After a series of embarrassing disclosures, Congress is reconsidering its relatively lenient oversight of the Bush administration. Lawmakers have been caught by surprise by several recent reports, including the existence of secret U.S. prisons abroad, the CIA's detention overseas of innocent foreign nationals, and, last week, the discovery that the military has been engaged in domestic spying. After five years in which the GOP-controlled House and Senate undertook few investigations into the administration's activities, the legislative branch has begun to complain about being in the dark.

On Friday, after learning that the National Security Agency was eavesdropping on conversations in the United States, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) said that the activity was "wrong and it can't be condoned at all," and that his committee "can undertake oversight on it." That same day, the House approved a resolution that would direct the administration to provide House and Senate intelligence committees with classified reports on the secret U.S. prisons overseas. Democrats have long complained about a dearth of congressional investigations into Bush administration activities, but their criticism has been gaining validation from others after the botched response to Hurricane Katrina, problems in Iraq and ethical lapses.

Lawrence B. Wilkerson, former chief of staff to Secretary of State Colin L. Powell, said this fall that "the people's representatives over on the Hill in that other branch of government have truly abandoned their oversight responsibilities and have let things atrophy to the point that if we don't do something about it, it's going to get even more dangerous than it already is." In an interview last week, Rep. Thomas M. Davis III (R-Va.), chairman of the House Government Reform Committee, said "it's a fair comment" that the GOP-controlled Congress has done insufficient oversight and "ought to be" doing more.

"Republican Congresses tend to overinvestigate Democratic administrations and underinvestigate their own," said Davis, who added that he has tried to pick up some of the slack with his committee. "I get concerned we lose our separation of powers when one party controls both branches." Democrats on the committee said the panel issued 1,052 subpoenas to probe alleged misconduct by the Clinton administration and the Democratic Party between 1997 and 2002, at a cost of more than $35 million. By contrast, the committee under Davis has issued three subpoenas to the Bush administration, two to the Energy Department over nuclear waste disposal at Yucca Mountain, and one last week to the Defense Department over Katrina documents. Some experts on Congress say that the legislative branch has shed much of its oversight authority because of a combination of aggressive actions by the Bush administration, acquiescence by congressional leaders, and political demands that keep lawmakers out of Washington more than before. "I do not think you can argue today that Congress is a coequal branch of government; it is not," said Lee H. Hamilton, president of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Hamilton, a former Democratic congressman and vice chairman of the Sept. 11 commission, told reporters this month: "It has basically lost the war-making power.

more
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/17/AR2005121700992.html

You shadow all your political enemies and anyone else you don't like.

If he knew this, you know Powell knew.

For shame on all the crooks.

Congress is thinking about maybe doing it's job after 5 years.

Term limits are needed, NOW.

"Democrats on the committee said the panel issued 1,052 subpoenas to probe alleged misconduct by the Clinton administration and the Democratic Party between 1997 and 2002, at a cost of more than $35 million. By contrast, the committee under Davis has issued three subpoenas to the Bush administration, two to the Energy Department over nuclear waste disposal at Yucca Mountain, and one last week to the Defense Department over Katrina documents."

that peace and prosperity. Clinton and his damn progressive ideas.

(Not that I thought he was really progressive at all...he gave away our national forests, gutted our social welfare programs and although there are fewer people on the rolls, there are lots more that are hungry every day and night)

Whereas when one is stealing everything in sight, there should never be any oversight or everyone will know.
:sarcasm:

And Davis claims his committee is trying to pick up some of the slack! Just how stupid does he think "the American people" are?




:crazy:

"Republicans have made a mockery of oversight," said Rep. Henry A. Waxman (Calif.), the committee's ranking Democrat. "There was nothing too small to be investigated in the Clinton administration and there's nothing so big that it can't be ignored in the Bush administration."

Ain't it the truth. Someone moves furniture around in the White House and it gets its own investigation. Bush grants himself dictatorial powers and no one can be bothered to look into it.

At least the cracks are finally starting to show.

It is staggering what has happened in the last five years. Who knew it could get this bad?

while we still have a country. 'Tis going down fast and time is running out.

but Rep. Dennis Hastert (R-IL) is Speaker of the House.

Now, the hometown referees may be starting to wake up. As an aside I was startled when Bush expressed his anger over the leak regarding the NSA domestic spying activities. Where is all that anger concerning Plamegate? Just no comment while there is an ongoing investigation.

so i'm expecting 'em to be all of a sudden really concerned about peoples 'rights'.

TRANSLATION:

Republicans scared shitless that they will all lose their jobs and that the Democrats will sweep the House and Senate, and that 4 days later the Impeachment proceedings will begin.

WIthout Rove and Delay these guys all run around like a bunch of chickens with their heads chopped off..

(THAT was a METAPHOR for you NSA assholes, and Mr Gonzales.. yeah, you're an asshole too.)

...After a series of embarrassing disclosures, Congress is reconsidering its relatively lenient oversight of the Bush administration. Lawmakers have been caught by surprise by several recent reports, including the existence of secret U.S. prisons abroad, the CIA's detention overseas of innocent foreign nationals, and, last week, the discovery that the military has been engaged in domestic spying. After five years in which the GOP-controlled House and Senate undertook few investigations into the administration's activities, the legislative branch has begun to complain about being in the dark.

....."I do not think you can argue today that Congress is a coequal branch of government; it is not," said Lee H. Hamilton, president of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Hamilton, a former Democratic congressman and vice chairman of the Sept. 11 commission, told reporters this month: "It has basically lost the war-making power.

"In an interview last week, Rep. Thomas M. Davis III (R-Va.), chairman of the House Government Reform Committee, said "it's a fair comment" that the GOP-controlled Congress has done insufficient oversight and "ought to be" doing more.

"Republican Congresses tend to overinvestigate Democratic administrations and underinvestigate their own," said Davis, who added that he has tried to pick up some of the slack with his committee. "I get concerned we lose our separation of powers when one party controls both branches."

Democrats on the committee said the panel issued 1,052 subpoenas to probe alleged misconduct by the Clinton administration and the Democratic Party between 1997 and 2002, at a cost of more than $35 million. By contrast, the committee under Davis has issued three subpoenas to the Bush administration, two to the Energy Department over nuclear waste disposal at Yucca Mountain, and one last week to the Defense Department over Katrina documents."

Nice to see some hard facts on the Republican rubberstampers in Congress. They are the true cowards. They have the majority control and are either too compromised, too afraid, or in bed with this administration to do their job of oversight. That's OK...their abication of their responsibilities to do their job on investigating this administration so as to provide short term cover for the criminal enterprise known as the Republican Syndicate, will hasten their demise.