Congress

Congressman Jim Leach (R, Iowa) has informed Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D, California) that he will co-sponsor her Resolution of Inquiry into Bush Administration communications with the U.K. about Iraq at the time of the Downing Street Memos. Leach is the first Republican member of Congress to publicly support a demand for an inquiry into the Bush Administration's pre-war claims. The 131 congress members who have signed Congressman John Conyers' letter to the President about the Downing Street Memo are all Democrats. The 11 Senators who have asked the Senate Intelligence Committee to do the investigation it committed to in February 2004 but never did are all Democrats.

That makes 52 co-sponsors!

What about YOUR CONGRESS MEMBER??

MORE.

An Open Letter to Rep. Nancy Pelosi on Presidential Accountability and Impeachment
http://www.democrats.com/pelosi-letter

Dear Representative Pelosi,

Thank you for your letter requesting a contribution to elect a Democratic Congress in 2006 to "hold the President accountable."

This is a cause that I, and millions of Americans, wholeheartedly support. This includes Democrats, Independents, and a very large number of Republicans as well.

But I write to differ strongly with you on exactly how to "hold the President accountable."

Your letter delays George Bush's accountability until the distant date of January 2007 - the earliest time when Democrats could assume control of the House of Representatives after the election of November 2006.

Congress Members Who Signed Congressman Conyers' Letter to Bush about the Downing Street Memo, but who have not yet co-sponsored H Res 375:

Xavier Becerra
Earl Blumenauer
G. K. Butterfield
James E. Clyburn
Jim Cooper
Diana DeGette
Rosa L. DeLauro
Lloyd Doggett
Harold E. Ford Jr.
Al Green
Alcee L. Hastings
Jesse L. Jackson Jr.
Dale E. Kildee
Zoe Lofgren
Edward J. Markey
Cynthia McKinney
Martin T. Meehan
Kendrick B. Meek
Michael H. Michaud
Juanita Millender-McDonald
Grace F. Napolitano
Bobby L. Rush
Ike Skelton
Louise McIntosh Slaughter
Ellen O. Tauscher

Rep. Jim Leach is the 51st Co-Sponsor of H Res 375.

What about YOUR Congress Member?

MORE

From Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee:

Iraq: Where Do We Go From Here?

PDF Flyer

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee will be holding a Town Hall meeting on Thursday August 25th, 2005, at 7 p.m. CT entitled Iraq: Where Do We Go From Here?

Almost 2,000 of our American soldiers are dead because of the War in Iraq. No plan exists from the Bush Administration for a successful exit strategy to end this war. Meanwhile mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, husbands, wives, sons and daughters ones are mourning their loved ones who gave their lives in Iraq.

By Sandra Jurgensen

A Resolution of Inquiry: Citizens of Florida's 10th District
Urging Congressman C.W. Bill Young to Co-Sponsor H. Res. 375

WHEREAS we are concerned regarding the rationale which precipitated the extensive and ongoing injury and loss of life suffered by over eighteen hundred of our nation’s military personnel and countless thousands of innocent Iraqi civilians, and
WHEREAS the information in the Downing Street Documents strongly suggests that President Bush intentionally deceived Congress about the reasons for war, and

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/downloads/roi-onepage.pdf

Congressmen Albert Wynn and Bob Filner have now co-sponsored the Resolution of Inquiry into pre-war claims, bringing the total number of co-sponsors to 50.

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/902

By Steve Cobble
Huffington Post

Kristen Breitweiser's great post yesterday about the failures of the 9/11 Commission reminded me of another failed Committee--the Senate Intelligence Committee, who never did finish their intelligence investigation.

We were promised an investigation into the use and misuse of our intelligence by the White House and the rest of the government.

C'mon, Senator Roberts, let's get going.

(Don't hold your breath. See this link to Raw Story's article for more on this esteemed Kansas conservative.)

By DOUGLASS K. DANIEL, Associated Press Writer

A leading Republican senator and prospective presidential candidate said Sunday that the war in Iraq has destabilized the Middle East and is looking more like the Vietnam conflict from a generation ago.

Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel, who received two Purple Hearts and other military honors for his service in Vietnam, reiterated his position that the United States needs to develop a strategy to leave Iraq. Hagel scoffed at the idea that U.S. troops could be in Iraq four years from now at levels above 100,000, a contingency for which the Pentagon is preparing.

http://www.democrats.com/node/5776

Meet the Press 8/21/05 with David Gregory.

On Thursday, Senator Feingold became the first senator to call for a specific withdrawal date from Iraq, and he joins us now for his first live interview.

Senator, welcome to MEET THE PRESS.

SEN. RUSS FEINGOLD, (D-WI): Good morning, David.

MR. GREGORY: Explain why you've taken this step at this point. Why set this target date?

SEN. FEINGOLD: Well, it's been a long time coming. I didn't support the war in Iraq in the first place. But once the country decided to go into Iraq, I felt it was very important that we do the best we can to success and support our troops. The problem is is that we're not getting the leadership from the administration. The president is not telling us what is the time frame, what are the benchmarks and what is the possible completion date for this mission. And what's happening is the American public is really despairing of the situation.

Beltway Dems Regurgitate Right-Wing B.S. on Iraq; Grassroots Fights Back
By David Sirota

The Philadelphia Inquirer has a great piece today (attached) on how many of the highest-profile Democrats - other than the courageous Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) - are still unwilling to take a serious position on the Iraq War. I must say, there are very troubling signs in the article in terms of Democrats continuing to regurgitate dishonest right wing lies (a phenomenon our side seems to be prone to), and continuing to listen to the professional election losers (aka. "The Consulting Class") and the club of foreign policy elitists (aka. the "The Strategic Class") in Washington, D.C. But there are also some very encouraging signals this insulated Beltway Establishment is being shaken to its core.

http://www.valleyfordemocracy.com/

At a meeting with representatives of Valley Grassroots For Democracy, Daniel Tamm and John Heaner, Congressman Brad Sherman (D-27th CD) agreed to co-sponsor H. Res. 375 - the Resolution of Inquiry, introduced by Democratic Bay Area Representative Barbara Lee. The resolution requests the President and directs the Secretary of State to transmit to the House of Representatives all information in their possession relating to communication with officials of the United Kingdom between January 1, 2002, and October 16, 2002, relating to the policy of the United States with respect to Iraq. You can read a copy of H. Res. 375 at http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/downloads/roi-onepage.pdf

There are now 48 co-sponsors of H Res 375. The four latest are Congressmen Barney Frank, Elijah Cummins, Rush Holt, and Gregory Meeks.

In the photo, Ven Neralla (top), Legislative Director for Congresswoman Barbara Lee, tells members of Progressive Democrats of America's Virginia Chapter about the Resolution on Saturday, August 20.

The Resolution will likely be voted on in the House International Relations Committee between Sept. 6 and Sept. 16. The more congress members who co-sponsor, the more likely some committee members are to both vote Yes and engage in a serious debate in the committee.

The ranking Democrat on the committee is Tom Lantos.

Here's a report on efforts to lobby him from Ashley Evans on August 18:

DNC

MR. BUSH, TEAR DOWN THAT STONE WALL!
A daily service of the DNC, "Mr. Bush, Tear Down That Stone Wall!" will highlight a specific fact that has been revealed and what Americans deserve to know about the White House's involvement in the improper and possibly illegal disclosure of an undercover CIA agent's identity for political gain.

WHAT'S BEEN UNCOVERED

Fitzgerald Had History of Pursuing Perjury In Previous Investigations. According to individuals familiar with his case history, special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald has pursued perjury charges in a significant portion of the cases he has investigated. The Los Angeles Times reported, "Fitzgerald's tendency to invoke the laws against lying comes from two things, colleagues say: the particular way he uses grand jury testimony when he conducts an investigation, and his deep-seated aversion to being lied to." [Los Angeles Times, 8/15/05 ]

By STEVE HARTSOE, Associated Press Writer

Congressman Walter Jones said Thursday he has about 50 co-sponsors on a joint resolution that calls on President Bush to announce by year's end a plan for withdrawal from Iraq.

The resolution — introduced in June by Jones, another Republican and two Democrats — calls on the president to begin executing the withdrawal by Oct. 1, 2006. It does not set an end date.

"I think that people have finally understood what we're doing," Jones said after a meeting at the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, noting that people have mistakenly thought the resolution was binding.

Reuters
By Alan Elsner

In the solidly Republican state of Nebraska, voters are expressing deep anxiety about rising gasoline prices and the war in Iraq, a possible early warning sign for President George W. Bush in one of his most reliable strongholds.

When Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel (news, bio, voting record) traveled around his home state this week, citizens at every stop brought up Iraq policy and the inexorable rise in fuel prices.

"Is there anything the United States can do to get some stability in crude oil prices in the world, because it affects everything we do?" Larry Ahlers, a manager at medical device manufacturer Becton and Dickinson in Broken Bow, asked Hagel in one of dozens of such encounters.

http://www.democracynow.org

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Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) is calling for an investigation into the role of former Attorney General John Ashcroft in the outing of undercover CIA operative Valerie Plame. Conyers' call comes after a new report by investigative journalist Murray Waas that a special prosecutor was appointed in the case in large part because FBI investigators had begun to specifically question the veracity of accounts provided to them by Karl Rove. We speak with Conyers and Waas. [includes rush transcript]

Congresman Rush Holt's Resolution (H. Res. 363) has 76 cosponsors so far. Here is the summary of what it does:

"Requesting the President and directing the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, and the Attorney General to transmit to the House of Representatives not later than 14 days after the date of the adoption of this resolution documents in the possession of the President and those officials relating to the disclosure of the identity and employment of Ms. Valerie Plame."

Ask your congress member to co-sponsor.

List of who is already co-sponsoring.

RAW STORY
Larisa Alexandrovna

Congressman John Conyers (D-MI) and Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) will be issuing a formal request for an immediate investigation with the US Inspector General's office into John Ashcroft - former US Attorney General, Raw Story has learned.

The request - released to Raw Story - cites conflict of interest on the part of Ashcroft in his failure to promptly recuse himself during the initial investigation into the outing of CIA agent Valerie Wilson. Ashcroft was US Attorney General at the time.

The CIA filed charges with the FBI and Justice after columnist Robert Novak made Wilson's identity public in July of 2003. It has since been learned, as part of a case currently in front of a grand jury, that Karl Rove - Senior Advisor to President Bush, was the source for several reporters on the Wilson story.

Dear DFA Organizer,

This email includes some important final suggestions for your congressional meeting this week. At the bottom, it includes information about how to report back the results of your meeting.

Primary Goals of the Meetings

1) To deliver DFA's petition calling on Congress to hold full hearings on the Downing Street Memos and whether the President misled us into war.

2) To ask your Congressperson to support Rep. Lee's Resolution of Inquiry (ROI). If passed, the ROI would require the White House and the State Department to "transmit all information relating to communication with officials of the United Kingdom between January 1, 2002, and October 16, 2002, relating to the policy of the United States with respect to Iraq."

The Problem With Howard Dean
By David Swanson

Question: How is Howard Dean like the Bible?

Answer: There is no position for which you cannot, with a little research, find both support and opposition in the pronouncements of Howard Dean.

Today DailyHowler.com exulted: "DEAN GETS IT! Hurrah! Hooray! A million kudos! Howard Dean says that Democrats have to start telling the truth!!!
http://www.dailyhowler.com/dh081505.shtml

Quite an accomplishment, no doubt, but is that ALL that Dean said? And what did he say about the war?

Here's the section of Dean's recent interview with CBS that elicited such cheering:

Dean Decisively Undecided on Anything Yet, But don't worry - he's working on it:
LINK

August 12, 2005

Dear Mr. Swanson:

Thank you for getting in touch with me regarding the Bush Administration's claims about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction (WMD) used to justify going to war. I agree with you that we need a thorough, effective and objective investigation of the intelligence on Iraq and how it was used.

As a Senator and a member of the Select Committee on Intelligence, I was presented information that led me to believe that Saddam Hussein had biological and chemical weapons and the means to use them. Bush Administration officials also said that Iraq had links to terrorism and was developing nuclear weapons. This has been called into question in light of what UN inspectors and U.S. forces have found - and not found - on the ground in Iraq.

August 11, 2005

Mr. Brett Gerry Ms. Margaret P. Grafeld
Associate Counsel Information and Privacy Coordinator
Office of Counsel to the President Office of Information Programs & Services
The White House A/RPS/IPS/RL
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. U.S. Department of State, SA-2
Washington, D.C. 20502 Washington, D.C. 20522-6001

Re: Freedom of Information Act Request

Dear Sir and Madam:

On June 30, 2005, I and 51 other Members of Congress requested access to “all agency records, including but not limited to handwritten notes, formal correspondence, electronic mail messages, intelligence reports and other memoranda,

Congressmen Chris Van Hollen and James McGovern have joined the growing list of those who want to knwo whether Bush lied to Congress.

By Rep. John Conyers
Huffington Post

August is typically a month of no news. Congress goes on its summer recess. The President takes a long vacation. A very long one. For those in the White House press corps who are not so fortunate to be assigned to bake in the Crawford, Texas sun, they too take vacations (though not as long as the President's).

This August is different. If you listen closely enough, you can hear the slow drip of scandal turning into a waterfall of corruption and coverups in the Bush White House. On the internet, new pieces of the puzzle are coming together. My friend and the proprietor of this blog, Arianna Huffington seems to have the best sources inside the New York Times newsroom and has led many of us to begin asking whether Judith Miller's refusal to testify is not what it seems.

New Boss for Fitzgerald? Sheehan in Crawford
By Rep. John Conyers

I just read Murray Wass' excellent piece in the American Prospect describing a private meeting between Judith Miller and Scooter Libby on July 8, 2003, two days after Ambassador Wilson's now famous column questioning the WMD assertions of the Administration, and before Novak's outing of Wilson's wife -- based on two administration sources. This is a very comprehensive piece, and adds much critical information to what we know about Treasongate. Wass also explains that one of the key hold ups in Fitzgerald's investigation is that Libby has not yet issued a specific privelege waiver to Miller allowing her to tell the prosecutor what she knows about these alleged crimes. Given that the president said he wanted full cooperation so that the prosecutor could get to the bottom of the security leak, and that he he raised the bar for dismissal to committing a federal crime, this is nothing less than outrageous. Needless to say, I intend to pursue this matter further in the coming days.

Congessman Pete DeFazio has joined the list of Congress Members co-sponsoring Congresswoman Lee's Resolution of Inquiry. That makes 42 co-sponsors, plus Lee makes 43. Keep 'em coming!

IRAQ WAR: WHEN WILL THE KILLING STOP?
By Congressman Charles Rangel

With the deaths of 21 Marines in two days this week, the body count of U.S. troops killed in Iraq rose dramatically to 1,815 and counting. Even as newspapers and TV stations broadcast the death toll, we were still counting on the churches, synagogues and mosques to show that they recognize the inhumanity of this immoral war.

Aren't there passages in the Bible, the Koran and the Torah which command that killing for a fraudulent cause has to stop? Why is no one speaking out?

At least 23,000 civilians have also died in the Iraqi killing field and the U.S. is stuck in a quagmire. With conflict surging, last May 30th Defense Secretary Rumsfeld boasted that the insurgency was "in the last throes." In the days after that insurgents killed well over 100 U.S. troops and more than 600 Iraqis.