DSM Hearing Thread 2

[Chichiri]

The first thread is getting long, so here's a second one.

[cyberpj]

1. Will Pitt blog on PDA site (here) for those who can't get a stream:

http://blog.pdamerica.org/

[oldtime dfl_er]

2. please post

I keep losing the feed.

http://www.cafepress.com/scarebaby/665903

[LifeDuringWartime]

8. Ray McGovern ust started

He started with a 45 second video clip showing Powell and Rice saying Hussein was not a threat in early 2001

i think it was from that recent british documentary?

[cynatnite]

3. Thanks for new thread n/t

[BlueEyedSon]

4. Ray McGovern up now

he was great in "Uncovered"

[LifeDuringWartime]

11. He thanked the DSM leaker(s)

"whistblower"

[expatriot]

36. the Des Moines city council and mayor are whistleblowers? I am confused

....(waiting)

[Beaverhausen]

24. I was just going to post that about "Uncovered"

I need to watch that again...

[indy_azcat]

5. fyi: original thread

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=3872896&mesg_id=3872896

[BlueEyedSon]

35. deleted.

[deutsey]

6. What was the video the witness just showed?

[CatWoman]

10. It was Powell and Rice

saying Saddam wasn't a threat, and had no WMD.

These interviews were prior to the drumbeat for war.

[Pacifist Patriot]

20. AND he pointed out that they were just a few months before

the 180 flip from those some people.

[deutsey]

23. Something I wrote as that drumbeat was growing louder

http://www.buzzflash.com/contributors/03/02/03_Crank.html

[uppityperson]

29. 2/01, 7/01 Saddam no threat, 9/01 he suddenly became one

How you fix intellegence and change the story and LIE. you evil people. cheny, rice, mushroom clouds, powell, wow

[redacted]

16. Not sure but I think it's from BBC show Panorama: Iraq, Tony, & the Truth

First link in this post.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=3813130

Edited: to add link.

[Hissyspit]

7. Updates!!!

[deutsey]

14. Analyzing the "anatomy of a lie"

[in_cog_ni_to]

18. Ray is talking about all the lies Cheney told.

He said Cheney said he had gotten his info from Saddam's son. Ray said, "That's a LIE."

[in_cog_ni_to]

9. Ray McGovern on now! He just showed a 45 sec. video of all the Bush LIES!

:bounce:

[Pacifist Patriot]

15. Just saw that. Great!!!

[Just Me]

12. AOL ---> ANATOMY OF A LIE!!!!

[Just Me]

28. *lol* A SUPINE PRESS

:rofl:

[Goldmund]

13. AOL: The Anatomy Of a Lie

[longship]

17. Uh oh! McGovern's getting good.

This is powerful testimony.

BTW, were the witnesses sworn?

[LifeDuringWartime]

21. YES!

n/t

[Amonester]

Yes. Keep it up DU! Great comments! We need you! n/t

[kaitykaity]

19. Thanks for rhe new thread.

:thumbsup:

[faithnotgreed]

22. ray mcgovern! calling out the "lies"

and names cheney powell rice etc

[in_cog_ni_to]

32. He mentioned the "supine" press and how complacent they are

to just accept the info from the WH.

[jojo54]

25. There's the media suppression again.

Go McGovern.

[lala_rawraw]

127. Ray is amazing... the clip was amazing

[faithnotgreed]

26. "supine press" "slumbering watchdog congress" cheney and mushroom

clouds

get em ray!

[deutsey]

46. Well, that guarantees this won't get coverage

Them journalists are a thin-skinned lot. Of course, many of them will have to look up "supine" first before they get indignant.

[AllyCat]

57. And don't forget "flexible attitude towards the truth". n/t

[Solly Mack]

27. "supine press" (hehehehehe)

[fla nocount]

30. Ah fresh meat. Going after Cheney now.

[uppityperson]

48. Cheney's multiple visits to CIA, "never heard of a vp doing this"

Watch this later if you cannot no. WOW!

[fla nocount]

52. McGovern pointing out Cheney as real Pres. and policy maker.

[cynatnite]

31. Turning intelligence on it's head says McGovern n/t

[chalky]

33. McGovern is excellent!

"Nor have I ever known a sitting vice president make multiple visits to the CIA to make sure the fix was in..."

[Mandate My Ass]

Maxine Waters looks

Pissed!

[LightningFlash]

148. Jeezus Dick Cheney basically dragged right out....

Ray McGovern slapped him down so bad heads were spinning, and played the clip from Saddom's son!!!

:wow: :wow:

[DistressedAmerican]

34. Anyone expect MSM Coverage? Or Are They Gonna Bury It?

So glad I have a good cable package!!!

[sabra]

Everyone but Faux is there....

so I expect there will be some decent reports!

[mainer]

79. Anxiously surfing through TV channels -- NOTHING!

MSNBC and CNN both covering the missing blond chick.

BIG PENTAGON STORY: the capture of the third in command of some lieutenant of Al Qaeda. "This arrest could change the course of the war in iraq!!!" yeah, right, bimbo. Say it again.

[G_j]

37. Cheney lies

McGovern is a strong witness

[jojo54]

38. The way all this is being presented there's no way it can be

ignored. No way.

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

"Sitting Vice President making repeat visits to CIA headquarters...

...to make sure the fix was in"

- Ray McGovern

[Hissyspit]

39. Who is Ray McGovern? I forget...

[Goldmund]

54. CIA analyst

[Mandate My Ass]

56. ex CIA

He's good. He showed the clips fo Condi and Colin Powell saying SAddam had no weapons in early 2001. He's tearing the lies apart one by one.

[LifeDuringWartime]

69. former CIA analyst

n/t

[Dudley_DUright]

88. Ex CIA

and now a leading member of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity.

Ray McGovern’s 27-year career as a CIA analyst spanned administrations from John F. Kennedy to George H. W. Bush. Ray is now co-director of the Servant Leadership School, which provides training and other support for those seeking ways to be in relationship with the marginalized poor. The School is one of ten Jubilee Ministries, not-for-profit organizations inspired by the ecumenical Church of the Saviour and established in an inner-city neighborhood in Washington, DC.

The department Ray heads at the School deals with the biblical injunction to “speak truth to power,” and this, together with his experience in intelligence analysis, accounts for his various writings and media appearances over the past year. His focus dovetails nicely with the passage carved into the marble entrance to CIA Headquarters: “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free”—the ethic mandating that CIA analysts were to “tell it like it is” without fear or favor.

In January 2003, when it became clear that that ethic was in serious jeopardy, a handful of intelligence community alumni/ae, including Ray, created Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity. VIPS now includes over 35 former professionals from CIA, the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Department of State’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research, Army Intelligence, the FBI, and the National Security Agency. VIPS’ first effort (of ten thus far) was a same-day critique of Secretary of State Colin Powell’s address to the UN on February 5.

In addition to co-authoring some of VIPS’ issuances, Ray has published some 20 op-eds over the past year on intelligence-related issues. These have appeared in newspapers and journals around the country like The Birmingham News, The Boston Globe, The Christian Science Monitor, The Miami Herald, Die Sueddeutsche Zeitung, The International Herald Tribune, and Der Berliner Tagespiegel, for example.

http://faculty.schreiner.edu/tomwells/ray_mcgovern_bio.htm

[LifeDuringWartime]

40. there are a LOT of people in that room

at least 30. anybody know the dimensions of the room?

[longship]

Slamming Cheney!

Mike Malloy puts it this way:

"Are the lambs still crying, Clarisse?"

[Blue Belle]

107. Oooooohh...

that photoo scares the bejeezus out of me. :scared:

[KurtNYC]

41. McGov "These are death dealing lies"

[evermind]

42. Ray McGovern just mentioned Hussein Kamel transcript. Link:

http://www.middleeastreference.org.uk/kamel.html

BTW, if anyone is experiencing difficulties with the video realplayer stream, try audio - it's working better..

[Sparkly]

43. I can't get it to run for more than ten seconds at a time!

:cry:

[evermind]

58. Try switching to audio only (click "listen" in the links on the right)

n/t

[in_cog_ni_to]

44. "These are "death dealing lies."

He's PISSED!!!!!

[LightningFlash]

45. Amazing...

"How exactly is intelligence and facts fixed around a policy?"

"After August 2002, Vice President Cheney "We now know Saddom has resumed acquiring weapons of mass destruction according to saddom's son in law."

A lie.

"Saddom's son in law said : All weapons, biological, nuclear, chemical and other were destroyed. They were destroyed in July in 1998."

Everything else he, Saddom's son in law said was true. So was that.

In early 2003 the drumbeat for war got louder and louder. Newsweek broke the story, however the story was surpressed by corporate media."

"It mattered not that the evidence was documentary. "

"All you need to fix intelligence around policy, is a few players who try to twist the facts. And a sublime controlled press. Now its in the woodwork, and Dick Cheney knows how to do it well. But I have never known that the right of fixing was to turn a key piece of intelligence on its head, by making it be something that's not there."

"There is no word to describe our intelligence officers active and retired, that our intelligence officers were willing to do this actual deceit and take part. By the actual oath we all take, we all take to uphold the constitution."

[faithnotgreed]

82. ray: "ye shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free" nt

[BlueEyedSon]

47. He (R McG) said years ago in "uncovered" that saddam had NOTHING

http://www.truthuncovered.com/

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

49. Bush BITCH SLAPPED for his WMD joke...n/t

[Individualist]

59. Media bitch slapped for laughing

at his stupid joke.

[uppityperson]

Cindy's son died days after this, she's not laughing.

[deutsey]

70. He deserves it

As does every hyaena "journalist" who was laughing it up at that dinner.

[kaitykaity]

50. 27-year career.--

"I know what the hell I'm talking about."

Cheney going to CIA to make sure the fix was in.

:bounce:

[chalky]

51. Scolding to those who laughed when Chimp looked under furniture for WMD!

Damn straight.

[faithnotgreed]

53. ok. ray mcgovern is beyond incredible. calling out bush and the tv press

and radio dinner

[rocktivity]

55. Slamming Bush's looking for WMD at that dinner!

People laughed along with him, but people like Cindy Sheehan didn't!

:headbang:
rocknation

[AllyCat]

66. I like his comment abou the soldiers killed "3 days after that joke"

That really put it into context, huh?

[AFSCME girl]

76. WOOHOO!!

I had forgotten about that disgusting little tidbit. This hearing is TOO AWESOME!!

:bounce:

[Triana]

60. McGovern is pissed...and he's ripping it all to shreds...

....very passionate. Woot!

[Nordmadr]

61. Do you hear that Bush you SOB?!!!

MINUTES!!! Not going away you fucking piece of shit!

[NJCher]

62. McGovern just took bush to task for joking about finding WMD

Ha. Ha. Ha.

Just ended. Next up Bonifaz.


Cher

[indy_azcat]

71. co-founder of afterdowningstreet.org

and const. lawyer

Bonifaz that is.


dang, mis-replied. Hi NJCher :hi:

[longship]

63. Repugs will go nuts.

There's a woman breast feeding her baby in background.

[Guckert]

64. I would love to have a second feed of Bush squirming in his leather chair.

[Sydnie]

65. McGovern is using all the adjectives in his tray too!

"death-dealing lies". Talking about blivet** joke of searching his office looking for WMD. Naming names of those that died after that big joke.

[Chichiri]

67. What are Conyers and the folks on his left up to?

Less distractions.

"Stay on target . . . Stay on target . . ."

[Chichiri]

78. The I-Word!

Bonifaz: investigating whether the President has committed impeachable actions.

Now he's mentioning high crimes and reading the Constitution.

There's the I-word again. :D

[faithnotgreed]

68. john bonifaz wrote: "warrior king: the case to impeach george w bush"

ill have to look at that

he is a constitutional lawyer and founder of afterdowningstreet.org
he is here in private capacity

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

72. The words "impeachable offenses" just used...oh YEAH. n/t

[rodeodance]

85. afterdowningstreet.org founder talking Bush decided to laungh a

war with the conjunction of wmp and terror--but needed to fix the intell first. Need to hold pres. accountable!! talking impeachment.

[rodeodance]

93. says Presidents duty to impart intelligence to Congress (truthful intel).

[rodeodance]

104. he is constitutional lawyer-says speaking as a private citizen. Talking

of sites whereas a president can be impeached (past articles and peoples quotes).

[rodeodance]

113. If the press does it DUTY--BushCO is OUT!! this testimony is great!!

[rodeodance]

121. askes--that given these documents--who is repsonsible for the war. Now

going over some of Jr's major speeches.

[rodeodance]

130. asks--if this evidence is true (dsm and other evidenc)--then congress

has a duty to investigate.

[rodeodance]

137. good--he is linking this evidence to the dead/injured troops--this evidenc

[rodeodance]

146. Conyers--Bush manipulated evidence/intell--his statement. asks What

new evidence does the dsm reveal?---he asks this cause the retort says--well, we knew that allready!!

[rodeodance]

153. cnn, mxnbc, nor fox --NONE are covering this live!!

[nadinbrzezinski]

73. laying the ground work for impeachment

WHOOHOO

[Just Me]

83. And doing a superb job of so doing!!!

:hi:

[in_cog_ni_to]

74. He was talking about the repuke dinner where the repukes were laughing

about not finding the terrorists. He said they were making fun and saying, "oh, maybe they're over here, while looking under the table or over here?" (I remember that) and he said, well, we're not laughing. Let me tell you who isn't laughing. Cindy Sheehan isn't laughing.

[caledesi]

126. I saw that video and * was talking about WMDs not terrorists...

and it was disgusting. Everyone laughing like its a big joke.

Bastard.

[LifeDuringWartime]

75. Bonifaz: THE "I" WORD

this guy holds no punches

[BlueEyedSon]

80. Thanks gawd someone said it

[Sapphire Blue]

100. Oh Thank you John Bonifaz! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Here we go!!!

:applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause:

[jojo54]

77. Bonifaz is kicking ass!!!

[Just Me]

Hamilton: impeachment = breach of public trust.

We definitely have that in this case. Hell, they INTENTIONALLY fabricated intelligence!!! They defrauded us.

They are guilty of the worst betrayal any officer of the USA could possibly commit against the people!!!

[dogday]

81. I swear there is a woman Breast Feeding in that room

[babylonsister]

90. I saw her also! nt

[Twist_U_Up]

91. bwahahahahaha

:rofl:

[LifeDuringWartime]

92. how is there room?

the reporters are practically sitting on each other's laps!

[longship]

97. I saw it, too.

The Repugs are going to go nuts about that.

[BlueEyedSon]

156. Oh, it's just a LACTIVIST nt

[Twist_U_Up]

84. Heeeres Johnnnnyyy , Hes pissed

[Hissyspit]

94. He's a Constitutional attorney and he's using the "I" word!

On the record.

[Twist_U_Up]

112. He was awesome in Election fraud coverage also

[Twist_U_Up]

151. These Heros are sitting at bingo tables

what a fucking outrage.

[AllyCat]

Crap, I have to go to work

Keep up the posts all! It will be nice to read it when I come home.

You're the best!

[caledesi]

155. For all those who can't view this. It will be rebroadcast on Friday

at 8PM on CSPAN2. Enjoy. This is great. They are definitely laying the groundwork for impeachment and doing it so thoroughly.

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

"Abuse of power, abuse of public trust, subversion of Constitution"

:toast:

[Just Me]

116. TREASON!!!!

[G_j]

86. treason, high crimes... n/t

[FreedomAngel82]

87. It's really great!!!

I love it! :bounce:

[jojo54]

89. I hope Georgie boy is shaking in his cowboy's right now.

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

96. He's probably listening to "My Sharona" on his iPod.

:grr:

[LifeDuringWartime]

102. i wonder what Rove is thinking

probably "why doesn't somebody pull the damn fire alarm"

[nadinbrzezinski]

95. I have been demanding impeachment since oh 2002

this is so sweet to my ears....

And he is doing a kick ass job of laying the legal ground work for it

[jojo54]

110. OMG

I'm loving it!!!!!!!!

[in_cog_ni_to]

98. IMPEACHMENT, IMPEACHMENT, IMPEACHMENT!

YES! He's kickin' ass!

[faithnotgreed]

99. order of the witnesses is perfect. wilson sheehan mcgovern bonifaz

leading to impeachment which is all bonifaz is talking about!

[holboz]

101. Daaaammmnnn the dogs have been let out to piss on the shrub

Go Johnny, Go. Making a good case for impeachment!

[Nordmadr]

103. We don't need no water let the motherf*cker burn

burn motherf*cker...BURN!

[BlueEyedSon]

109. Amen

[nadinbrzezinski]

117. Oh com'on pass some more gas

we need to let this fire burn hotter

[Nordmadr]

135. I've got enough white hot rage to go around. N/T

[nadinbrzezinski]

142. I'll take that

burn, bitch burn!

[eleny]

105. I hope Rove is crapping his shorts

[indy_azcat]

106. it'd be cool to count how many times he says "impeachment"

:bounce:

[BlueEyedSon]

124. Like... 10?

[AllyCat]

108. Correctly referring to DSM as Downing Street MINUTES n/t

[cynatnite]

111. I'm buying this guy's book n/t

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

114. "Remove a president swollen with power and grown tyrannical"

:toast:

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

140. If the president has committed high crimes in connection with this war...

...HE MUST BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE."

:toast:

[Chichiri]

115. Was that Kennedy next to Conyers just now?

[fla nocount]

118. Laying out reasons...Articles of Impeachment...I think Conyers will

[in_cog_ni_to]

119. OMG! Bush's ass in in big TROUBLE!!!!

Can I hear a hallelujah??? :woohoo:

[indy_azcat]

120. is it a crime to....

fill in the blank, but bush has done it.

[uppityperson]

134. YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Start the investigation congress!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[faithnotgreed]

122. cspan again shows book title: "warrior king: the case for impeaching

george w bush"

they have shown it multiple times as bonifaz is speaking

[lala_rawraw]

123. I just got a nose bleed, I kid you not

WTF???

[in_cog_ni_to]

128. Blood Pressure. n/t

[lala_rawraw]

139. I think it was all this stress

Worrying... holy shit.

[Hissyspit]

129. Oh, no, LaLa, don't bleed to death! Not now of all times! n/t

[BlueEyedSon]

131. Watch that blood pressure!

I pretty much had an orgasm about 30 secs ago....
go J Bonifaz!!!!

[faithnotgreed]

132. are you ok? this is powerful stuff

hope youre doing all right

[orleans]

125. bonifaz: is it a high crime to engage in a conspiricy

and mislead .. to take to war

...try to justify a war

...to commit a felenoy...falsifying....?

dsm sheds important light

if the evidence of dsm is true
then the prez letter to congress would violate federal law

[in_cog_ni_to]

138. Is there any doubt why they were covering this up???

IMPEACH!!!!!

[annabanana]

133. pity this guy looks so YOUNG....like 15

[indy_azcat]

145. hee hee - so do the DU admins. n/t

[irancontra]

136. THE US CONSTITUTION DEMANDS NO LESS!

[SiouxJ]

141. Cindy Sheehan's speech for those who missed it

My Testimony for the Downing Street Memo Hearings

Cindy Sheehan



Congressman Conyers and all, it is an honor to be here to testify about the effect that the revelations of the Downing Street Memo has had on me and my family. It is an honor that I wish never had to happen. I believe that not any of us should be gathered here today for this reason: as the result of an invasion/occupation that never should have occured.



My son, Spc Casey Austin Sheehan, was KIA in Sadr City Baghdad on 04/04/04. He was in Iraq for only 2 weeks before L. Paul Bremer inflamed the Shi’ite Militia into a rebellion which resulted in the deaths of Casey and 6 other brave soldiers who were tragically killed in an ambush. Bill Mitchell, the father of Sgt. Mike Mitchell who was one of the other soldiers killed that awful day is with us here. This is a picture of Casey when he was 7 months old. It's an enlargement of a picture he carried in his wallet until the day he was killed. He loved this picture of himself. It was returned to us with his personal effects from Iraq. He always sucked on those two fingers. When he was born, he had a flat face from passing through the birth canal and we called him "Edward G" short for Edward G. Robinson. How many of you have seen your child in his/her premature coffin? It is a shocking and very painful sight. The most heartbreaking aspect of seeing Casey lying in his casket for me, was that his face was flat again because he had no muscle tone. He looked like he did when he was a baby laying in his bassinette. The most tragic irony is that if the Downing Street Memo proves to be true, Casey and thousands of people should still be alive.



I believed before our leaders invaded Iraq in March, 2003, and I am even more convinced now, that this aggression on Iraq was based on a lie of historic proportions and was blatantly unnecessary. The so-called Downing Street Memo dated 23 July, 2003 only confirms what I already suspected: the leadership of this country rushed us into an illegal


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
invasion of another sovereign country on prefabricated and cherry picked intelligence. Iraq was no threat to the United States of America and the devastating sanctions and bombing raids against Iraq were working. As a matter of fact, in interviews in 1999 with respected journalist, and long time Bush family friend, David Herskowitz, then Governor George Bush stated: ‘One of the keys to being seen as a great leader is to be seen as a commander-in-chief. My father had all this political capital built up when he drove the Iraqis out of Kuwait and he wasted it. If I have a chance to invade….if I had that much capital, I’m not going to waste it. I’m going to get everything passed that I want to get passed and I’m going to have a successful presidency.” It looks like George Bush was ready to lead this country into an avoidable war even before he became president.



From the expose of the Downing Street Memo and the conversations with George Bush from 1999, it seems like the invasion of Iraq and the deaths of so many innocent people were preordained. It appears that my boy Casey was given a death sentence even before he joined the Army in May of 2000.



When a President lies to Congress and the American people, it is a serious offense. If the Downing Street Memo proves to be true, then it would appear that the president, vice president and many members of the cabinet deceived the world before the invasion of Iraq. As the result of this alleged lie, over 1700 brave young Americans who were only trying to do their duties have come home in flag draped coffins: images, as if they were ashamed of our children, our leaders won’t even let the American people see; thousands upon thousands of Iraqis who were guilty only of the crime of living in Iraq are dead; thousands of our young people will go through the rest of their lives missing one or more limbs, and too many will come home missing parts of their souls and humanity.



Kevin Lucey who found his Marine son, Jeffrey, who was recently home from Iraq, hanging dead from a garden hose in his basement wrote to me:



We ask daily where was the urgency; where was the necessity of rushing in. Can anyone explain to us, his mother and to his father as to why he felt that he had to die by his own hand. Why are the ones in position of power so afraid to ask people like us to discuss what happened to Jeff? Jeff can teach us so much. This war was so misguided and had so many other agendas which had nothing to do with the country.

Kevin, who cradled his son when he was his sweet baby boy, cradled Jeff's lifeless body for the last time in his arms after he cut him down from the hose. The Jeff that the Lucey's saw march off to a wreckless war was not the one who limped home. The Jeff his family knew died in Iraq, murdered by the inhumanity of gratutitous war.



The deceptions and betrayals that led to the US invasion and occupation of Iraq cost my family a price too dear to pay and almost too much to bear: the precious and young life of Casey. Casey was a good soldier who loved his family, his community, his country, and his God. He was trustworthy and trusting and the leadership of his country seemingly betrayed him. He was an indispensable part of our family. An obedient, sweet, funny, and loving son to myself and his father, Pat, and an adored big brother to his sisters, Carly and Jane, and his brother Andy. And the beloved nephew to my sister, Auntie, who is here with me today. Our family has been devastated and torn asunder by his murder.



I believe that the reasons that we citizens of the United States of America were given for the invasion of Iraq have unequivocally been proven to be false. I also believe that Casey and his buddies have been killed to line the pockets of already wealthy people and to feed the insatiable war machine that has always devoured our young. Casey died saving his buddies and I know so many of our brave young soldiers died doing the same thing: but he and his fellow members of the military should never have been sent to Iraq. I know the family of Sgt. Sherwood Baker, who was killed guarding a team that was looking for the mythic WMD's in Baghdad. The same WMD's that were the justification for invading Iraq as outlined in the Downing Street Memo. Sherwood's brother, Dante Zappala, and his dad, Al Zappala are here with us today. I believe the Downing Street Memo proves that our leaders betrayed too many innocents into an early grave. The lives of the ones left behind are shattered almost beyond repair.



I also believe an investigation into the Downing Street Memo is completely warranted and the necessary first step into righting the wrong that is Iraq and holding someone accountable for the needless, senseless, and avoidable deaths of many thousands. As far as I am concerned, it doesn’t matter if one is a Democrat or a Republican, a full investigation into the veracity of the Downing Street Memo must be initiated immediately. Casey was not asked his political affiliation before he was sent to die in Iraq. The innocent people who are having their blood shed by the bucketsful in Iraq don’t even know or care what American partisan politicking is all about. Every minute that we waste in gathering signatures on petitions, or arguing about partisan politics, more blood is being spilled in Iraq. How many more families here in America are going to get the visit from the Grim Reaper dressed in a US military uniform while we are trying to get our Congressional Leadership to do their duties to the Constitution and to the people of America? I believe that Congress expediently abrogated their Constitutional responsibility to declare war when they passed the War Power's Act, and they bear at least some responsibility for the needless heartache wrought on this world by our government. I believe that supporting a full investigation into the Downing Street Memo is a good beginning for Congress to redeem itself for abandoning the Constitution and the American people.




There are too many stories of heartache and loss to tell at a hearing like this. I have brought testimonies of other families who have been devastated by the war. Their soldiers' names are: Sgt. Sherwood Baker, KIA 04/26/04; 1st Lt. Neil Santoriello, KIA 08/13/04; Sgt Mike Mitchell, KIA 04/04/04; Spc Casey Sheehan, also KIA 04/04/04; Lt. Jeff Kaylor, KIA 04/07/03; Spc Kevin S.K. Wessell, KIA 04/19/05; Spc. Jonathan Castro, KIA 12/21/04; PFC William Prichard, KIA 02/11/04; Spc Joseph Blickenstaff, KIA 12/08/03, and 1st Lt Kenneth Ballard, KIA 05/30/04. I would like to have the testimonies put into the record and recorded for all to read the words of boundless love, bottomless loss, and deep despair.



There are a few people around the US and a couple of my fellow witnesses who were a little justifiably worried that in my anger and anguish over Casey's premeditated death, I would use some swear words, as I have been known to do on occasion when speaking about the subject. Mr. Conyers, out of my deep respect for you, the other representatives here, my fellow witnesses, and viewers of these historic proceedings, I was able to make it through an entire testimony without using any profanity. However, If anyone deserves to be angry and use profanity, it is I. What happened to Casey and humanity because of the apparent dearth of honesty in our country's leadership is so profane that it defies even my vocabulary skills. We as Americans should be offended more by the profanity of the actions of this administration then by swear words. We have all heard the old adage that actions speak louder than words and for the sake of Casey and our other precious children, please hold someone accountable for their actions and their words of deception.



Again, I would like to thank you for inviting me to testify today and giving me a chance to tell my story, which is the tragic story of too many familes here in the US and in Iraq. I hope and pray that this is the first step in exposing the lies to the light and bringing justice for the ones who can no longer speak for themselves. More importantly, I hope this is a step in bringing our other children home from the lie of historic proportions that is Iraq. Thank you.

[Beaverhausen]

154. Give that it's own thread

it deserves it!

[SiouxJ]

Good Idea

A friend of hers sent it to me just now.

[fla nocount]

143. Conyers up now....summing for concensus

[LifeDuringWartime]

144. CAR CHASE ON CNN

good lord they are so obvious

[nadinbrzezinski]

147. I bet tehy paid the driver, stunt driver too damn convenient

[eleny]

150. Is Bush escaping D.C.?

[Beaverhausen]

159. LOL!!!

[Sydnie]

149. Can we have a new thread please? n/t

[Amonester]

152. Start thread 3, please! THX, Great Comments DU'ers! n/t

[Solly Mack]

157. It's like watching the legal government in exile

holding a hearing on the crimes of the occupational & illegal government that took power in a coup.

[steve2470]

158. DSM thread 3 is posted now

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x3873772

[Skinner]

160. Continue discussion in thread #3

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x3873772