House Democrat's forum to examine Downing Street memo (Knight-Ridder)

[Hapameli]

WASHINGTON - (KRT) - The secret British memo of 2002 that reported that President Bush was determined to go to war against Iraq months earlier than he publicly acknowledged will get its first official hearing on Thursday - sort of.

In the closest version so far to a congressional hearing on the Downing Street memo, Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., will head a forum examining the document. That will be followed by an Internet-organized rally in front of the White House. Conyers plans to deliver the signatures of 105 congressional Democrats and more than 500,000 citizens on petitions demanding a detailed response from the Bush administration to the memo's allegations. ...

Conyers said he's holding the hearing, which will be televised on C-SPAN 3, to uncover whether "there was a secret decision well ahead of the authority Congress had given" on Oct. 11, 2002, to Bush to launch the war. Conyers said the memo suggests that even as the Bush administration "was assuring Congress, they were secretly planning war." ...

Initially, Republicans denied Conyers access to a room in the Capitol complex for his forum, but on Wednesday he was granted use of a small room. Because he lacks the committee's consent, Conyers has no subpoena powers, investigative staff or funds to conduct his inquiry. ...

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/politics/11902915.htm

[Malva Zebrina]

1. I have signed the Conyers petition

but was not aware that he lacked investigative staff or funds or needed them. Yet I have not seen any request for funding from Rep Conyers or his staff.

I would contribute to Conyers, as I would trust him implicitly, to use those funds for what they would be collected for. He is an outstanding man and a hero for doing this.

Low key fanfare, little marketing, little selling, no TV extravaganza and no sexing up of the facts-- I admire his integrity and what I perceive to be his truthfulness, something that seems to be a quality that is very misinterpreted as to it's meaning these days.

I have watched Conyers, heard him speak, and he is NOT a man who is inclined to sex up or sell for the sake of publicity or personal gain,imo, therefore he has earned my trust and my donation if he should ask.

[Mojorabbit]

2. I believe he did ask for some funding

I think I contributed via his blog. I have shelled out my budget in donations recently and am not sure which orgs got what but I am 99 percent sure I senthim some money.

[Malva Zebrina]

3. I was not aware

thanks for that information.

[faithnotgreed]

4. thats cool that they mention it will be televised on cspan 3

its essential information for readers of the column and good to see it listed out

[Iowa]

5. cspan 3?

Who gets cspan 3? I didn't even know there was a cspan 3. And I really wanted to see this.

[Brundle_Fly]

6. c-span 3 is at c-span.com

but you will have to install real player if memory serves

[faithnotgreed]

16. afterdowningstreet.org has all the listings of who is carrying it

www.afterdowningstreet.org lists all the radio feeds if that helps at all

[seemslikeadream]

7. C-SPAN coverage

from C-Span...
Thanks for your inquiry about C-SPAN's coverage of Thursday's meeting with John Conyers regarding the Downing Street Memo. We recognize that there is a great deal of interest in the meeting, which is why we are carrying it live on as many C-SPAN platforms as we can: C-SPAN3, C-SPAN.org, and C-SPAN radio, which you can hear on XM and Sirius satellite Radio. This program is scheduled to re-air on Friday, June 17th at 8pm ET on C-SPAN2. Please check our TV Schedules at c-span.org for programming information (please remember the schedule is subject to change).

C-SPAN and C-SPAN2 remain committed to live coverage of the U.S. House and Senate on a week when the Congress is dealing with several major pieces of legislation. But this is exactly the reason why C-SPAN3 was created. So, if you have an opportunity, please tell your satellite or cable provider that you want C-SPAN3.

Thank you for your interest in the C-SPAN Networks.

[SaveAmerica]

8. I'm verklempt with the realization that my name is on that list of

more than 500,000. In a way, I'll feel like I'm there, thankful to lend my name to the cause. Rep. Conyers is a true hero.

[leftchick]

9. KR: Forum will examine memo on Iraq war

http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/news/nation/11905905.htm

WASHINGTON — The secret British memo of 2002 that reported President Bush was determined to go to war against Iraq months earlier than he publicly acknowledged will get its first official hearing today — sort of.

In the closest version so far to a congressional hearing on the Downing Street memo, Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., will head a forum examining the document. That will be followed by an Internet-organized rally in front of the White House. Conyers plans to deliver the signatures of 105 congressional Democrats and more than 500,000 citizens on petitions demanding a detailed response from the Bush administration on the memo’s allegations.

~snip~

Conyers said he is holding the hearing, which will be televised on C-SPAN 3, to find out whether “there was a secret decision well ahead of the authority Congress had given” Oct. 11, 2002, for Bush to launch the war. Conyers said the memo suggests that even as the Bush administration “was assuring Congress, they were secretly planning war.”

Bush and Blair have denied such allegations, but they haven’t challenged the memo’s authenticity.

[magellan]

10. Ha ha, they can't challenge the authenticity!

NBC News and WaPost have already verified its authenticity -- and that of the other leaked documents -- with the London Sunday Times. (Which is a bit like asking Queen Elizabeth for a reference, but whatever....)

And it appears Mr. Conyers has worked another minor miracle. From his blog:

For those commenters who were concerned (or hoping) that there would be a media blackout of the forum, that will not be the case. I have every major network, other than Fox, bringing cameras to the hearing. Nightline is taping the event, which I think represents a welcome development from a well respected investigative program. In addition, C-Span 3 and Radio Pacifica are carrying it live.

(The last two we already know about.) I don't know how Conyers does it, but I'm glad he's on our side!!

Edited to add: Or maybe I'm thinking of the Newsweek authentication via British intelligence officials? The stories are coming so fast now it's getting difficult to keep up. :)

[leftchick]

11. I can't believe C-Span is putting it on 3!

I am on vacation and only get C-Span 1 at this hotel. :(

[magellan]

14. I don't know anyone who gets C-SPAN 3

We get C-SPAN 1 & 2 on our satellite, I thought that was all there was till this. But maybe we'll get some coverage on network news, and Democracy Now! might rebroadcast outtakes of the hearing on their Friday show.

Hmm...Are there any Pacifica radio broadcasters near your vacation spot? Check at democracynow.org and buy a little radio if so! :)

[leftchick]

15. I will check but I am very near two Military bases in NC

so I doubt it. I pay a lot each month for digital cable and get cspan-3 on that. Sigh, I really had my hopes up for the c-span coverge.

[leftchick]

12. Joe Wilson will be there as well...

This is perfect....

http://www.infozine.com/news/stories/op/storiesView/sid/8424/

~snip~

Later on the same day at 5:00 p.m. ET in Lafayette Square Park, in front of the White House, Congressman Conyers will deliver to the White House a letter addressed to President Bush and signed by over 500,000 Americans and over 90 members of Congress. The letter asks the President to respond to questions raised by the Downing Street Minutes.

Among those speaking at the hearings will be: Joe Wilson, former U.S. ambassador and WMD expert; Ray McGovern, 27-year CIA analyst who prepared regular presidential briefings during the Reagan administration; Cindy Sheehan, mother of a U.S. soldier killed in Iraq; and John Bonifaz, co-founder of AfterDowningStreet.org.

~snip~

Joseph Wilson is author of the book "The Politics of Truth: Inside the Lies that Led to War and Betrayed My Wife's CIA Identity." He also wrote the New York Times op-ed in July 2003 titled "What I Didn't Find in Africa," in which he stated: "The question now is how that answer was or was not used by our political leadership. If my information was deemed inaccurate, I understand (though I would be very interested to know why). If, however, the information was ignored because it did not fit certain preconceptions about Iraq, then a legitimate argument can be made that we went to war under false pretenses."

Wilson said yesterday: "My question appears to have been answered by the Downing Street Memo: The administration was fixing the facts to fit the policy it wanted. It's incorrect for anyone to state that this is old news since we supposedly all knew that Bush wanted war under any circumstances. Until the 2004 election a majority of Americans mistakenly thought we found weapons of mass destruction in Iraq."

[Media_Lies_Daily]

13. That's why Plame and her network of people tracking the materials....

...that make WMDs were exposed by the NeoCons. They were still reporting that Iraq was NOT able to get those materials, and they had to be silenced any way possible. The NeoCons also silenced the UN inspectors by belittling anything they reported, and then banning them from Iraq entirely.

This stuff is all interconnected, and the various parts are just now beginning to come into VERY sharp focus as a single picture.

[LightningFlash]

17. Correct, first they forced Joe to lie....

Then they refused to lie. And this hearing does have the capability of assigning a special prosecutor...First we raise the funds.

[wakeme2008]

18. From AP Democrats Question U.S. Pre - War Actions

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Downing-Street-Memo.html

June 16, 2005
Democrats Question U.S. Pre - War Actions
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Filed at 1:09 p.m. ET

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Some congressional Democrats, brandishing a document known as the ''Downing Street Memo,'' are insisting that the White House provide more information about what led to the decision to go to war in Iraq.

Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., and other Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee were conducting a public forum Thursday, prompted by documents that have surfaced from inside the British government about pre-war planning.

The so-called ''Downing Street memo'' says the Bush administration believed that war was inevitable and was determined to use intelligence about weapons of mass destruction to justify the ouster of Saddam.



..more at link...

[cawe24]

19. So how long...

do you think it'll take before the prez goes all Patriot Act on us dirty 'libruls' for signing that petition?

I'll let you know if I hear any funny clicking on my phone...or in the library.