Breaking the reposting rule for the first time here at Kos. Please forgive.
Most of you here are familiar with the Republican Congressional leadership's attempt to do a partisan whitewash investigation of the government response to Katrina, but here is today's Times piece for the latest info. Despite Reid and Pelosi's intent to boycott, the Republicans plan to move forward.
We know what a joke this investigation will be, unless Democratic backbone alters its character in a big way. So I wrote Frist a letter today asking him to take his notion of fact-finding and accountablity to the next logical step.
The letter begins after the fold. Frist's and Hastert's contact information are at the bottom.
Dear Senator Frist,
Please allow me to express my gratitude for the Republican Congressional leadership's decision to form a Joint Select Committee on the government's response to Hurricane Katrina. I must also express my admiration for the leadership's bold choice not to discuss this "bipartisan" committee's membership, structure, budget, or rules with members of the other party.
The Executive Branch is Republican, and since Republicans know best how to judge the performance of fellow Republicans, it is only logical that Republican legislators control with an iron fist the investigation into this shameful episode in American history.
I believe that this enlightened, sensible approach to accountability should not be confined to the highest levels of government, or, for that matter, only to government.
You should try to take this approach to the private sector. Please introduce legislation requiring that employees of any company engaged in interstate commerce be allowed to have their performance reviews written by family members and friends designated by the employee.
Such legislation is only the logical extension of your brave new notion of accountability, and would be constitutional under even a rigorous interpretation of the commerce clause.
Let's make it a Republican decade in every corner of American life.
Sincerely,
[Paul Douglas Fan]
CONTACT
Senator Bill Frist
http://frist.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=AboutSenatorFrist.ContactForm
509 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: 202-224-3344
Fax: 202-228-1264
Speaker Dennis Hastert
http://www.house.gov/hastert/write1.shtml
235 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: 202-225-2976
Fax: 202-225-0697