by Jim Hightower & r & & r & THE COMMITTEE SHUFFLE & r & When I look at today's Congress, I think of the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Lion in The Wizard of Oz: No heart, no brain and no courage.
This bunch has cravenly caved in to the Bush/Cheney Regime's power grab to impose an imperial presidency on the United States. For example, when it was revealed last December that Bush was not merely a lawbreaker but had repeatedly flaunted the law for four years by issuing secret and illegal orders to spy on the American people -- what did Congress do? At first, there was much huffing and puffing, indignantly demanding a deep investigation into the criminality of the secret snooping.
But then Pat Roberts, the pathetically weak-kneed chairman of the Senate select committee on intelligence, abruptly canceled plans for a Senate investigation and ran to the White House waving a surrender hankie. He came out beaming, comically claiming that he'd negotiated a deal with Dick "Buckshot" Cheney. Roberts said that, in exchange for the Senate giving up its crucial investigative function, Cheney graciously agreed to give the Senate an oversight role in Bush's illegal spy program.
Wow! Way to go, Pat! But wait -- specifically, what did he get? Well... uh... um... a new subcommittee. This seven-member panel is to get occasional reports from the White House on the secret snooping. Hello... Pat? Your full committee is already supposed to be getting such reports -- and using the information to stop any illegal executive actions.
Here's a president who has flagrantly committed a serious felony, punishable by a five-year prison term. Yet rather than hold Bush accountable, the Senate agrees to set up a superfluous subcommittee to watch him continue breaking the law.
& & For more nuggets of wisdom from America's No. 1 populist, check out & lt;a href="http://www.jimhightower.com" & his website & lt;/a & & & .
This bunch has cravenly caved in to the Bush/Cheney Regime's power grab to impose an imperial presidency on the United States. For example, when it was revealed last December that Bush was not merely a lawbreaker but had repeatedly flaunted the law for four years by issuing secret and illegal orders to spy on the American people -- what did Congress do? At first, there was much huffing and puffing, indignantly demanding a deep investigation into the criminality of the secret snooping.
But then Pat Roberts, the pathetically weak-kneed chairman of the Senate select committee on intelligence, abruptly canceled plans for a Senate investigation and ran to the White House waving a surrender hankie. He came out beaming, comically claiming that he'd negotiated a deal with Dick "Buckshot" Cheney. Roberts said that, in exchange for the Senate giving up its crucial investigative function, Cheney graciously agreed to give the Senate an oversight role in Bush's illegal spy program.
Wow! Way to go, Pat! But wait -- specifically, what did he get? Well... uh... um... a new subcommittee. This seven-member panel is to get occasional reports from the White House on the secret snooping. Hello... Pat? Your full committee is already supposed to be getting such reports -- and using the information to stop any illegal executive actions.
Here's a president who has flagrantly committed a serious felony, punishable by a five-year prison term. Yet rather than hold Bush accountable, the Senate agrees to set up a superfluous subcommittee to watch him continue breaking the law.
& & For more nuggets of wisdom from America's No. 1 populist, check out & lt;a href="http://www.jimhightower.com" & his website & lt;/a & & & .
