Here's something that happened on Friday that maybe got lost in the Pelosi Shuffle the media was so invested in this week, and which started out that very same way, with Andrea Mitchell asking Sen. Ron Wyden about what Pelosi knew, or actually in a rare case asking what it said about the CIA's credibility instead--but still talking he said/she said. Check the video:
Note how easily and dismissively Wyden moves away from the Pelosi question, for whatever reason, and zeroes in on what for him is a more central question: why aren't we talking about the way in which the Bush administration consistently failed to inform properly? He claims he was "kept in the dark" until 2006, linking the Bush administration's failures to the 1947 National Security Act, which he refers to a couple of times. That's a nice summary link which is then applied to an analysis of the NSA wiretapping scandal--another prime example of the administration totally holding out on Congress. But it has this key section:
Under current statute, the President is to ensure that the congressional intelligence committees are kept “fully and currently informed” of U.S. intelligence activities, including any “significant anticipated intelligence activity.” According to legislative history, the term “fully and currently informed,” is intended to mean that complete and timely notice of actions and policies is provided, and that the committees will be informed of intelligence activities in such detail as the committees may require.
Further, the Senate in report language said it expected the executive branch not to limit itself to providing full and complete information upon request from the committees, but to affirmatively keep the committees fully and currently informed.
It's on this basis which Wyden is making his complaint. Mitchell waves a copy of the CIA's briefing schedule and claims it shows a series of proper briefings on torture procedures, but Wyden says they were still not properly informed. For an administration which was already torturing before they had whipped up a legal "justification" for it, and were using it to extract false confessions to once again "justify" a new war against Iraq, I'm afraid it's all beside the point compared to that.
But it's good to see Wyden shifting the focus back to the Bush administration...and that is in fact where the discussion lies, not the CIA or intel units themselves. The way Congress was briefed was led from the top, principally Dick Cheney. Heck, if he was telling them how to torture to get info the intel agencies already told him didn't exist, why wouldn't he tell the CIA to lie about what they were doing to Congress?
Wyden also gets some digs in on Cheney himself, saying he (Wyden) is pretty confused about why the former VP wants all those documents released, because Wyden seemed confident there wasn't going to be anything to exonerate him. So he joined Cheney in challenging to have all of the material declassified, including a letter of complaint regarding intel darkness along with two other Senators.
Wyden goes on to say he really thinks a special commission of some kind is necessary to look into all this, and I think as a result of the Pelosi nonsense there is a definite Briar Patch Syndrome working here--Wyden was almost smirking when talking about declassifying the documents and calling for more investigation.
Note how Wyden didn't defend Pelosi in the least, except by way of saying the CIA lied to them all the time, or at least omitted and delayed. If she has to go, politically speaking, with the reward being some kind of toothful investigation, is it worth it? Or--gasp--would it simply be the right thing to do?
The mind reels at the possibilities. Here's the staged picture of Lord Voldemort Vice-President Cheney shaking Sen-Elect Merkley's hand as part of his swearing-in ceremony:
While browsing Horse's Ass for on-the-scene info about Washington's caucuses, I came across this great poster:
(That's Dick Cheney and Don Rumsfeld from the 70s, if you don't see the resemblance). I've seen some of the classic "Demotivation" posters; they're funnier if your office has some of the original motivation ones up, which we do at mine. It turns out you can make these yourself; I gave it a try with ol Gordo. See what you think, and feel free to put one of yours in the comments...
Conservation groups seeking removal of four aging Klamath River dams near the California border welcomed a report Wednesday by the National Research Council confirming studies indicating that salmon and other fish need more water.
This report is a major victory for salmon, commercial fishermen, Native Americans, and everyone else who cares about the health of the Klamath River,” said Steve Pedery, conservation director for Oregon Wild, based in Portland.
{more, and why this sucks for Gordon Smith, below}
(Get on it. Oregon's delegation should be leading the pack on this, not waiting to jump in. - promoted by torridjoe)
I am coming to believe that Dennis Kucinich is the finest member currently serving in the U.S. House of Representatives. He seems to be inspired, and he is inspiring me. He is the only member of the House who is upholding his oath to defend the Constitution. It's just that simple, yet every other Representative seems to be failing this critical challenge miserably.
With courage, clarity of purpose, and fortitude, Kucinich is proudly and defiantly advocating for all of us. He is doing what's right in the face of tremendous adversity which is coming from all sides - including his own (misguided, confused) party. He's a true believer in our democracy and our nation. And I love it. This is called "Leadership", House Dems. Look into it.
Like James Comey and John Ashcroft (!), on that day when the fate of our system of government seemed to rest on their shoulders alone, Dennis Kucinich seems to be the only person right now standing between democracy and dictatorship. We must impeach Dick Cheney. We cannot allow his abuse of power and illegal actions to go unpunished, or we are not America any more.
(Newsflash, Dems - everything else you do or hope to do is meaningless unless you uphold your oath - your one express Constitutional job requirement. Fix the problem at its core, instead of wasting time and effort on inadequate bandaid solutions.)
Let's make sure we have Rep. Kucinich's back. Let's make many calls on Monday to our Oregon delegation, and urge them to PUBLICLY get behind Kucinich's bill to impeach the Vice President. We also need to call the members of the House Judiciary Committee and demand that they commence impeachment hearings.
I plan to print out the words "IMPEACH CHENEY - SUPPORT KUCINICH" in giant font on a piece of paper, sign and write my name underneath, and then fax it to our Reps.
(pulling this back up, now that there are actually six or seven members of the Judiciary cmte actually willing to begin hearings. That means another 10 are needed, but general pressure on our reps is also a good path to take. Keep asking for it, over and over. - promoted by torridjoe)
On Tuesday, Rep. Dennis Kucinich will bring H.Res.333 for the impeachment of Dick Cheney to the House Floor.
Make sure our Representatives know that we want them to support HR333.
There's a great journal up at DU right now with a 5-step action plan.
Short version:
1. Call your Representatives.
2. Email or fax your Representatives.
3. Contact local newspapers and other media and ask them to cover the story.
4. Print out and distribute the flyer.
5. Get creative - go to your Representatives' office and personally convey your support for HR333.
Yowza. This morning, in a press event in front of the Hatfield Federal Courthouse in downtown Portland, Steve Novick saw Jeff Merkley's Attorney General, called John Frohnmayer's bet on Bush, and raised him an NSA/State Dept underling.
Citing abuse of authority in wiretapping and the inaccurate use of intelligence to call for war, Novick is the first Senator or major candidate to correctly call Ms. Rice to account (in addition to the Prez and VP) for her prominent role in both scandals. Are Oregonians pining for impeachment hearings on Condi? Doubtful, although they may think she deserves it--but that's perhaps less the point than the fact that she DOES deserve it, plus Novick's telegraphing that modulated political stances can't be a politician's MO in these times.
One of the more frustrating things for many Oregon ians has been the blind spot of the Democratic delegation for courageously taking on the mantle of Constitutional stewardship, and honestly considering impeachment proceedings against the VP and President. None of the seven Members of Congress from the Beaver State have even hinted that impeachment was "on the table."
Until now, that is. From remarks forwarded by senior staff and to be part of Hooley's statement in front of constituents in Lake Oswego this evening:
I've heard from many Oregonians who are frustrated about how we got into the Iraq war, how the war's been mismanaged, and how the Bush Administration has abused its power whether it regards warrantless wiretapping or stonewalling Congress. I will soon be introducing a resolution that calls on the President to encourage all relevant parties that have been subpoenaed to testify and not hide behind Executive Privilege. Transparency is key to our democracy.
Oversight must be followed by accountability. Impeachment is in the Constitution and should never, ever be off the table for any President. Congress needs to right the wrongs of this Administration, and I want to ensure every tool is available to hold individuals accountable for their actions {emph mine}.
(An embarrassment of high quality diaries lately. This one by nation of laws does extensive work on Greg Walden's involvement in Salmongate, and discovers much the same thing that we have about Smith--he was knee deep in it, begging the White House to get involved...there are several good points made in this piece, keep the research coming. The quicksand is starting to pull at their feet, I think. - promoted by torridjoe)
LO has written so many in-depth pieces on the Klamath fish kill that I have to confess that I haven't been able to absorb all of the information they have presented. So I apologize in advance if this has already been covered.
Often times it is the case that I set out to write a post on something, and my research turns up a little nugget of information and I end up writing about something else. Today's nugget is an insightful, illuminating article by Chris Mooney (author of the Republican War on Science) focusing on Greg Walden's role in the events following the Klamath fish kill.
In what appears to parallel Dick Cheney's strategy as reported recently in the Washington Post, Walden attempted to create a legal framework permitting improper standards and otherwise bogus "science" to undermine the good, valid, objective, accurate work and professional judgment of federal agencies. For GOP political gain - of course! It's a shell game of Orwellian buzz-words and Luntz-speak, and Walden has the quick, nimble hands of a street-corner conman. (Note: I don't think this particular bill passed, however, Walden appears to continue to push similar legislation.)
It would not surprise me a bit if this "parallel" was no coincidence - if Walden worked directly under Cheney's orders when introducing this legislation, as part of a deliberate strategy.
Add NOAA to the list of federal agencies corrupted by the Bush Administration. .
Many of you may recall that in the lead-up to the 2004 election, some GOPers errantly sent their campaign-related emails to georgewbush.org addresses instead of georgewbush.gov. This is where many of the vote-caging emails were discovered.
This cache of emails, referred to by the proprietor of the mailbox and related White House parody website that received the wrongly-directed messages as the "Dead Letter Office", also contains this email:
“As the committee meets tomorrow to investigate Vice President Dick Cheney’s move to open the Klamath River irrigation system to earn Gordon Smith votes, Smith can finally apologize to Oregonians for abusing an environmental and commercial resource for political gain,” [DPO Chair Meredith] Wood Smith said. “In 2002, Gordon Smith couldn’t stop boasting about turning on the water. Now that 70,000 salmon are dead, countless fishermen have lost their livelihood and the U.S. House is looking into his actions, he’s suddenly media shy. Gordon Smith should take responsibility for his actions. If Gordon Smith can open an irrigation system to release thousands of gallons of water, surely he can open his mouth and apologize to Oregonians.”
As House Democrats investigate whether political interference may have led to the die-off of about 70,000 salmon on the Klamath River, local observers worry fragile negotiations aimed at ending long-simmering fights over water in Southern Oregon could be derailed.
Specifically, the U.S. House of Representatives is investigating whether Vice President Dick Cheney secretly intervened in the development of a 10-year water plan for the naturally arid Klamath Basin.
John DeVoe, executive director of WaterWatch of Oregon, said the Bush administration has a long history of "meddling with sensitive scientific judgment," and not just in the Klamath Basin.
"Interfering with the judgment of scientists for political purposes is a subject that legitimately should be looked at," DeVoe said, adding that the continuing negotiations are a separate issue.
Glen Spain, a spokesman for the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations in Eugene, questions whether much good can come from the congressional probe.
"Congress deserves to know what happened: Policy needs to be driven by science, not politics," Spain said, adding that his concern is that months of talks could be jeopardized if the water issue becomes politicized once again.
"We cannot be lurching from crisis to crisis," Spain said. "There is only so much water, and all the politics in the world will not make more rain," adding that a settlement is the best path forward for fishermen and farmers.
Greg Addington, executive director of the Klamath Water Users Association, said he too is worried that the hearings could have an impact on negotiations by opening old wounds.
"This cannot help but end in finger-pointing," Addington said. "And nothing good comes out of that."
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