Buck Naked Politics

Congressmen Cite Evidence & Urge Impeachment of Cheney

Posted by D. Cupples  |  As Damozel pointed out at Versus/Reversus, House Judiciary Committee members Robert Wexler (D-Fla), Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.), and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis) ran an op-ed in the Philadelphia Inquirer last Thursday, arguing that there is now "credible evidence" supporting the impeachment of Vice President Dick Cheney (Cheney photo from Whitehouse.gov).

In part, the Representatives' editorial states:

Is Bush's Pocket Veto Legal?

by  D. Cupples | President Bush has attempted to use a pocket veto to reject the Defense Authorization Act, which includes not only $800+ billion in funding but also better oversight of contractors and a higher pay raise for our troops than they had been scheduled to get.

Why is the Commander in Chief willing to deny our troops their additional raise and clamp down on contractors?  The Associated Press reports:

U.S. Financial Condition has "Deteriorated Dramatically since 2000"

by  D. Cupples |  Buying a new car would have long-term impacts on most Americans' household finances.  Similarly, spending $200 billion on international programs or wars has long-term impacts on our nation's finances. Many Americans grasp this simple principle, and federal government officials should be among them.  A recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report states:

"The federal government's financial condition and fiscal outlook have deteriorated dramatically since 2000."

Why?  Largely because the officials in charge of budgeting over the last six-plus years haven't truly considered future consequences of national spending.  The GAO states:

Webb Helps Senate Block Recess Appointments

by  D. Cupples   |  More than once, President Bush has waited for Congress to be in recess before appointing people to executive branch positions, thereby avoiding Senate confirmation hearings.  The so-called "recess appointments" can last up to a year.  Though recess appointments are legal, they kind of skirt Article II, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution, which requires the "advice and consent" of the Senate for the appointment of federal officers.

This year, with help from Sen. Jim Webb, the Senate found a way to block recess appointments.  Agence France reports:

Does Blocking Congressional Dems Qualify as Success?

by D. Cupples |  Since Democrats took partial control of Congress, they've tried to solve some problems. President Bush and the Republicans who still goose step with him have devoted their energy to proudly smashing Democrats' efforts -- like psychotically jealous guys who would prefer killing their girlfriends over setting them free to find Mr. Right elsewhere.

While Bush stubbornly obstructed problem solving, our national debt soared above $9 trillion, thousands of Americans face losing their homes, 40+ million Americans are still without health care, and the Iraq war continues to devour American lives and tax dollars.

Today's Los Angeles Times seems to praise the president's tactics, without focusing on the severe damage our nation faces as a result:

Judge Stands up to Administration re: Torture Tapes

by D. Cupples  |  Our legislative and judicial branches of government are constitutional equals of the executive branch. President Bush seemed to forget that fact of history and law when prompting  underlings to tell Congress and a court to butt out while the Justice Department and CIA  investigate the CIA's possibly illegal destruction of torture tapes in 2005.  Can you see the potential conflict of interest here?

Apparently, Federal District Judge Henry H. Kennedy doesn't feel compelled to bow as the Bush Administration wields its self-granted power to order equals around. Yesterday, Judge Kennedy ordered a court hearing to examine whether the CIA violated a judicial order by destroying videotapes.  The Washington Post reports:

Congress Considers High Cost of Private Contractors

by D. Cupples & Damozel  |  A recent House-Senate conference report expresses, in part, concern over the cost of hiring private contractors for national intelligence services.  The report states that government employees cost, on average, $126,500 a year -- while contractors' employees cost about $250,000.

Translation: we taxpayers pay almost twice as much for private contractors as we would pay government employees to perform the same services. Unfortunately, it's not just intelligence contractors.  Examples are below.

Telecom Shamnesty (Better a Nutroot than a Wingnut)

Posted by Teh Nutroots | Little Malkin is all agog and filled with glee at what she chooses to call: Blue-on-blue catfight: Kos turns on Harry Reid; Update: Dodd stymies Reid on FISA bill, nutroots cheer.  This is because Malkin and her ilk are obsessed with being Right rather than right, so that they march in lockstep and can't cope with dissent within the ranks. 

It never occurs to her that this is the way the political process is supposed to work: by argument and dissent, not partisan reflex.  Telecom shamnesty---to borrow Malkin's favorite word---encourages the notion that it is all right for an industry to engage in illegal or potentially illegal acts if the executive branch (including any executive branch after this one is gone) asks them to do so.  That's not a precedent we ought to set.   

A Victory for Dodd and Activism

Posted by Damozel | So, as we all know, Chris Dodd won that round against the telecom industry.  I was happy about this on several levels, one of which was this demonstration that collective political action does have an effect.  It's a victory for Dodd and for activism.

Though campaign websites are always irritatingly self-congratulatory and self-righteous, I don't really think the statement published at the "Chris Dodd for President" website exaggerates:

Without Senator Dodd's leadership today, it is safe to assume that retroactive immunity would have passed.   

Support Sen. Dodd on FISA--Act Now Before It's Too Late (Updated)

Posted by Damozel | Will Harry Reid, despite reservations he expresses, push through a bill that grants retroactive immunity to telecoms?  Smintheus commented:

"It is Sen. Rockefeller’s bill granting retroactive immunity for telecoms, a grant that Reid admits is “unwise” and one he opposes, but one Reid has found parliamentary reasons for preferring over the better Judiciary Committee bill that excludes telecom immunity. And this despite the fact the House has passed a bill that excludes immunity.  It’s a sellout. " (Stop the FISA sellout)

Sen. Chris Dodd's office is asking for Democrats to exert pressure on representatives to support a filibuster.  UPDATE: Firedoglake has offered to submit readers' comments for reading on the Senate floor during Dodd's filibuster.

Despite Veto Threat, Retired Generals & Admirals Support Bill Restricting CIA’s Detainee Treatment; Bush Demands Freedom from Restrictions on Torture (Updated)

posted by Damozel | Whatever the media may want you to believe about Congressional Democrats, no one can say that they "bowed to Bush's will" on the intelligence bill that passed in the House today (Intelligence Authorization Conference Report.).  By a vote of  299-199 the House passed a bill which (1) "authorizes the largest amount for intelligence programs ever authorized"  (The Gavel); and (2) includes an amendment that would severely restrict intelligence agencies (including their use of tactics such as waterboarding). (Yahoo)    Only five Republicans supported the measure.(Sam Stein ; roll call is here).

The Administration has sent a lengthy letter threatening a veto and highlighting eleven areas of disagreement.(Yahoo) 
 

Plan B for Dems: Stop Whining & Find Your Message

Posted by Damozel | At The Washington Post, E.J. Dionne has written an op-ed that brilliantly encapsulates both the reasons for the Dems' repeated failures in the face of Republican resistance and the reasons why the public blames the Dems, even though they're the victims.   It's because they're the victims.   "Republicans chortle as they block Democratic initiatives -- and accuse the majority of being unable to govern. Rank-and-filers are furious that their leaders can't end the Iraq war. President Bush sits back and vetoes at will."(Washington Post)  As Dionne points out, they need a plan B.  And they also need to stop whining and pointing fingers.  They need to find their outside voices.

D Cupples always rolls her eyes at the phrase "Democratically-controlled Congress."  The Dems control the House.  They don't control the Senate in any meaningful sense.   But one thing they do control is their response to Republican spin and propaganda.  I wouldn't mind so much when they get shut down if they were getting the message out.  But they're not.

Senate Republicans Join Dems in White House Contempt Vote: Bush Offers Closed-Door, Un-sworn Testimony

by D. Cupples  |  Two Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee -- Arlen Specter (photo from Senate Web site) and Charles Grassley -- joined 10 Democrats yesterday in approving a contempt of Congress citation against White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten and ex-presidential Adviser Karl Rove. The only "No" votes came from seven Republicans.

Bolten and Rove refused to comply with subpoenas for information about politicization of the Justice Department, which is supposed to be apolitical. Evidence suggests that political agendas had played a part in the U.S. Attorney firings and in decisions about whether to prosecute certain cases. Since Congress's investigations began, Alberto Gonzales and roughly a dozen Justice Department officials have resigned.

Odd Reporting on House Budget Bill

by D. Cupples  Many busy people skim newspaper headlines and form opinions based on them. This can be problematic when editors slap titles onto articles that don't truly reflect what the articles say.  It's like the traffic light is green, while the camera reads red and snaps a photo your license plate, so you get ticketed for running the red.

Today's Washington Post titled an article, "Democrats Bow to Bush's Demands in House Spending Bill,"  then the article proceeds to list a number of provisions that House Dems put into the bill that President Bush dislikes enough to threaten a veto.

Something's Amiss at Gallup: Approval Ratings & Mid-East Peace Talks

According to Gallup, President Bush's approval ratings are 37%, a "long term" increase since his 31% rating in early  November.  Is 4-5 weeks long term?  Gallup also states:

"The poll does not provide specific insights into what might be behind improved perceptions of Bush. One possibility is that Bush's role in jump-starting Middle East peace talks late last month cast him in a more positive light."

I've no idea why Gallup's writer gave President Bush credit for "jump-starting" peace talks: Bush intensely tried to build a case for bombing Iran while others spent months calling for diplomacy.  This reminds me: at the end of an article about six mortar- and bomb-attacks in Iraq on Monday the New York Times reported:

Privatizing Defense Dept.'s Pathology Services: Will Taxpayers Spend More?

by D. Cupples |  Private contractors tend to cost us taxpayers more money than government employees, if only by the amount of contractors' profits.  In 2005, the old Congress and President Bush approved a Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) provision, which requires the Defense Department to close the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP).  The AFIP performs three major services: diagnostic consultations, education, and disease research.

According to the Government Accountability Office, the DOD plans to privatize much of the AFIP's services.  Apparently, the politicians controlling the U.S. government in 2005 hadn't learned from our nation's troubled history with private contractors -- or didn't care.

Did Congressional Democrats Condone the CIA's Secret Interrogation Program? (Updated)

Posted by Damozel  | Today's Washington Post reports that certain Congressional Democrats (including Pelosi and Rockefeller) were briefed in 2002 on the CIA's special program for extracting information from detainees. (WaPo) 

[F]our members of Congress met in secret for a first look at a unique CIA program designed to wring vital information from reticent terrorism suspects in U.S. custody. For more than an hour, the bipartisan group, which included current House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), was given a virtual tour of the CIA's overseas detention sites and the harsh techniques interrogators had devised to try to make their prisoners talk. 

White House Blocks Fitzgerald's Cooperation

By D. Cupples |  A recently released book excerpt by former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan states that he had publicly asserted false information about the outing of ex-CIA agent Valerie Plame Wilson. Keenly aware of his duty to us taxpayers, House Oversight Committee chairman Henry Waxman is still determined to find out what happened.

Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald has cooperated with the Oversight Committee, but the White House hasn't.  Waxman recently wrote a letter to new Attorney General Michael Mukasey, asking for help and noting that former Attorney General Janet Reno cooperated with the Oversight Committee when the Clinton Administration was investigated.  In part, the letter states:

Murtha was Misunderstood: He Still Wants Troop Withdrawal

by D. Cupples |  I figured something was amiss when headlines indicated that Rep. John Murtha (D-PA)   had taken a 180-degree turn and proclaimed that the surge strategy in Iraq is working. Mind you, I'd be happy to see solid evidence that the surge is working, but the Bush Administration's mere claims about the Iraq war don't qualify as solid evidence.

Today, CNN reported that Murtha has clarified his statement:

Chicago Tribune Admits Klein's Error, Time Still Proudly Defensive

By D. Cupples |   The hullabaloo continues over Time Magazine's refusal to straightforwardly admit that columnist Joe Klein blindly transcribed false information from a partisan source that slammed House Democrats for passing the RESTORE Act. (BN-Politics)  Klein's column claimed that the bill offers terrorists protection by requiring warrants when officials tap non-U.S. people's phone calls. 

The claim is false, in that the bill has no such provision (see bill text ).  The source that misled Klein is  Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-MN).  Glenn Greenwald reported that while Time refuses to clearly admit the error, the Chicago Tribune has taken responsible action: