Condoleezza Rice is obnoxious to House Dems., and one responds.

[Eric J in MN]

Condoleezza Rice, the National Security Advisor, gave a briefing to members of Congress about the war in Iraq on April 22, 2004. This is proper. But she managed to turn the event into something obnoxous. She excluded House Democrats, thereby slighting almost half of Congress and the millions of people they represent.

Congresswoman Betty McCollum (D-MN) discusses this in a letter to the editor published in the Minneaoplis Star Tribune on April 27, 2004:

Last week Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives were given a closed-door briefing by Condoleezza Rice, President Bush's national security adviser, about the Iraq war, the extension of duty for U.S. troops and the June 30 handover of Iraqi sovereignty. Democrats in Congress were not invited and not allowed to participate.

Together, Reps. Martin Sabo, James Oberstar, Collin Peterson and I represent almost 2.5 million Minnesotans, including U.S. troops, reservists and National Guardsmen and women serving in Iraq, as well as their families here at home. Our nation is at war, yet our Republican colleagues are privileged to national security briefings while Democrats are shut out. It appears the Bush administration and the Republicans in Congress don't want to inform us about the situation in Iraq.

Our troops and their families have my support, but my constituents and I deserve to know if President Bush has a plan for a war that is costing hundreds of American lives, thousands of Iraqi lives and $4.7 billion per month. Minnesotans should expect their members of Congress, whether Democrat or Republican, to be given equal, not separate and unequal, access to briefings on this vital national security issue.

Rep. Betty McCollum,

Washington, D.C.

http://www.moveleft.com/moveleft_essay_2004_04_27_condoleezza_brieifing_iraq_republicans_only.asp

[rumguy]

1. their contempt for democracy knows no bounds

[wtmusic]

2. wha?!!

this is outrageous. Is democracy gone for good???

[maggrwaggr]

3. wow. Here I go again -- "this should be big news"

sigh.

Michael Jackson firing his attorneys is much more important, I know, I know .....

[countmyvote4real]

5. Agree. Why isn't anybody else talking about this?

I know why the media ignores it, but what about the Dems from the other states? Were they given an invitation to Disney World or something like that?

[ashling]

10. The significance of the Micael J. story is that

even a person indicted for child molestation has rights. That's the way it goes in the real world.

In a world run by a Republican Congress and a Republican occupant of the White House, Democrats have no rights.

Remember the song the British played when they surrendered to Washington at Yorktown: The World Turned Upside Down.

:dem:

[crossroads]

4. This shun needs to be highly publicized

after all... fully 1/2 of voting Americans are Democrats (Remember 2000?)

[AgadorSparticus]

6. fucking bullshit media!!!

i'm so pissed!!! ARRRGH!!!!!:grr:

[Eric J in MN]

17. The obnoxiosness of Bush and his associates doesn't get

The obnoxiosness of Bush and his associates doesn't get enough media coverage.

[The_Casual_Observer]

7. Dem response should be a punch in the nose.

[Toucano]

8. Intolerable! n/t

[BeyondGeography]

9. And they supposedly hate us for our "freedom"

What a joke. Fuck off, Condescending Rice.

[proud patriot]

11. ummm ..Isn't that illegal ?

This takes taxation without representation
to a whole new level don't ya think ?

[uhhuh]

12. This is it

I've had it! We have to create our own media.
We have to organize groups of people around the country to appear at events where the BFEE are in attendance, and ask the questions the media won't. We then have to compile these reports, and blog the hell out of them , submit them to alternative media outlets, as well as the mainstream, and get it out there.
If we horn in on their business, and shame them with a show of how journalism is done, they may start doing their jobs.

In addition, I will once again propose the idea I have suggested before.
I think we need to assail journos in the field, and shove a microphone in their faces and a camera and ask them why they REFUSE to cover the biggest stories of our time?
We must provide concise points and facts, and then push for a response.
These are not anonymous citizens. If these people want to think they are celebrities, and "special", they can get the celebrity treatment.
"paparazzi shots", loaded questions rapid fired from up close and at a distance, endless pursuit for an answer, etc.
I am not encouraging abuse or harassment, but an honest quest for the truth.
A few thousand folks, armed with good questions, and a simple camera and microphone setup, ala Michael Moore, could get a lot done.

[maggrwaggr]

16. I'm with you. They have no accountability

And they're in love with their own bank accounts and their own fame.

They've been bought and corrupted.

[Hornito]

13. Further proof that a dictatorship was installed in December of

2000. These people are so filled with hubris and guile. They certainly aren't acting like people who might possibly lose the upcoming election. What do they know, we don't? BBV? Osama and WMDs both found in September? Another "terrorist" attack? What? Never, in the history of this nation, has the majority party ever treated the opposition with such utter contempt and discourtesy.

If, somehow, we are able to win in November, we should extract paybacks of the most severe kind. To hell with all this "bringing the nation together" crap. They need to taste the whip they've been wielding.

[leftofthedial]

14. this is outrageous

it was a campaign strategy briefing on our dime.

I can't even imagine a punishment comensurate with the crimes of these bastards.

[napi21]

15. So where is Pelosi? and the rest of the dems?

I see them on TV all the time complaining about things. Where are they this time?