White House Feels Waxman's Oversight Gaze

White House Feels Waxman's Oversight Gaze

By Jonathan Weisman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, October 25, 2007; Page A01

For months, Rep. Henry A. Waxman, chairman of the House oversight committee, has been threatening, subpoenaing and just plain badgering Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to come before his panel to answer questions about the run-up to the Iraq war, corruption and State Department contracting.

Today, Rice will finally appear. But Waxman (D-Calif.) has not spent the week on a victory lap. He has found time to produce evidence accusing State Department security contractor Blackwater Worldwide of tax evasion, to fire off a letter to Rice demanding information about alleged mismanagement of a $1 billion contract to train Iraqi police, and to hold a hearing on uranium poisoning on Navajo land.

Waxman has become the Bush administration's worst nightmare: a Democrat in the majority with subpoena power and the inclination to overturn rocks. But in Waxman the White House also faces an indefatigable capital veteran -- with a staff renowned for its depth and experience -- who has been waiting for this for 14 years.

These days, the 16-term congressman is always ready with a hearing, a fresh crop of internal administration e-mails or a new explosive report. And he has more than two dozen investigations underway, on such issues as the politicization of the entire federal government, formaldehyde in Federal Emergency Management Agency trailers, global warming, and safety concerns about the diabetes drug Avandia.

"We have to let people know they have someone watching them after six years with no oversight at all," said Waxman, 68. "And we've got a lot of low-hanging fruit to pick."

more...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/24/AR2007102402757.html

Exactly what has the WH not been able to do because
of the so-called Dem congress?

I can't think of a thing.

Fascism forever.

sung yet:

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/056914.php

One gone another just as bad takes over. What was gained? Gonzo escapes with the goods as all in this Administration will do. Billions upon billions have just disappeared under this Administration. Do you think the current Just Us Dept will investigate and prosecute?

don't underestimate Waxman's power or the work he's doing. It may not be overtly covered in the press, but I'm sure it was the White House's worst nightmare come true when the Democrats got the majority. Notice how many people have resigned "to spend more time with family"? Those were the smart ones. The long term implications haven't even been felt yet.

From the article:

"For the administration, and for a lot of others, people need to be careful now," said Rep. Thomas M. Davis III (Va.), the ranking Republican on the committee. "Someone is looking over their shoulder."

In reality, he's playing catch-up with respect to oversight as there has essentially been NONE for the previous 6 years. But you wouldn't know that from the article. The article paints it as partisan game-playing.

Leave it to the MSM to minimize the crimes of this administration.

for the Republicans and half the Dems on the committee who won't have a clue what is going on and will spend the whole time fluffing Condi for her triumphant photo op.

Isn't it weird how these "Morning of the Magician" types just somehow mysteriously seem to get their way no matter what?

the core fruit..this, to me, looks like the only good news on a dusty, radioactive horizon.

And dick is gearing up to tell Henry Waxman to "Go Fuck Yourself".