Pelosi: Contempt Vote Part of Effort to Restore Checks and Balances

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Pelosi: Contempt Vote Part of Effort to Restore Checks and Balances

By Paul Kiel - July 25, 2007, 3:35 PM
From the Speaker on this morning's vote:

“The contempt proceedings in the House Judiciary Committee today are part of a broader effort by House Democrats to restore our nation’s fundamental system of checks and balances.
"The Constitution gives the Congress a crucial role in overseeing the Executive Branch in order to protect the American people against overreaching, incompetence, and corruption. I am hopeful that today’s vote will help the Administration see the light and release the information to which the Judiciary Committee is entitled.

"For the last six years, under Republican leadership, Congress failed to conduct its proper oversight role, resulting in fiascos such as the mismanagement of our Iraq policy, widespread corruption by contractors such as Halliburton, and the failed response to Hurricane Katrina.

“Congress will act to preserve and protect our criminal justice system and to ensure appropriate Congressional oversight in all areas essential to the well-being of the American people.”


As we noted earlier, the word is that a vote on this in the full House is unlikely before the August recess, pushing it back to September.

House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers (D-MI) followed up the House vote this morning with a letter to White House counsel Fred Fielding, saying that he still hoped the two sides could come to an agreement. That letter is below.

.....

anything less is just a bad joke.

business.....

:thumbsup:

matter that demands action? Instead Pelosi thinks it is fine to just sit on those contempt citations until September? What the fuck?

because they are surely picking and choosing which ones they want to deal with.

Meanwhile, our troops are still dying, our rights are still being stripped from us, and a criminal regime is occupying the White House.

Enjoy your vacation, Nancy. You haven't earned it. I hope your constituents scream at you so loud while you're at home that you can't get a good night's sleep, hearing their demand of impeachment over and over in your head.

that require some tweaking when congress can get around to it.

She is clueless that our executive branch is run by a criminal conspiracy who is torturing people, kidnapping people, murduring innocents, spying on Americans, and gutting the constitution.

She thinks the drowning of NOLA was the result of congress not holding oversite hearings.

She's a nice enough lady, but she's extremely naive.

I don't think she is qualified or capable to be Speaker. I used to think so, but it's obvious she's in way over her head.

to move to an impeachment -- regardless of any ability to do so, unilaterally, through the power of her office.

She is therefore doing what is possible. She should be supported in that by folks who profess such concern for the rule of law and for defense of the constitution. Just because an impeachment hasn't been slated, doesn't absolve Congress from their many other responsibilities of oversight and accountability which may, yet, fall short of an impeachment.

summer recess.

I know I intend to go give MY REP an earful

After all the letters and emails and calls don't seem to make the point

Somebody needs to grow some backbone and do what needs to be done.I don't give a fat red rats a** whether there is currently suppport for impeachment.She needs to get busy protecting the Constitution,and if that means that she has to do some serious arm twisting,then she better get the heck busy.

I'm sick of these mamby pamby excuses.

John Kerry came out early for a time table on Iraq. When he did, the party freaked and acted like he was some kind of radical.

Now it's the party position. That's leadership. If Kerry had waited until it was the caucus position, it still wouldn't be the caucus position today.

Leadership means being in front of the pack. Not hiding in the pack. I just wish Pelosi would lead instead of being held captive by her caucus.

If bush/chaney get away with all that they've done, then what? What's next?

Or don't you see the consequences of that?

They are doing their jobs to the best of their ability.

faith apparently still believe it.

You never had faith in bush chaney, and niether did I.

But if it comes down to, "They are doing their jobs to the best of their ability," who's to say?

That sounds like a people who are ready to be enslaved, since, after all, they are doing their job the best they can. I should just trust them.....

That might work for you, but not for me. if the best they can do is to let a criminal conspiracy rape our rights, steal our treasure, kill our fellow citizens, kidnap, spy, and run amok, then it's time to question our faith I would think.

Gosh I have trouble reconcilling those two concepts. If it is serious, then take those contempt charges and put them on the floor tomorrow and get them voted out of the house and right into the courts. Is it serious or are we just playing games?

are at the gates. Congressional response: Sorry, time for August recess. Buh-bye! See ya' in the Fall.

against enemies both foreign and domestic

These words don't mean much, do they?

by the way, if they were serious, why the delay?

has become a substitute for the Democratic leaderships' lack of moral courage. I expect they'll continue to beat around the Bush until their chance to do the right thing is safely behind them.

they do not believe in checks and balances and as Karl Rove himself said he was there to change constitutions.