see thread: Kerry's DSM Letter

[annabanana]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=1883116&mesg_id=1883116

And here is my letter to a couple of Senators of mine (good Democrats, I'm sure) who's names are NOT on that letter,...YET!

"This evening, Senator Kerry released a letter, cosigned by Senators Tim Johnson, Jon Corzine, Jack Reed, Frank Lautenberg, Barbara Boxer, Edward Kennedy, Thomas Harkin, Jeff Bingaman and Richard Durbin.
It addresses the Downing St. Minutes and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence's study of the run-up to the attack on Iraq.
I look forward to seeing your name on this letter as a cosigner in the immediate future."

[annabanana]

1. well.. Is YOUR Senator on this list?

so TELL THEM to sign it, already!

[FreedomAngel82]

2. Good luck with that

My Senator is Frist and Alexander. :crazy:

[annabanana]

3. ah, well... some of us will have a harder time than others! . . . .n/t

[LiberalAndProud]

6. I know the feeling.

but tell 'em anyway.

[in_cog_ni_to]

4. Durbin is! Obama isn't,

but WILL BE! .....after he gets my email. :grr: Why the HELL wouldn't EVERY Democrat sign that letter??? What is WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE???? Aren't they hearing us? ASren't they paying attention? Or do they just not give a crap what we want/think??? Now I'm pissed again. :grr:

Off to write Obama for the 3rd time today!

[KharmaTrain]

5. Someone Explain Why This Letter is Different Than Others?

Not to be too flippant, but didn't we all just sign Congressman Conyer's petition? Didn't Senators sign that as well? Is another petition going to do anything?

Yes, we need investigations into the germaine facts of the Minutes and keeping this story alive is important, but I think there are other ways to do this. Congressman Conyer's hearings was a start. Since we have a regime that refuses not only to answer the questions, but won't let us ask them, we need to set up alternative forums.

There's even parts of the Minutes that could be used in a civil suit that would enable attorneys power of discovery to subpoena documents and regime officials. Sure they will stonewall and lie, but the game will be viewed far differently this way than in another dead-end resolution.

[in_cog_ni_to]

7. No, I don't think Senators signed Conyers' letter. Only

Congressmen/ladies did.

[KharmaTrain]

8. I Still Don't See Why Another Petition?

Is this to do a Democratic party gut check? Those who sign quick are heroes, those who don't get the evil eye? And then what then? Is this petition walked to the White House gates? Given to Frist? The purpose of this, other than posturing, must be beyond the ability of my feeble brain to comprehend.

The next step to keep the momentum building on the Minutes is to find a face...a Feith or someone else...that can be forced to come forward. There needs to be a leap from Downing Street to Pennsylvania Avenue...and to find ways to push that envelope.

[TayTay]

9. This letter requests a formal investigation

by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. This committee has oversight respnosbility on the CIA, NSA and other intelligence gathering agencies of the US government. The committee previously released a report (a whitewash) of why there were no WMDs found in IRAQ and what went wrong. (It was a Rethug report, it didn't say all that much.) Here is the Conclusion page for that report: http://intelligence.senate.gov/conclusions.pdf

Kerry is attempting to get this committee to do it's job and actually practice some oversight. (Sigh, I know, but he has to try.) This means he is going through official channels to get an official governmental committee to meet and do it's job. I wish him luck and back him.

I would call my Sens and ask them to sign, but they did. (Mass.)

[KharmaTrain]

10. I Know...Just A Lot Of Posturing Again

This calls back to a couple questions I posted earlier. First, why not just submit the same petition Conyers did...a joint Congress-Senate resolution as opposed to each doing their own things at seperate times in different ways. Looks like one hand doesn't know wht the other is doing and that there's no coordination or organization on how this thing should be played out or investigated.

Then my next question was...and then what? Yes, it was a nice picture of Congressman Conyers being rebuffed at the White House gates with our signatures...and we expected that...but now what? So Kerry presents this petition to Lugar and Frist and they're gonna do something? Are we going for a Sensenbrenner moment in the Senate now?

My Senators have signed...Durbin & Obama...and I hope this has some sort of positive effect. Again, it's beyond me why we need more of what's already been done. Let's channel resources to advance the story, not a paralell manuever.

[in_cog_ni_to]

11. Obama hasn't signed the letter.

at least I don't see his name anywhere. Is there a list I'm missing?

[blm]

15. It's NOT the same thing. It's a companion act, but NOT the same.

This is step one to an OFFICIAL Senate investigation. No letter of inquiry, no Senate investigation.

I

[blm]

12. It's a Senate letter of Inquiry requesting an OFFICIAL INVESTIGATION.

This is how it is done.

The reality is that the GOP scum in the house made sure Conyers hearing wasn't official. Conyers was going for dissemination of the facts and to raise the profile of the story.

Kerry's approach is take the proper channel to get the investigation. People forget that it took Kerry a year of pressuring other Senators to get an official investigation into IranContra.

With the internet, and members of congress willing to use sharp elbows, we can make sure it doesn't take that long.

[KharmaTrain]

13. Iran-Contra Was With A Democratic House

This won't even make it onto the Judicial Committee agenda, yet into any investigative mode with the current atmosphere and composition of the House & Senate.

Conyers called for a similar investigation in the House and this looks like the same thing with the same result. Do we want another meeting in the Capitol basement? Again...this is going over the same ground twice. This isn't advancing the story.

Let's see how quickly Congress reacts to the ethics mess with DeLay or with stem cell and get the mood of both the public and the Congress before we can guage how effective any "sharp elbows" we have really are.

The best advantage of the Minutes now are to bring them local...create a campaign issue with them and the overall mishandling of this invasion...and have it coordinated so all party members are on the same page...showing both unity and strength. We've played this smart so far, let's try not to be too smart.

[blm]

14. IranContra started with Kerry pressuring a GOP controlled Senate.

Senate investigation came from Kerry refusing to let it drop and maintaining presure on other senators for a year. The GOP controlled the Senate at the time.

I believe you may be getting the two houses and their procedures mixed up.

[KharmaTrain]

16. I remember the two hearings

I'm not disputing what you're saying and understand the differences. But there are also different times and circumstances.

I admired how Kerry kept the Iran-Contra and BCCI stories going when one had faded and the other was being stonewalled and buried like what we're seeing today. However, the dynamics are a lot different.

In the House, Conyer's act showed some spine and defiance...a show of party unity and a populist flavor. Sen. Kerry's is procedural and IMHO more symbolic than having any real effective value similar to what he did in the past.

Yes, the Repugnicans had Senate control for some of the years, but there was also a larger bloc of moderates who would cross over that made Senator Kerry's investigation possible. Are there the votes in Senate to do that now? Look at Bolton and that's the best vote we could expect.

Why can't this investigation be done on an independent track...using a tool the Repugnicans used against Clinton and one we haven't...launching a civil suit? At least there you have some power to subpoena and compell people to testify under oath.

Cheers

[blm]

17. A Senate investigation starts when five members of the committee

responsible for oversight, request an official investigation. In this case it would be the Senate Intel Committee.

There are 7 Dems on that committee and 8 Repubs. they will hold closed door meetings and possibly a hearing. All we need are 5 of those Democrats to sign the request.

Like it or not, this is how it's done, and it's the only way it becomes official or binding.

[KharmaTrain]

18. You're More Optimistic Than I

And I hope you're correct. There's so much to be investigated. I'm dubious that such an investigation will get much authority/traction. Yes, having them is a forum to move forward, but I still don't see it getting to that point.

I'd be curious whose on the Senate Intel oversight committee, if that info is readily available. Being that it's getting close to elections, I can't see how even Moderate Repugnicans are gonna want to go on record against both the war and party risking the dollars and possibly having to face right wing primary challengers next year.

Thanks for your replies and thoughts.