 2008 at 2:31 amGee whiz, another Israel-firster in hot water?
Don’t worry - nothing bad will happen to him.
Would you silly Americans stop paying attention and bomb Iran already for us?
Thanks,
AIPAC
not my blog; relevant though:
June 19th, 2008 at 2:47 pmhttp://www.philipweiss.org/
He will be remembered for having determined that Saddam Hussein and Al-Qaeda had a “mature symbiotic relationship”.
June 19th, 2008 at 6:15 pmI’m still waiting for him to be arrested for filtering false Israeli intelligence through his “Office of Special Plans” to the White House to justify the preemptive attack on Iraq.
I’ll bet he has that sweat above his upper lip he always gets when he’s cornered.
June 19th, 2008 at 11:26 pm