Saturday, July 07, 2007

White House raps Hill probes

"They've launched over 300 investigations, had over 350 requests for documents and interviews and they have had over 600 oversight hearings in just about 100 days," Stanzel said.

First, I would like to know if that is way above the norm for a new congress. If so, then here is another area where Dems simply lie to get elected. They said this would not be their focus if elected, but so far they have done NOTHING, and if these numbers are out of control, then they are doing EXACTLY what they said they wouldn't do...

When will people wake up

29 comments:

Andy said...

I think this is exactly what they said they would do, although they've lost a sense of public relations. The Democrats campaigned on a platform of returning oversight and accountability to Washington, offering contrasts to Congress under GOP control. I don't recall them promising to avoid all hearings and investigations.

That said, the average joe wants a bill passed rather than another subpoena.

Chet said...

That said, the average joe wants a bill passed rather than another subpoena.

Actually polls have pretty universally indicated that the American people would support an agenda that included significant review of questionable Administration acts of the past few years.

http://tinyurl.com/2hacbg

http://tinyurl.com/yp6x37

http://tinyurl.com/24esyp

There's just no truth to the idea that the American people aren't interested in an investigation of executive wrongdoing. Certainly they were never behind the Clinton impeachment, or anything having to do with the fictional "Whitewater" business, but that isn't indicative of their attitude towards this executive.

Jim said...

I believe that the Dems have passed significant legislation. However, the Republics have blocked many legislative efforts, and of course the president is FINALLY using his veto power to block more legislation.

Things might move a little faster if the White House would quit stonewalling when asked for information.

I'm really, really sorry that the Congress is spending time investigating such trivial matters instead of investigating blow jobs.

Andy said...

Jim and Chet,

I hear you and am glad that accountability has returned to DC. My point about the average joe is in reference to the drastically low poll numbers for Congress. While it is true that Congress has passed a good deal of legislation, signature issues like Iraq show little progress. Hopefully the Salazar bill will change that.

Chet said...

My point about the average joe is in reference to the drastically low poll numbers for Congress.

Yeah, but if you look at the breakdown of the numbers, you actually see very high approval ratings for the Democrats in congress, and very low ratings for congressional Republicans.

Which makes it pretty clear that the American people actually do have quite a bit of support for the Democratic efforts to hold the executive branch accountable for their mistakes, and they're frustrated with Republican efforts to derail that agenda.

The American people elected Democrats to hold Bush accountable. It doesn't make sense to say that, just a few months later, they'd be opposed to that agenda.

jhbowden said...

Well, as long as the angry Democrats continue to waste their time with pointless investigations instead of creating government largesse, I'm a happy camper.

Democrats are more concerned with being liked in the here and now than implementing an actual agenda. They are also obsessed with consensus, which is why they will continue to surrender to the Republican minority. I love it!

BDS is really taking its toll on these sad people.

Ron said...

The low numbers for democrats in congress is because they have not yet put Bush and Cheney in jail and they haven't brought our troops home. To say these thing matter not and the last 6 years haven't left a huge stain on our country and our constitution show why the radical right has been reduced to cult status. Once again they are so unaware they don't even know it themselves .

the boodge said...

"Congressmen who willfully take actions during wartime that damage morale and undermine the military are saboteurs and should be arrested, exiled, or hanged."

President Abraham Lincoln put it best! This should apply today and we the American people could be liberated from these commie assholes: Clinton, Pelosi, Boxer, Reid, Feinstein, etc...

Get a rope and let the revolution begin!

***SEE JIHADIS BEST FRIEND***

Jay Bullock said...

Boodge, Lincoln never said that.

Want to reconsider?

Ron said...

Doesn't matter Jay, they put it out there and will repeat it until it is "truth". You know Saddam was involved in 9/11 don't you? And that meeting in Prague..I could go on but you get the point.Others know, the cult denys.

Ron said...

Boodge, I hope you are in uniform as you write that. You know they are taking people into their 40s or 50s(if you have experience) now. No reason you should be pounding on the computer when you could be defending America against the bush haters.

Jay Bullock said...

here is another area where Dems simply lie to get elected
October, 2006: Pelosi was asked what was most important about regaining majority status. "Subpoena power," she said.

I would like to know if that is way above the norm for a new congress
The Old Congress: "This is not the approach the GOP Congress took when Bill Clinton occupied the Oval Office. Since 1997, the House Government Reform committee has issued over 1000 subpoenas related to allegations of misconduct involving the Clinton administration or the Democratic party." [Just one committee!]

More of the Old Congress: "Most memorable, however, was the famously unhinged chairman of the House Government Reform and Oversight Committee, Indiana Republican Dan Burton. [. . .] His inquiries included ten days of hearings on whether the White House used its Christmas card list for political purposes."

Chet said...

BDS is really taking its toll on these sad people.

Um, I think at this point, "Bush Derangement Syndrome" really refers to the last 28% or so of Americans who actually approve of the performance of the President.

No offense. Opposition to the President's policies has always been because they invariably lead to disastrous outcomes, not because of some putative mental illness. "BDS" is just another attempt by conservatives to poison the well and avoid addressing the compelling points of the left.

hashfanatic said...

"BDS is really taking its toll on these sad people."

The Bush Crime Family has, indeed, taken its toll on this sad country.

The Game said...

There are so many childish comments on here now, how can we debate?

They seem to be coming from the left 5 to 2...

hashfanatic said...

Au contraire, game...it was the 2006 election that brought adults back into government, as a force, for what had basically devolved into a totalitarian dictatorship, to contend with.

As the manifestations of the failures cast over the past six years (and really, an indictment of those over the past twenty-six) begin to make themselves apparent, and the muted pleas of impeachment become a clarion call for justice, how long can the GOP go on, moving into an election year, without coming up with some rational response to justify today, what was standard operating procedure yesterday?

Jay Bullock said...

There are so many childish comments on here now
I take offense to that. I'm trying to debate, and you're using this as a dodge. The Congress is not asking for something so stupid as Bush's Christmas card list. And Clinton never refused to let aides and former aides testify, as Bush is now.

That's your debate. Don't dodge it.

The Game said...

I can't believe that Clinton let every single person answer every single question Republicans asked of him...Lets see if I can find that...and Jay, I did not say YOU specifically were being childish...but use your eyes and brain and read all the stupid, childish crap on here...how is someone expected to respond to that?

The Game said...

Well, since Jay wants to compare Bush to Clinton...a few things about your hero Bill:

- The only president ever impeached on grounds of personal malfeasance
- Most number of convictions and guilty pleas by friends and associates*
- Most number of cabinet officials to come under criminal investigation
- Most number of witnesses to flee country or refuse to testify
- Most number of witnesses to die suddenly
- First president sued for sexual harassment.
- First president accused of rape.
- First first lady to come under criminal investigation
- Largest criminal plea agreement in an illegal campaign contribution case
- First president to establish a legal defense fund.
- First president to be held in contempt of court
- Greatest amount of illegal campaign contributions
- Greatest amount of illegal campaign contributions from abroad
- First president disbarred from the US Supreme Court and a state court

Jim said...

Your source?

Ron said...

They seem to be coming from the left 5 to 2...
........
Cuz that is the real world..at best. You may think Bush wasn't as bad as Clinton(I am not a big fan)but most of America who lived though the 2 eras would disagree. That said you are entitled to you opinion regardless of how much you refuse to see what a large majority of the rest of the world sees.

The Game said...

That is the difference between liberals and conservatives...
Liberals need to feel like people like them, they need to have happy thoughts.
Conservatives stand on principle and what they think is right(atleast I do).
We became the strongest and best country in the world by working hard and sticking to conservative values, if we worried about what the rest of the world thought, we wouldn't be the country we are today...

jhbowden said...

chet--

You prove my point.

I was saying the Dems were so consumed by Bush hatred they can't get anything done, even with control of Congress and Bush's low ratings. Your response, to summarize, was "Me hate Bush! Grrrrrrr!"

I rest in my case.

Jim said...

Liberals need to feel like people like them, they need to have happy thoughts.

Thank you, Dr. Freud, for the huge portion of bullshit.

Jason, better get plenty of rest. Once again you've proved nothing.

Chet said...

We became the strongest and best country in the world by working hard and sticking to conservative values,

That's just revisionist history. The values that created America - representative government, secular polyreligionism, fair labor standards - are all liberal values.

The people who came to America, and the people who live here, aren't really any different than anybody else. It's the values of our society that make us great, and those are all liberal values.

Your response, to summarize, was "Me hate Bush! Grrrrrrr!"

Is it really so impossible for you to imagine, Jason, that opposition to Bush could just be opposition to his policies?

Or is it just that it's impossible for you to develop coherent replies all of a sudden?

jhbowden said...

chet--

Which comments would you like me to respond to?

"I believe that the Dems have passed significant legislation."

"The low numbers for democrats in congress is because they have not yet put Bush and Cheney in jail and they haven't brought our troops home."

"The Bush Crime Family has, indeed, taken its toll on this sad country."

Ask me anything you want. I'm merely pointing the Dems can't get shit done because they're investigating instead of legislating. Which is a good thing from my POV.

hashfanatic said...

"The Bush Crime Family has, indeed, taken its toll on this sad country."

Ask me anything you want. I'm merely pointing the Dems can't get shit done because they're investigating instead of legislating. Which is a good thing from my POV.

Jason, when a band of thieves has ransacked your home, you don't take time to vacuum the drapes.

You get the cops in there, NOW.

Chet said...

Which comments would you like me to respond to?

How about anything in July 07, 2007 11:17 AM?

I'm merely pointing the Dems can't get shit done because they're investigating instead of legislating.

They don't currently have the power to legislate; not with their razor-thin majority and a hostile executive.

They were elected to investigate, and that's what they're doing. I don't think investigations of Bush administration malfeasance constitute "not getting shit done."

Jay Bullock said...

Well, since Jay wants to compare Bush to Clinton...a few things about your hero Bill:

First, I wasn't comparing Clinton and Bush. I was comparing the GOP Congress that investigated Clinton to the Dem Congress investigating Bush. I was, in fact, answering the very question you posed in your post. If you didn't want me to answer the question, you shouldn't have asked it.

And Bill Clinton's not my hero. Whatever apparatus you've borrowed from pcd for that patented "I can ready lefty minds!" schtick is clearly still non-functional.

But thanks for making it interesting.