Democrats Query Gonzales on Plame Investigation

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=615&ncid=703&e=8&u=/nm/20050415/pl_nm/security_plame_dc

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats on the House of Representatives intelligence panel have asked Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to explain why no government officials have been charged in a federal probe into the 2003 disclosure of a CIA operative's identity.

A letter, dated April 14 and signed by the committee's nine Democratic members, expressed "grave concern" that no charges have resulted from the grand jury investigation into whether the Bush administration illegally leaked the CIA officer's name to the media.

"Given that Mr. Fitzgerald has publicly acknowledged that the factual investigation of the Novak disclosure is complete, we request that you brief the committee on the matter and provide an explanation as to why no charges have been brought," the Democrats' letter said.

"I have every confidence in the world that (Fitzgerald is) proceeding on a basis that he thinks is appropriate, and that at the appropriate time (the) matter will come to a head," Gonzales said.

We should be blanketing the media with this kind of stuff on Mondays & Tuesdays and riding the wave for a whole news cycle instead of late in the week heading into the dead news weekend.

Don't get me wrong, it's better than nothing but we really need to work on maximizing our returns.

Look at how the networks and the Congress is respecting bloggers. WE ARE THE NEW MEDIA and they KNOW it!

So, lets all work together and write op-eds, make phone calls, and organize local grassroots and get some truly ethical people in office. Check out the http://www.democracycellproject.net because it is exactly about those things as well as EMPOWERMENT! The key word. They also have a book club and chat and numerous other ways to organize and not wait until 2006. The time to hit the streets running is NOW, not then!

Goddam politeness and collegiality is a sucker's game!

:grr:

Well, then why don't we get a US Attorney to issue one. Oops, they can be fired by the AG. Well, what about an Independent Counsel. !@#$!, let that law lapse back in '99.

Spitzer! Yah, a nice local Grand Jury -- let it run whereever the truth takes it. Naw, the Prosecutor wants to run for higher office.

Got any alternatives? The World Court and every self-respecting national government around the world can indict the WHOLE LOT of war criminals, torturers, and genocidal commanders in the * Administration. If that happens, do you really think the US Army is going to stand in the way of another Nuremberg trial?

I don't.

Worth a shot.

However, these powers may be being held in abeyance pending global thermonuclear war, Senate-wise.


Committee rules also provide the minority extraordinary powers
through the vice chairman. Our rules emphasize and confirm the unique
authorities of the minority and the bipartisan nature of the
Intelligence Committee and its distinction from the other committees of
the Senate. Let me give you some examples.

Rule 2 of the committee's Rules of Procedure permits the vice
chairman to preside over the committee.

Rule 2 also permits meetings to occur without the presence of a
majority member of the committee.

Rule 6 actually permits the vice chairman to authorize a committee
investigation.

Rule 7 actually permits the vice chairman to issue a subpoena.

Rule 8 actually permits the vice chairman to authorize witness
interrogation by committee staff.


:nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke:


http://www.fas.org/irp/congress/2003_cr/s011403.html

Ignoring this should not be a gift for letting the filibuster stand.

Let the roll-call-votes and points of order and information, etc. kill 'em.

n/t