US Congressional Democrats Blocked in Effort to Widen Prison Torture Probe

[Robbien]

A Republican-controlled congressional committee has blocked a Democratic legislative attempt to obtain more information from the Pentagon concerning its investigation of alleged torture of Iraqi prisoners by U.S. soldiers and civilians.

A "resolution of inquiry" can be used by members of the House of Representatives when they feel a certain part of government is not providing all the information lawmakers want. If they oppose the aim of such a resolution, majority lawmakers can vote it down at the committee level, in that case sending it with an unfavorable recommendation, to the full House for a vote.

The resolution voted on Monday by the House Armed Services Committee asks that Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld turn over any photographic, video, or written information produced as part of an investigation into events at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison.

. . .

Congresswoman Heather Wilson is a Republican on the committee. She joined Democrats in supporting efforts to obtain additional documentation from the Pentagon. In the end, the House committee voted down (28 to 21) the Democratic effort to demand more documents from the Pentagon.

http://www.voanews.com/article.cfm?objectID=B80648A9-038A-4F69-A0133225C9BE3807

[SoCalDem]

1. the solution is EASY...Go PUBLIC

They must start calling the press and ACCUSE the repubes of covering up the turds in *'s litter box..

The must do it relentlessly, and loudly..

There are some press people who will listen....especially NOW..

These freaks must be shamed into doing anything that's correct..

[Robbien]

2. We also need to help them

We all should be sending out emails to our local media and the mainstream sites. Without our support this is going to go no where.

[Tellurian]

19. Anyone have the voting results?

Maybe individually, we can apply pressure to those who voted against.

[I thought so.]

3. Damn spineless Democrats.

n/t

[Robbien]

4. The Democrats were not spineless

I watched this on C-Span and the Republicans treated the Democratic Representatives miserably. Several Democratic Representatives fought hard on this issue, but they were out-numbered.

[I thought so.]

7. Forgive my sarcasm.

Always I hear this. They have fought many battles with this result. If you don't watch C-span you never know. The media never reports it.

[lumpy]

41. If your original statement re.

spineless Dems was sarcasm then you are forgiven. Hopefully you did watch the proceedings on C-Span.

[Judi Lynn]

9. I saw just some of it, also. I think it was Kendrick Meek (D-Fla) who told

the Republicans the press is having to do their work for them, as they are getting their news from the papers, since their access to the necessary documents has been denied.

You're dead right: the Republicans were absolutely obnoxious. They are taking their chance at having the majority too much for granted. They are cocky, pompous, unyielding. They appear to act as if they believe they OWN the process now totally, with no interest in community.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

21. The House Repubs definitely get that attitude from Tom Delay.

[0007]

34. I did too! Ducan Hunter is in full mode cover up!

....and those are orders from FAUX News and the White House.

Ducan Hunter lives at FAUX news where he has hero status.

[Journeyman]

6. Another parrot heard from. . .

no thought, just squack.

[Only Me]

8. The Democrats don't even have enough say so to call for a Formal Meeting.

Because the Republicans have majority control. They are not spineless they just don't have the legal authority.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

14. wtf? did you make a wrong turn back at the fork? the dems were NOT.....

spineless! did you even watch the proceedings?...i did and the repukes were/are evil anti-american criminals!

[grasswire]

5. it's time to up the ante, then

It's time to let the GOP know how much they will pay for protecting Bushco.

I wish that Dems would start applying pressure to local GOP HQ offices. Get on the street and protest Bush policy locally.

[kentuck]

10. OK...Here's what to say.....

In a press conference, let the people know that the Republicans are hindering the investigation in getting to the bottom of the torture accusations. If the Democrats win in November, the people can be assured that the investigation will continue. Tell the people to let their Repub congressman know that you are not happy with their decision. Then, we will expect their cooperation in working in the people's interest after November's election...

[Disturbed]

11. These Republicans are Anti-American!!!

The should be voted out of office because they are failing to uphoald their duty to the American people. They are more interested in their own party than doing their job.

[maryallen]

42. Democratic candidates for national office (i.e., Kerry) ...

Should run television ads of Republicans blocking investigations on this and other matters.

Of course, this idea presupposes that the media wil RUN the ads.

[candy331]

43. Maybe time to move past the Press here on to

the international press. Didn't Gore purchase an International company that has news on cable, something like ITV news, I think?

[dusty64]

12. More rightwing stonewalling,

hope this backfires on them all and wilson in particular.

[Oilwellian]

13. Uhhh

Congresswoman Heather Wilson is a Republican on the committee. She joined Democrats in supporting efforts to obtain additional documentation from the Pentagon.

[dusty64]

16. I read it wrong and am surprised.

wilson is usually so bad that I assumed she would'nt ever do the right thing. I guess some are sensing the implications of this and are growing worried about their careers, as they should be.

[playahata1]

38. From what I recall, Heather Wilson is a veteran.

As a veteran who is quite proud of her service and her military, perhaps she truly is horrified at what went down at Abu Ghirab; that's why she went with the Dems on this issue.

[Solly Mack]

15. time to leak more documents.....

[CWebster]

17. The Democrats are compromised

which makes them effectively spineless. But it is their own damn fault for not promoting a vision and marketing themselves to the voting public on the themes and issues that are proven winners. Instead they keep trying to steal the Republican's thunder in some miscalculated effort to win, and they wonder why they keep losing. So long as the DLC policies prevail, the Democrats will lose and be ineffective in their role - even as watchdogs in the public interest vs corporate domination. It is a tragedy, they can't even guard the henhouse.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

23. IMHO, and with all due respect, I think you're beating the wrong horse....

...since the Democrats don't control the media, and haven't for quite some time, how is it "their own damn fault for not promoting a vision and marketing themselves to the voting public on the themes and issues that are proven winners"?? Please explain your point of view, because at the moment it smacks greatly of Catch-22.

As far as your comments about the DLC are concerned, I'd like to point out that they did something right because they somehow managed to have the last legally elected President in the White House for two terms.

[CWebster]

24. Because you can't sit back and always point the finger of blame

You have to fight like hell.

Howard Dean did--he took that risk and he paid the price, but he was fighting both sides of the corporate party out to destroy him.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

29. Oh, now I understand your point of view...

...Dean drove himself into a ditch of his own making, and now you want to lash out at everyone else. Are you not "pointing the finger of blame" when you blame "both sides of the corporate party" for Dean's demise? IMHO, you either understand reality as it exists or you live in a dreamworld of your own making.

Are you trying to tell me that the mainstream media has NOT been controlled by their very conservative major corporate masters until very recently? Are you also trying to tell me that until recently that the NeoCons have NOT been in control of all three branches of the government, as well as all branches of the military through the Pentagon, and the State Department?

[leesa]

35. How did he drive himself into a ditch of his own making??

He was falsely labeled by the media as "crazy" for a single speech in which he did nothing wrong. Where are you coming from?

[CWebster]

36. Hey, no need to rant at me

Is it so bad that to lie down and die is the solution? Certain Democrats who pursue the 'move Right' strategy had just as much to lose with a Democratic revolution that focused on promoting the Democratic alternative opposed to the triangulation capitulation.

Democrats sabotaged their own revolution in favor of an establishment player with insider connections that poses no challenge to Bush, other than he is not Bush.

Perhaps you have noticed?

[Bandit]

28. During that eight years how many Democratic seats were gained

Or how many Democratic Governorships were obtained. What, we lost seats in each and every year during the DLC's glorious reign. How can that be? DLC is sooo good for America.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

30. I never said that the DLC was the end-all, be-all, did I? All I did was..

...counter the argument that the DLC was completely bad for the Democratic Party. It was not. Period. But what worked for the DLC at the Presidential level failed at all other levels. Was that completely the fault of the DLC, or was it a combination of factors that worked against the Democrats?

How about getting rid of the sarcasm next time...then we can have a real conversation.

[Tellurian]

18. The strident stonewalling by rethuglicans should be dubbed TREASONOUS

activity by the Democrats and a rank cover-up of their party's nefarious plans.

They must be covering for Bushco...

[Cocoa]

31. hopefully this will kill the republican party

their behavior has been unexcusable for the last ten years, particularly the Clinton impeachment, and even more, the failure to impeach Bush. I hope it catches up to them and they're destroyed, and all their ideas discredited.

[Tellurian]

40. Yes, you've read my heart, cocoa.

They and their Christian Crusades are not an honest representation of what our American democracy is all about. Our country was founded on the freedom to profess (or not) any religion without prejudice. They should all be imprisoned for what they are doing to our country and to the world.

[The Stranger]

20. As long as they control the mass media outlets, they can do anything.

This has been buried. The torture-murders have been buried. The torture memos have been buried. The weapons of mass destruction lies have been buried.

Under the Sprawling Chestnut Tree,
I sold you and you sold me,
There lie they and here lie we,
Under the Sprawling Chestnut Tree . . .

[CWebster]

22. An yet, on another thread

you have posters suggesting that Gore should "pipe down".

Any of these Senators, congress people, etc. can get media coverage at the snap of their fingers. They just don't seem very willing to put themselves on the line for anything.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

25. If you read that thread carefully, very few posters suggested that Gore..

..."pipe down". In fact, the vast majority of posters liked what they heard and wanted to hear more.

And no, if the message is NOT being delivered by the captive mainstream media, it doesn't matter how many Democratic Congresspeople request coverage "at the snap of their fingers".

The media has been completely controlled until recently. The Democrats are now getting help from a wide variety of leakers despite the best efforts of the NeoCons to suppress information of any kind.

[CWebster]

26. Might as well lie down and die then

?

[Media_Lies_Daily]

27. I really wish I knew what you meant by your response. Oh, well.

[The Stranger]

33. I don't know about lying down and dying.

Maybe I'll turn on the tube and watch the "Attorney General" holding a press conference on every channel about a "terror threat" that was eliminated by issuing an indictment for a Somali man who has been in custody for almost eight months, who was there allegedly somehow threatening to blow up shopping malls in the not coincidentally politically and presidentially electorally pivotal Ohio.

Come on, people. I couldn't make this shit up.

[union_maid]

32. To quote John Stewart

"Oh, it's on!" This will not stand, or if it does stand, the Democrats and some Republicans are going to take some folks down. This is long past the blowing over stage.

Going out of town. I'll be getting all my news from the major media for the next two days. I won't know what the hell is going on!

[Jack Rabbit]

37. We all know where this will lead

Any investigation of US employment of torture in the semi-secret detention facilities around the world will inevitably place responsibility on the man who signed the executive orders setting up those facilities and established the guidelines for their operation.

Bush is a war criminal. He should be impeached, removed from office and formally charged. If the US government is unable of unwilling to prosecute, then an international tribunal should be established for that purpose.

[tom_paine]

39. The Old Republic is DEAD.

Bunnypants* Loyalists (which is to say the entire Imperial Party apparatus, damned near) will not allow open, honest inqury.

I begin to think that unless we Flsuh This Sewage Into the Potomoc, America will never be free.

Amerika, as it stands today, cannot be free as long as a majority of people do not wish to be free or just don;t give a damn.

There is a reason we have lost much of our freedom (though it hasn;t yet trickled down to our personal lives..YET).

Perhaps it is because we stopped deserving it long ago and the first Tyrants with the will to take it from us have stolen it as easily as candy is taken away from a baby.