Reply #26: Here's what I told Leahy... [View All]

Here are just a few examples where the Bush Administration has obstructed my right to know what my leaders are doing:

1. They seemed to stonewall 9/11 investigations and didn't even want a 9/11 Commission. What's up with that?

2. They continue to ignore FOIA requests on Iraq intelligence.

3. They're trying to manipulate the Republican leadership in the Senate to pass legislation that changes the spying laws around so the NSA program is legal and right now Sen. Mike DeWine of Ohio is preparing legislation that makes it a crime for reporters to report on illegal activities done by the President. They know they broke the law. Trying to change the law around is setting our country on a dangerous course. This is a serious threat to our democracy, free speech, and freedom of the press. If legislation like this passed, it would be a dramatic step towards tyranny in the US. No one is above the law, not even the President.

It's a shame this Congress has abandoned its oversight role. The Republican leadership is putting our nation at risk by not exercising its constitutionally mandated authority to act as a check on the executive branch. It seems like everything is politics to them. They're setting a bad precedent. This is not the kind of democracy we want to hand on to future generations.

The people need to wake up to what's going on. There's many unanswered questions regarding the following issues:

-Pre-9/11 Intelligence - More whistleblowers need to step forward at the Able Danger hearings.

-Iraq Pre-War Intelligence - The evidence that intelligence was manipulated to get support from the Congress and the public into invading Iraq is overwhelming. If the Republicans don't agree to a Congressional investigation, an Independent investigation needs to be set up so the public can get answers.

-NSA Wiretaps - When more hearings on this occur, there are a lot of unanswered questions Attorney General Gonzales still needs to answer. You should keep pushing to get a Special Counsel to investigate the program. I think Sen. Robert Byrd is doing a great thing by getting public support for a bipartisan Independent Commission to investigate this.

-The Outing of Valerie Plame - The administration still has a lot to answer about this. Disclosing the name of a covert intelligence agent for political purposes greatly endangers our national security. This is an act that former President George H.W. Bush called "treasonous."

Not since Watergate has so much crime, corruption, racketeering and abuse of power taken place in this government.

There are a lot issues that this administration needs to be held accountable on. We must keep pushing for Congress to give us the accountability we want and deserve. If the Republicans don't take responsibility and act, we can elect a Democratic majority to both the House and the Senate in the November midterm elections. Then we can get some answers on these many issues. We need full public hearings and investigations in things like 9/11, Iraq, Downing Street Memos, Plame, the AIPAC spy case, Niger forgeries, FBI cover-ups, Abramoff, Enron, Halliburton, Carlyle, torure of prisoners, Katrina response, etc. In the meantime we must keep pushing for independent prosecutors and independent panels to investigate these matters.

I'm just as concerned as anybody about these issues. If we want to remain a democracy, we must demand the truth.

Sincerely,