In getting to the bottom of the ineptitude, nepotism and vainglorious malice of the Bush Administration there are 4 key committees in Congress: The House and Senate Judiciary and Government Oversight committees.
Chairmen Conyers, Waxman and Leahy have ably led these committees in aggressively seeking answers from the Administration into a host of disturbing and seemingly illicit government behaviour.
The fourth key Chairman is Senator Joseph Lieberman (I-CT). Let's take a look at what his committee is up to!
The Seattle Times Reports:
Senate committee tries mixing things up
By David Goldstein
McClatchy Newspapers
WASHINGTON — Traditions die hard in the U.S. Senate, but one expired largely unnoticed Wednesday in a small corner of the Capitol.
It didn't go unnoticed in the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, however.
To foster more bipartisanship, the committee changed the seating arrangements so that senators, instead of sitting divided by party and staring at each other from across the room, now sit side by side.
Yes, the FBI is breaking the Patriot Act NSL provisions, and the President personally intervened to halt a Justice Department probe into the "Terrorist Surveillance Program" for the possibility it violates FISA, and Chairman Lieberman wishes to rearrange the seating in the committee.
I can't even make myself type out a Titantic joke here. It's too banal.
Ok, well the symbolism here is darkly comedic, but really, what is his committee, "The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs" actually up to?
Hearings and Nominations
March 22, 2007 (10:00 AM)
Deconstructing Reconstruction: Problems, Challenges, and the Way Forward in Iraq and Afghanistan (view)
March 21, 2007 (9:30 AM)
GAO’s Role in Supporting Congressional Oversight: An Overview of Past Work and Future Challenges and Opportunities (view)
March 20, 2007 (2:30 PM)
Medicare Doctors Who Cheat On Their Taxes And What Should Be Done About It (view)
March 15, 2007 (10:00 AM)
Nomination (view)
March 14, 2007 (9:30 AM)
The Threat of Islamic Radicalism to the Homeland (view)
March 13, 2007 (2:30 PM)
A Review of U.S. International Efforts to Secure Radiological Materials (view)
Let's see...in chronological order, we have: worrying about dirty bombs, dirty Muslims..ooh, a nomination, well, what vital government official will they be grilling for suitability?
The Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs will hold a public hearing to consider the nomination of:
Gregory B. Cade to be Administrator of the U.S. Fire Administration, Department of Homeland Security
Well, I'm glad they're making sure the National Archives don't burn down while Cheney puts a torch to the Constitution.
Ok, well what else was on that agenda...tax-cheating Doctors, hmm, is that the new "trial lawyers" bogeyman? What does that have to do with Homeland Security or Government Reform?
Action item: Contact the Senate Committee on HELP at help_comments@help.senate.gov and ask them if they are happy to let Lieberman's committee investigate their jurisdiction. Also contact the Senate Finance Committee and ask the same thing.
Ok, what else was up there? The GAO thing. Well, this is the closest thing to actual oversight Lieberman is doing. It's pretty weak though. The GAO is run by the Comptroller of the United States, a civil servant in a non-partisan role. They do fine work, but they don't have impeachment powers last time I checked the constitution. Essentially, Lieberman is going to review what a great job the GAO is doing, and pawn off any responsibility for oversight onto a non-partisan appointee who has no subpoena powers.
And the top of their agenda, is more black humour: "Deconstructing Reconstruction: Problems, Challenges, and the Way Forward in Iraq and Afghanistan" Way forward? How about looking for the way out, Senator? Don't you "want this war to end as much as anyone" or something?
So that's their agenda. The quintessential do-nothing agenda for the most potentially powerful committee there is.
Let's Recap. Subpoena's issued:
Lieberman: | 0 |
Conyers: | 7 (min) |
Waxman: | 1 (min) |
Leahy: | 5 |
Am I the only one who's noticed? Well clearly not, going back to that Seattle Times piece:
Committee Chairman Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., made the change at the suggestion of Sen. Claire McCaskill, a freshman Democrat from Missouri. But with only four committee members present when Lieberman kicked off the meeting, he said, "I hope the new seating arrangement has not discouraged people to attend."
No, Mr. Lieberman, the fact that you have directed this committee to mundane and ineffectual matters has discouraged them to bother attending. I'm sure their sock drawers needing arranging is of more urgency to the Republic.
And this final gem of unintentional comedy from Senator Collins:
Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, ranking Republican on the committee, told Lieberman she was "happy to sit either on your left or your right."
The jokes don't just write themselves, they mulch the paper and brew the ink on that line. Please tell me that line makes it into an ad for her opponent in 2008.
Action Items: If any of the other members of this committee are from your state, write to them and demand to know why their committee is not investigating any of the obvious malfeasance of your government.
Other than that, contact Harry Reid, and ask that he replace Senator Lieberman as Chair of the committee with a Senator willing to conduct oversight into the government's activities.
"I'd like to thank the Senator for helping me fool Maine voters into thinking I'm a good senator once again. I'm sure he'll appreciate all the times I block cloture to end his precious war."
Source: Committee's front page. Quote attribution may not be entirely accurate.