Rep. Congress Starting to Stir Out of Oversight Slumber

[JPZenger]

The following are excerpts from a feature in the July 16, 2006 Phila. Inquirer by the paper's political analyst Dick Polman.

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/15047167.htm

...Norman Ornstein, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute ...considers the Bush-era Congress to be the worst he has seen, in terms of its disinterest in oversight. He said, "These people have long thought of themselves as foot soldiers in the president's army, and their view is that oversight is something to avoid, lest they find something that might embarrass the administration. I don't see a single sign that this attitude will substantively change."

...One yardstick is the behavior of a key oversight panel, the House Government Reform Committee. Congressional scholars have determined that, between 1995 and 2000, when Bill Clinton was in office, the GOP-run panel issued roughly 1,050 subpoenas to the administration. But since Bush came to power, it has issued none.

Another telling statistic was reported late last year by the Boston Globe. Citing House records, it found that, in the mid-'90s, the GOP Congress took 140 hours of testimony on whether Clinton used his Christmas card list to find potential campaign donors. By contrast, in 2004 and 2005, House Republicans took 12 hours of testimony about the prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib."

[Patchuli]

1. This part

"Another telling statistic was reported late last year by the Boston Globe. Citing House records, it found that, in the mid-'90s, the GOP Congress took 140 hours of testimony on whether Clinton used his Christmas card list to find potential campaign donors. By contrast, in 2004 and 2005, House Republicans took 12 hours of testimony about the prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib."

is especially revolting. What stinking lying pieces of human refuse. To hell with your fellow human beings? They don't count if they aren't like you???????? Christmas cards vs. torture. Hmmm, OK repubs. You take the cake.

:puke:

[Old and In the Way]

2. It's called mid-term elections.

Of course, Republicans assumed that Iraq would be a cakewalk, because that's what this administration told them. Had it gone to plan, CXongressional Republicans would be happily rubberstamping the imperial pResident. It's every congressperson for themselves right now...time to look like they are doing something.

[rurallib]

3. Yep - only when their own asses are on the line do they wake up

If their re-elected it'll be even worse than it was as the scramble to kiss the next Mr.Big's butt starts.

[Monkeyman]

5. If they are Re-Elected find me an Island somewhere

[jwirr]

4. If they are so damn awake then when are they going to demand

the their little toady *ss get someone over there to negotiate a peace in the ME? Preferably some former Democrat who knows what peace is.

[madrchsod]

6. bullshit-they are not doing anything

they are not doing anything but rolling over..if they did wake up they would find out their nightmares are real.
everyone in the world knows bush is powerless but them..

[William Seger]

7. It won't matter

Bush*Co has already informed them that they are irrelevant. They can "oversight" all they want -- Bush*Co will continue keeping secrets from them and continue ignoring any attempt to contain the King.

Congress needs to impeach, or just go home.