I never thought I’d write these words, but having a Henry Waxman delve into the details of matters like our contracting policy strikes me as just the medicine the doctor ordered.
Shrill it, brother.
It amazes me how many folks with no great love for the Democrats have realized that a severe thrashing might be the best possible thing for today’s GOP. No question that a few years of sunlight and where necessary, a spray bottle of 10:1 water-to-bleach will do the country wonders.
Unfortunately eight years of GOP recruits have studied carefully at the school of Gingrich, DeLay and Rove. Call it the John Deutsch generation, with a hat tip towards the bright-eyed and dimwitted junior ideologues with whom the AEI incessantly bombarded the already rudderless CPA. If the Deutsch generation has any say in the future GOP then sensible conservatives will likely find the Republicans just as outrageous in the minority as they were in power.
***Update***
Of course that should be George Deutsch, famous for singlehandedly pushing NASA science back to the pre-Galileo era. We don’t need no stinkin’ proofreading…
Andrew
Shorter Djerejian: “I hesitantly support something that has been obvious to right thinking people for years, now.”
Jay C
I’m guessing that more beneficiaries of the upcoming election are going to be the DC-area Staples and Office Depots who, if they are smart, have already pre-ordered large consignments of document shredders, of which there will probably be a huge run on (starting Nov. 8) if the Democrats win control of the House. The notion of truly skeptical Congressional investigators mounting a serious probe into what has happened to, say, the $9 Billion of “Iraq reconstruction” money that has gone missing should be a cheering thought to anybody who cares in the least about honesty and standards in our Government. And if those investigators are Democrats: so much the better.
Oh, and Andrew: I wouldn’t dump on Greg Djerejian too much: sure, he was something of a war-flogger back in the day; but unlike a lot on “the Right”; he’s at least had the smarts/guts to since admit he was wrong – in public, on his blog – and he is, besides; smart, a good writer, and an eloquent voice in bashing the Bush Adminstration’s foreign-policy disasters. Better late than never….
Jay C
That should read “starting Nov. 8” in parens above – PS: BJ Tech Support: any way to disable the smileys?
Andrew
Yeah, I generally agree. However, this is a pretty low bar to crawl over: basically wrong for many years and, in the face of overwhelming evidence, slowly coming around.
John Cole is much better in this regard.
scarshapedstar
Whenever Republicans try to pretend that this is a paltry sum, I remind them that if two Nimitz-class aircraft carriers (price tag: $9 billion) were lost or stolen, somebody would fucking look into it.
demimondian
I’m stealing this line. Hope you don’t mind.
The Other Steve
Jeez, it’s just $9 billion.
Congress spends that much just having lunch on friday.
jcricket
From the AP via MSNBC:
Looks like the Democrats will be plenty busy.
Steve
It’s worth remembering that this $9 billion amount relates solely to funds that were misplaced by the Coalition Provisional Authority, which hasn’t been in business since the handover of power; thus, it’s likely just the tip of the iceberg in terms of profiteering and fraud in Iraq.
If you’re not familiar with this story regarding the Republicans’ diligent oversight of these funds, well, you should be.
Zifnab
One thing that always amazes me is that these investigations actually seem to be happening under a REPUBLICAN controlled governmental system.
It gives me the warm happies to think that even when one party controls all three branches of government and tosses around billions in capital, it can still be brought down by the system – abet with some ample nudging and arm-twisting on the outside.
For some reason I always clung to the notion that a President/Governor/whatever really could pardon him/herself plus close confidants and walk away from it.
Tony J
Which, IMHO, is another reason why impeachment may be the only surefire way of cleaning up the mess this menagerie of scumbags have left behind. Congressional investigations by a Democratic majority may expose the crimes, but if El Residente can just pardon everyone involved before he swings off into the canopy, no one implicated will have to do any time.
de stijl
I think the John Deutsch generation (aka Gen JD) secretly wants to lose at least one houes of Congress.
Why? Cuz then they can really get their hate on! It’s not nearly as fun to blame and hate on the D’s when they have no power whatsoever. Nothing really sticks.
If you have your hands on all the reins of power, then you actually have to legislate and oversee, and you know, actually work. Plus you’re actually acountable in that situation which all pols are genetically allergic to.
Throwing rhetorical bombs is much easier and way more fun for Gen JD.
craigie
Waxman is my rep, and I am so looking forward to his 15 minutes. I love that guy (not that there’s anything wrong with that).