Leahy and Conyers are not serving us well.

[Perky]

Oversight of the executive function is an essential part of the check and balance system.

I think "tit for tat" politics is pretty much politically useless if it goes nowhere. The electorate simply rolls their eyes as a point because they see it for what it typically is. Grandstanding and a continuous "game of gotcha" designed for embarrassment rather than consequence. That appears to be all the honorable chairman see as important.

tI simply confounds me the degree to which committee chairmen are tolerating the stonewalling, obfuscation and simply ignoring of subpoenas. I am sick of sham theater by apparently impotent chairmen.

There was supposed to be a vote of no confidence in Gonzales... It never happened.

They are still trickling out emails, but pressure has evaporated.

We still do not know how the list of USA to be fired was created.

We now they were violating the Hatch act.
We know they were seeding DOJ with GOP lawyers.
We know there were shenanigans and legal actions take to poison the election process.

We were all set for a constitutional showdown over executive privilege and compelling Rove to testify under oath.


What the heck happened. Conyers and Leahy can saber-rattle with the best of them. But when the heck are they going to pull the sword out of the scabbard and use it on these bozos!!!!


We need a Constitutional Crisis!!!! We need leadership!!!

:banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead:

[H2O Man]

1. Gosh. n/t

[leftchick]

2. Golly

:)

[ChairmanAgnostic]

4. gee

:)

[ChairmanAgnostic]

5. wilikers

:) :)

[lonestarnot]

6. Gee.

x(

[H2O Man]

10. The sky is falling. n/t

[lonestarnot]

17. No it's not, I just went outside and looked.

:shrug:

[Demeter]

3. It's Taking Them Time to Get Up to Speed, Granted

But the leadership is supposed to be coming from the Presidential Candidates (don't hold your breath--most of them couldn't lead a fire drill, even WITH a fire!).

Senators aren't interested in leading--being in a group gives them a lot more cover.

[bluerum]

7. Much hand wringing, worry and doubt. eom

[yardwork]

8. Whoa

[Toots]

9. Well at the very least they should enforce subpoenas that have been issued and ignored

If they won't even do that then I have to agree with you it is all bluster and nothing will come of it. The Bush* crime Cabal will continue to operate and in fact may even intensify a bit..

[leftchick]

13. "threats"

the democrats' weapon of choice.

[babylonsister]

11. FWIW, no-confidence vote is scheduled for today. But they need to

impeach Gonzo's ass. That vote will do nothing.

[Tatiana]

12. 6+ years of corruption will be unveiled and prosecuted in 6 months time.

Silly me. I thought investigations into corruption on this level took longer.

[Perky]

15. Iam referring only to the USA firings and the politicization of the DOJ

and I am not referring to Prosecutions I am referring to oversight.

[MiniMe]

22. Its hard when everybody has amnesia about what happened

They are building their case. A little patience. Sometimes, I think Leahy is going to pop a cork he gets so pissed off.

[EST]

14. While I agree with your sentiment, I think you are operating in an

information vacuum and reaching conclusions based on that lack of information.
Sometimes, especially when the leaders are pretty much impotent, the greater good comes from exposing the corruption to a broad audience of pissed off ideological ethicists, rather than simply firing or fining the miscreants.

Case in point-Violaters of the Hatch act have no fear of criminal prosecution, from the way the law is written, since the only real remedy is dismissal from their positions and prohibition of future government employment. In this case, the revelation of the corruption can produce more results than the mere quiet dismissal.

[Perky]

16. But why the impotence?

They have the abiity to enforce their own subpoenas don't they?

[EST]

20. Their impotence arises, I think, from the fact that most of the "public servants"

in congress owe their very existence to "the system," rather than their advocacy of the rights of citizens. Most of the "democrats" in congress, I fear, are only democrats of convenience, with very few of their reasons for such self labeling actually arising from human empathy, rights or responsibilities.

Most of our representatives, with a few scintillating exceptions, are dedicated to preserving the status quo. The ones who step out in service of ethical reform are immediately the targets of their fellows for not going along with the program and are targets of us, the voting public, for not doing enough. "Shoot the one that quacks" seems to be more the operative principle than "grease the squeaky wheel."

After watching the senate hearings involving that little weasel from DOJ and the hearing last night concerning NASA oversight, auditing, collusion and corruption, featuring IG Cobb, it was fairly obvious that there was a hell of a lot going on out of the public eye.

I don't wish to defend, necessarily, the frustrating apparent inaction of our elected leaders, but it became apparent to me that they were more up on the corrosive policies and practices than I had originally thought; thus my comment about a lack of information.
It is fairly obvious that they must carefully tread a mine field, with attacks even from their own, because they feel they must cautiously attend the messy business of bringing ethical government in the face of entrenched resistance.

I meant no insult with my comment, merely pointing out that there is more than meets the eye.

[truedelphi]

24. Very well stated. SPot on! n/t

[Fovea]

18. 'We need a Constitutional Crisis!'

We have several already. What we don't have is very many fighters, particularly at the top.

I think we need a Dem party referendum on what kind of leadership the party needs.

I don't think Pelosi and Reid are that leadership.

[Perky]

19. What Crisis?

:Shrug: it is not a crisis until the courts are involved. IMHO

[Fovea]

27. You live in a nation where the Atty Gnl approves torture

and warrantless wiretaps. The court has been stacked with Ultra right goons.

There is no habeas corpus...

To my eyes, that is what crisis looks like.

[gulfcoastliberal]

21. Can someone remind us if the dems did anything to the bush I justoce dept over

INSLAW and PROMIS? I seem to remember the bush I AGs lying to a sentae controlled by dems but I remember them not doing anything substantial. Anyone else remember how the hearings regarding INSLAW went?

[L. Coyote]

23. Hopefully, they don't read the Dem bashing, or know better than to say "forget them."

I can understand impatience and frustration, but, have you examined the schedule of a Senator lately?
Investigations are moving forward. Compare Leahy's with yours and this with your output in the last 2 days:

WHAT'S NEW

Statement Of Sen. Patrick Leahy On REAL ID Provisions In The Immigration Bill June 7, 2007 - http://leahy.senate.gov/press/200706/060707b.html

Judiciary Panel Clears Bill Restoring Habeas Safeguards For Millions Of U.S. Permanent Residents June 7, 2007 - http://leahy.senate.gov/press/200706/060707a.html

Bipartisan Coalition Of Senators And Representatives Asks President To 'Unlock' Hometown Heroes Benefits June 7, 2007 - http://leahy.senate.gov/press/200706/060707.html

Comey Responds To Questions Submitted To The Record In Senate Judiciary Committee Investigation Into The Hiring And Firing Practices At The Department Of Justice June 6, 2007 - http://leahy.senate.gov/press/200705/052507ComeyResponse.pdf

Leahy, Specter Inquire About Former DOJ Official's Account Of 'Uncomfortable' Conversation With Attorney General June 6, 2007 - http://leahy.senate.gov/press/200706/060607b.html

National Guard Chief Warns Of Record-Wide Equipment Gap Caused By Deployments To The Middle East June 6, 2007 - http://leahy.senate.gov/press/200706/060607a.html

Statement Of Sen. Patrick Leahy, Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee, Hearing On "Patent Reform: The Future Of American Innovation" June 6, 2007 - http://leahy.senate.gov/press/200706/060607.html

Panel Hears From Department Of Justice Official Schlozman, Fired U.S. Attorney Graves June 5, 2007 - http://leahy.senate.gov/press/200706/060507c.html

Statement Of Sen. Patrick Leahy, "Examining The Federal Role To Work With Communities To Prevent And Respond To Gang Violence: The Gang Abatement And Prevention Act Of 2007" June 5, 2007 - http://leahy.senate.gov/press/200706/060507b.html

Comment Of Sen. Patrick Leahy On The Dismissal Of Charges Against Guantanamo Detainees And The Need For Restoration Of Habeas Corpus Protections June 5, 2007 - http://leahy.senate.gov/press/200706/060507a.html

Congressional Delegation Lauds Vermont's Energy Efficiency Programs Earning State Top Ranking In National Report June 5, 2007 - http://leahy.senate.gov/press/200706/060507.html

[tiptoe]

25. (Video) Conyers says "two more weeks" before "process" kicks in for Gonzo non-responsiveness

re domestic surveillance.
Domestic Surveillance Hearing: Conyers' Questioning

...I'm still waiting for a response of ANY kind from the Attorney General, Alberto Gonzales, about this subject matter since May 17...In our generosity of spirit we're going to give him TWO MORE WEEKS, and then, as somebody said, 'it's about time process kicks in somewhere around here'."

[tiptoe]

26. Senate 'No Confidence' vote on AG Monday. Schumer: "We will soon see where people’s loyalties lie.”

Gonzales to face ‘no confidence’ vote Monday