Obama's Hearing Problem

[MethuenProgressive]

http://www.thewashingtonnote.com/archives/002909.php

Obama's Hearing Problem
February 28, 2008
Obama's Hearing Problem

In December, I did some research into how Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton each used legislative machinery at their disposal in the Senate to get some sense of their "executive abilities". For some reason, I expected Hillary Clinton to be too busy for things like subcommittee hearings and Obama to be drilling in and learning as much as he could because his experience in federal level legislative affairs might be perceived as weak.

I found the opposite -- and discovered that Barack Obama, despite his role as Chairman of the European Subcommittee on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, had not held a single policy hearing during his tenure. In the Environment and Public Works Committee Subcommittee on Superfund and Environmental Health, I found that Clinton had chaired and been actively engaged in a number of hearings during the same period.

When I discovered this, a number of Obama's own foreign policy advisers called me -- and one said, "I am as surprised as you are."

[scheming daemons]

1. yawn...

[ElsewheresDaughter]

11. typical

[Forkboy]

18. don't be so hard on yourself.

[THUNDER HANDS]

2. BFD

nobody cares. It's a subcommitte on Europe. Tell that to 10 people on the street and see if anyone cares.

[MyNameGoesHere]

10. Is that like "Old Europe" ?

So now Europe can pack sand because they don't count? Are they one of the regions he is going to rebuild relations with?

[Occam Bandage]

32. What aspects of American policy towards Europe do you wish Obama was addressing?

[MyNameGoesHere]

33. Ummm any that are relevant?

But who cares because as one poster said Europe is insignificant. There with go with inspiring unity and making amends with other countries in the world. Not that Obama did anything wrong he just didn't do anything...

[Occam Bandage]

37. Such as?

[MyNameGoesHere]

40. Oh it's a game you want?

Ok how about any of this?

The Subcommittee on European Affairs is responsible for United States relations with the countries on the continent of Europe, except the states of Central Asia that are within the jurisdiction of the Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs. It also oversees U.S. involvement with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, relations with the European Union, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Matters relating to Greenland and the northern polar region are also the responsibility of this subcommittee.

This subcommittee is also responsible for all matters within the region under its jurisdiction with respect to terrorism and non-proliferation, crime and illicit narcotics, U.S. foreign assistance programs, and the promotion of U.S. trade and exports.

Seems like a few of these are important?

I would go to the gov site and see any pending discussion for that committee but it is my understanding that.. wait for it,, They have not met yet hahahah.

[Occam Bandage]

42. What aspects of United States policy, vis-a-vis those issues, do you believe that

Barack Obama should have addressed in the past year? Keep in mind that the Senate is not the State Department, and as such is not responsible for day-to-day, or even year-to-year policy planning, but rather is responsible for consideration of large-scale shifts in United States policy.

[MyNameGoesHere]

44. Ok whatever

then just get rid of that committee as it seems you deem it useless. or should i say Dear Leader has deemed it not important.

[Occam Bandage]

45. Why get rid of it? There's the possibility that something might happen with Europe

in the next 20 or so years, isn't there? But as it stands, it's a wholly unimportant subcommittee. The fact that they are having a first-term Senator chair it ought to tell you that.

Yeah, I think Obama should have held a meeting or two, simply to avoid the perception that you're getting. But I'm not worried from a policy perspective.

[paulk]

54. NATO's role in Afghanistan

NATO is under the purview of that committee.

[karynnj]

61. Why? Were Kerry's and Biden"s hearing on that lame?

This year alone, there were 2 hearings in the full committee and one in the Near East and South Asia subcommittee that Kerry chairs. They have the staff who are expert in this area and they are the ones who have visited Afghanistan repeatedly.
Here's a Dkos diary with all the links on this - including the Biden/Kerry press conference from earlier this week.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/2/27/10645/7336/820/464968

Do you really think that Obama's committee should have jurisdiction on this?

[paulk]

64. what I "think" isn't important

the fact is that Obama's subcommittee oversees US involvement in NATO.

Obama's the one running for President, not Biden/Kerry. Are you saying that his excuse is, "Those other guys were doing my job?"



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate_Foreign_Relations_Subcommittee_on_European_Affairs

[Occam Bandage]

69. And how would you like to change American involvement in NATO?

If you're referring to the way we're going about fighting the war in Afghanistan, that isn't covered under his subcommittee; not only is that a bit too important, that's not under that subcommittee's jurisdiction.

[karynnj]

76. As my 17 year old said,"Afghanistan is not in Europe"

She likely could have told me this at 6! (Montessori is great on geography)

The sub-committee that has had the responsibility for oversight on the war in Afghanistan for years - before Obama had a chair and before Kerry was chair of his current committee was with that committee. Kerry is doing Kerry's job here.

I'm saying that HRC took a cheap shot that rebounds against the Democrats in the SFRC. The RNC has actually picked up on this and believe me they did not go out of their way to say the Democrats have had hearings.

[TwilightGardener]

3. O Noz! That slacker! Europe is burning while he fiddles!

[elixir]

Yo, MP. Nice job.

:hi:

[MethuenProgressive]

13. He's barely even ever been to Europe, has he?

One stop at an airport and some 90 minute lunch somewhere?
Wow, what AMAZING foreign policy cred!

[BeyondGeography]

4. I can hear the "No Subcommittee Meetings" chant reverberating around the country any second now

[karynnj]

63. There were meetings and hearings on appointments

[rucky]

5. Anything specific that they should be accomplishing?

Legislation we should know about? Pressing issues?

[Lucinda]

6. Thanks!

I hadn't read that one yet. :hi:
Amazes me to see so many people blowing this off upthread. :eyes:

[MethuenProgressive]

14. Rainbows and free puppies.

That's all some see when gazing into the Light That Is Barack.
:eyes:

[Lucinda]

21. I WISH I saw that

I would be much less uneasy. :)

[CyberPieHole]

7. Funny how the CULT of Obama cares not for the FACTS...

Obama is nothing more than a Charlatan. He's a third rate junior senator and if he wins the nomination, he will lead the party to defeat.

:kick: and rec

[Name removed]

16. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[rodeodance]

82. perhaps you group needs to stop acting like one (those that do act so, lend the

name to all).

[GeorgeGist]

39. You mean like that has been Charlatan ...

Bill Clinton? So many bad choices, so little time.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

8. ~~~crickets~~~~

[insanity]

9. Wow.

This is a non-starter.

It's a sub on Europe.

[AndyTiedye]

46. He Is the CHAIRMAN of the Committee

Seems like he missed an opportunity here.

[karynnj]

62. He held hearings where needed on the nomination of ambassadors

There are hearings in the full committee on Kosovo.

[jlake]

12. Typical Obama.

[LSK]

36. what is?

[dionysus]

15. keep tryin.. it isn't working...

[MethuenProgressive]

19. BO's slacker attitude toward his job as Senator doesn't matter to his Flock.

He's just a tall Deval Patrick.

[dionysus]

22. keep making cult references, it makes you look like more of an ass...

[MethuenProgressive]

27. If the Judas Goat fits, follow it.

[dionysus]

30. ...

[snagglepuss]

50. Obamanites here don't seem to realize that creative leaders see

opportunities and significance in situations that non-leaders don't. If Obama had imagination he would have seized this Chairmanship opportunity and left his mark on it.

[femrap]

17. BO doesn't need no stinking hearings....

He'll just do as The Corporation, Daddy, tells him. And since Africa is the last continent to rape of minerals and oil, BO will sucker them as well....Oh Yes He Can.

[Blue_Roses]

20. this was discussed last night and most people don't even know

what a committee meeting is much less a SUB-committee meeting. This is really reaching.

[MADem]

24. Yeah, and it's more important to be proud of your candidate and your ignorance than anything else!!

Rah, rah, siss-boom-bah, Yeah, TEAM!

[bunnies]

23. More crap regular people dont care about.

:eyes:

[Asia Expat]

25. I'm a regular person.

And I care.

[LSK]

35. and what problems with Europe should he be examining?

[Asia Expat]

41. Kosovo and climate change come to mind. n/t

[Occam Bandage]

47. You believe he should look at changing US policy towards Kosovo?

I think we're doing the right thing there; Kosovo is an independent nation and should be treated as such. What changes should he look at proposing?

(Climate change is not exactly the responsibility of our foreign-relations subcommittees. We don't have a comprehensive plan yet, to say nothing of one vis-a-vis Europe.)

[LSK]

52. is he supposed to scold the Germans for too many solar panels???

:shrug:

[Forkboy]

74. LOL

It calls for sanctions, I think.

[karynnj]

68. There have been hearings on both -

Kosovo had a hearing this week in the full committee. The importance of the issue is such that it should not be buried in a subcommittee.

There was a hearing on the national security impact of climate change when a report came out written by some high level ex- Admirals. Kerry requested the hearing of the full committee and Biden agreed and held it. http://www.johnkerry.com/2007/5/20/climate-change-and-global-security There was also a hearing on what happened at Bali early this year in the full committee chaired by Senator Menendez . You can watch it here - http://www.senate.gov/~foreign/hearings/2008/hrg080124p.html
(This is a good hearing to watch if you want - very nice summary of the various summits by Kerry, whose been to all of them - it starts about 22 minutes in.)

Why would climate change be limited to Europe?

[Straight Shooter]

26. Doesn't matter if regular people care. It's his responsibility; he hasn't met his obligations, n/t

[Labors of Hercules]

57. And where do you get that he hasn't met his obligations?

You think he is obligated to call subcommittee meetings and hearings if they are not necessary?

[Straight Shooter]

85. Why have a subcommittee at all, then? n/t

[MethuenProgressive]

28. Yeah! Who cares if the guy with ZERO foreign policy cred never call a single hearing?!?!?!1!

Only a moran would care about a Senator always ducking his job, right?

[anamandujano]

56. But features the plum position in his resume. Who awarded him that

position anyway? Someone helping to pad his resume in preparation for his run?

[karynnj]

71. Like most things in the Senate, it is based on senority

There are 11 Democrats on the SFRC, Biden has the most seniority, so he is the chair. There are 7 subcommittees - the next 7 most senior Democrats chair them - they are listed here in the order of their chair's seniority. (Dodd, Kerry, Feingold, Boxer, Nelson, Obama, Menendez). There are 3 more junior members without chairs, Cardin, Casey and Webb.
http://www.senate.gov/~foreign/subcommittee.html

As you can see, Obama has the seniority to routinely get a chair in January 2007 when the new Congress began. No one "helped" him pad his resume.

[indimuse]

29. thx MP..

the obama fans don't really care about their HIGHLY irresponsible guru...he doesn't keep records... he's unorganized...BUT wants to run our country and be a World Leader...go figure.

[Occam Bandage]

31. This is a real winner for Hillary. People will be leaving Obama in throngs. I can see the protest

signs now: "OBAMA HAS NOT HELD POLICY HEARINGS FOR THE EUROPEAN SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE."

That's a real winner, guys. Really, push this one hard.

[LSK]

34. yeah, especially considering that impending European invasion

:sarcasm:

[Occam Bandage]

38. That's why there's no powder in this bombshell. There's no pressing concerns that

committee addresses*, so she can't claim he's in dereliction of any specific duty towards any specific problem. As such, this only appeals to people who approve of politics for politics' sake--and they're all in her camp, anyway.


*The panel does cover US-NATO relations, and so does have something to do with Afghanistan, indirectly. However, it does not cover operational, tactical, strategic, logistical, or any other functional aspects of Afghanistan, so that's a non-starter as well.

[Asia Expat]

43. Maybe you should do some homework.

And learn what the Senate Foreign Relations Committee actually does.

Obviously you have no clue.

[LSK]

49. sorry, too busy reading www.spiegel.de

Might find some secret attack plans there or something. Do you think BBC would be a better source?

[Grown2Hate]

48. Thank you SO MUCH MP!!!

It's posts like this on DU that are REALLY helping us along! :sarcasm: Same goes for all the blatantly biased anti Hillary shit as well. Thumbs up to everyone involved for keeping a stupid mudslinging battle going. (Again... :sarcasm: )

[anamandujano]

59. It hurts to keep finding more and more information pin pointing the guy as a fake.

You all have swept an awful lot under the rug already. It must be getting crowded under there.

[Grown2Hate]

67. Nope. Just HATE seeing people smearing other

DEMOCRATS. Re-read my post. SAME GOES FOR ALL OF THE INFLAMMATORY ANTI CLINTON BULLSHIT. Wow, I thought that was PRETTY clear.

[judaspriestess]

51. um maybe its part of his JOB DESCRIPTION

regardless if its meaningless or not which is a bullshit reason anyway, its part of the job and territory. Show up and say present as usual and be done with it. Simple as that.

[Occam Bandage]

53. So you propose that he should waste Senators' time convening and dismissing

a meeting without any cause?

[snagglepuss]

55. Obamanites here don't seem to realize that creative leaders see

opportunities and significance in situations that non-leaders don't. If Obama had imagination he would have seized this Chairmanship opportunity and left his mark on it.

[anamandujano]

58. Excellent point!

We won't have to wait too long for the rationalizations.

[Labors of Hercules]

60. And you think his not calling meetings is evidence he hasn't done that?

Have you bothered to look at the actual work the subcommittee has done or are you just expressing outrage at the fact they didn't need to meet or hold hearings to accomplish something?

[Occam Bandage]

66. And done what with it? I'm getting a lot of "Well, um...he should have done...something."

He's a first-termer. They gave him a meaningless committee post. He decided to run for President instead of play with his committee.

[snagglepuss]

70. Meaningless. Hardly. It has jurisdiction over NATO. He could have held

meetings to figure out how the US could convince NATO to have a stronger presence in Afghanistan.


This subcommittee is also responsible for all matters with respect to terrorism and non-proliferation, crime and illicit narcotics, U.S. foreign assistance programs, and the promotion of U.S. trade and exports.

[Occam Bandage]

77. Except that such an issue would fall

under the full senate committee for foreign relations (and has been debated by the full committee), given its importance.

As for the second part of your post: what aspects of US policy related to terrorism in Europe, crime in Europe, and foreign assistance to Europe need to be changed?

[snagglepuss]

79. So perfection has been reached and everyone can roll over and play dead.

Why waste the sweat?


Holy smokes I'd expect this sort of reasoning from a rethug.

[Occam Bandage]

80. Did you think the Senate regularly gave its most important subcommittees to first-termers with

two years under their belt?

[snagglepuss]

83. Yeah but if Obama was all he is made out to be, he would have

seized this opportunity and made it his own. Europe for instance is rift with new organized crimes syndicates responsible for the huge increases in human trafficking as well as other crimes.

[texas_indy]

65. Now this just pisses me off to no end!! Obama is so incompetent he can't hold 1 single meeting!!!!

Well this is the LAST STRAW!!!!! The VERY LAST STRAW!!!!

I say we fire his ass as a senator as soon as possible and FORCE him to be the president!!
What better way to punish him, eh?

If MR "I-DON'T-HOLD-COMMITTEE-MEETINGS" wants to play that game then we should show him just who the boss is and make him hold CABINET MEETINGS for the next 8 years!!!

GET 'ER DONE!!


Texas is Obama country! VIVA OBAMA!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fd-MVU4vtU

[MethuenProgressive]

72. Yep, the guy with ZERO Foreign Policy cred has voted Present on his job

which was to run the F/P Europe committee. He hasn't even been to Europe.
Of course, this is way over the heads of the Sheep bleating along behind the Judas Goat.

"Get 'er done"? Not by Barry's rules. He only wanted this plum committee chair position to post on his "resume", he never wanted to actually do any work.

[texas_indy]

78. OH SWEET JESUS, KATIE BAR THE DOORS! Obama heading a sub-committee

for europe and he never done been to europe! STARS AND GARTERS. what is the world comn' toooooo????

Thats as dumb as having people in charge of nasa who never been in space, or sec. of defense who never been in ground combat!

What kind of bone head stunt will the willy rascals in DC think off next???? LOL LOL LOL



The O-man for President!!! YEEEEEEEE-HAAAAAAA!!

GET 'ER DONE!!


Texas is Obama country! VIVA OBAMA!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fd-MVU4vtU

[MethuenProgressive]

87. He only wanted this plum committee chair position to post on his "resume",

He only wanted this plum committee chair position to post on his "resume", he never wanted to actually do any work.

[AnarchoFreeThinker]

73. well, that settles that. March 5th, please.

[ieoeja]

75. Do subcommittees call for their own hearings? Or are they referred downwards by the full committee?

Serious question. I do not know.

[rodeodance]

81. drip drip drip

[Unsane]

84. Lame post....or lamest post?

[MethuenProgressive]

86. Politifact rules charges against Obama TRUE!!

PoliticFact rules Clinton charge TRUE


"He (Obama) chairs the subcommittee on Europe. ... He's held not one substantive hearing to do oversight."
Hillary Clinton on Tuesday, February 26th, 2008 in a debate in Cleveland

Dormant while Obama campaigns

In one of the more pointed barbs in a Feb. 26, 2008, debate, Sen. Hillary Clinton charged that Sen. Barack Obama has been so busy running for president that he hasn’t done much of anything as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on European Affairs.

“I also have heard Senator Obama refer continually to Afghanistan, and he references being on the Foreign Relations Committee,” Clinton said. “He chairs the Subcommittee on Europe. It has jurisdiction over NATO. NATO is critical to our mission in Afghanistan. He’s held not one substantive hearing to do oversight, to figure out what we can do to actually have a stronger presence with NATO in Afghanistan."

Obama responded: “Well, first of all, I became chairman of this committee at the beginning of this campaign, at the beginning of 2007. So it is true that we haven’t had oversight hearings on Afghanistan.”

Although Obama acknowledges the point, we sought to confirm what the subcommittee has been doing.

Congressional records show, and spokesmen for several subcommittee members confirm, the subcommittee has not held any policy hearings since Obama was appointed chair in early 2007. The subcommittee’s jurisdiction includes “all matters, policies and problems concerning the continent of Europe, including the European member states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.”

The chair sets the agenda for a subcommittee and Obama could have asked to hold a hearing on NATO and its role in Afghanistan.

But Clinton’s claim, while technically true, is unfair, said Andrew J. Fischer, a spokesman for Republican Sen. Richard Lugar. Lugar now serves as a minority member of the Foreign Relations Committee, but he was the chair, from 2003 to 2006, when Republicans controlled the Senate. He is the ranking Republican on the committee.

Fischer, who is a minority staff member of the Foreign Relations Committee, said something as major as NATO’s role in Afghanistan would typically be held before the full Foreign Relations Committee, rather than Obama’s European subcommittee.

In fact, the Foreign Relations Committee held a hearing on Afghanistan on Jan. 31, 2008, and NATO was a part of the discussion. Obama attended a Democratic debate in California that day. Clinton is not on the committee.

The Clinton campaign put out a statement reiterating Clinton’s comments to reinforce the theme that Obama is more about talk than action.

“Given the opportunity to take the reins of leadership and shape two critical areas of U.S. foreign policy — Afghanistan and our alliances in Europe — Senator Obama has done next to nothing,” the statement said.

Obama’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

So let’s look at Clinton’s statement:

“He chairs the subcommittee on Europe.” Yep.

“It has jurisdiction over NATO.” Yep.

“NATO is critical to our mission in Afghanistan. He’s held not one substantive hearing to do oversight, to figure out what we can do to actually have a stronger presence with NATO in Afghanistan.” Yep.

Some may argue that the issue of NATO’s role in Afghanistan typically and more appropriately would come before the full Foreign Relations Committee. But Clinton is right when she says Obama’s subcommittee has been largely dormant while Obama has campaigned for president. We rate her comment True.

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/379/