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Edited on Mon Jun-06-05 11:37 AM by Algorem
bout the Downing Street Memo and the revelation of that crucial phrase about the intelligence being fixed to shape a reason to go to war in Iraq.Tell me what your reaction is to what's happening out there now in the American public,the reaction to this memo and the feeling on the part of many that the administration lied to the American people.")
Well,there's an unusual thing happening in two respects.One,is that,excluding you and a few others,there's a great reluctance on the media to want to inquire to inquire into a matter as serious as this.
This abuse can be a constitutional one that could have grave ramifications.But,among the American people,and our polls show it,nationally and in my state of Michigan,most people would like us to resolve this war as quickly as possible and get the folks out,our folks out.
And this question revealing that there may have been secret plans for a war while the president and his cabinet were assuring us that they were looking for every other means to get into war,rather,than to get out of war,is pretty serious if it's accurate and there's no desire to want to go there,and I think it's very important.
It reminds me of the Vietnam episode of how citizen power finally forced our government to leave Vietnam.Reminds me of how things built up around the impeachment of President Nixon which was considered out of the question in view of the fact that he had been reelected by a far more substantial margin than one state.
And so what we're trying to figure out is why is there is such a lack of opposition among those who feel that this should go further.And on the other side of it ,Dianne, is the very serious problem of a president who refuses to honestly communicate with not just one member of Congress;a lot of us have sent letters to get people in the White House to respond.
And then we have in addition 89 members of Congress,and you get these reactions-"Uh,this is old stuff."Well it isn't old stuff,we never had a declassified British intelligence memo before the the Sunday London Times released it.
We knew that former Secretary of Treasury O'Neil and security officers and weapons inspectors have all said that there was a war being planned much earlier than the president received Congressional support for increased military action.But it's slow coming and I think it tells us a not very happy part of our political process in here in this country.
(Question-"Have you and your colleagues asked the White House for information specifically about this Downing Street Memo and have you received specific answers?")
Yes we have asked for a meeting and a response and we've been brushed off,we don't have anything yet.
(Question-"How serious do you believe this information to be?")
Well the first thing is that by them not responding to it and dismissing it gives it ,to me, a credibility that nobody can give it but president Bush and the White House itself.And so I think the fact that there may have been and likely was,as many have written before but we couldn't do this with O'Neil or weapons inspectors or security people in the United States.
Here was declassified notes with the prime minister who is here in Washington today to meet with the president and both of them are together and you would think that somebody would say "Well let's just tell them what happened."
That's all we're looking for.And I can't put the fullest weight on this matter until I finnd out what it is they tell me."
Host-"Congressman John Conyers,Democrat of Michigan,thank you so much for joining us sir and good luck to you."
Conyers-"And thank you so much for dealing with this difficult subject."
Host-"Thank you so much,Martin Walker,last word,quickly."
Walker-"Congressman Conyers on his website has got a ,the chance to sign up to a petition saying you want to join him in this concern,so far the last count,over 90,000 signatures.That's the kind of pressure that might be needed now."(end)
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