House Republicans derail probes of Plame affair

[Quixote1818]

While You Were Watching Katrina
House Republicans derail probes of Plame affair

by Murray Waas
September 16th, 2005 3:10 PM


Republicans on three separate congressional committees this week derailed three formal "resolutions of inquiry" by Democrats that would have required the Bush administration to turn over sensitive information and records relating to the outing of CIA officer Valerie Plame.

Had the resolutions of inquiry been adopted, they would have led to the first independent congressional inquiries of the Plame affair, and perhaps even the public testimony of senior Bush administration aides such as Karl Rove, the White House deputy chief of staff, and I. Lewis (Scooter) Libby, the chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, about their personal roles.

As things currently stand, a special prosecutor, Patrick J. Fitzgerald, continues to conduct a grand jury investigation of Rove, Libby, and other White House officials, but the public has gained scant insight into what, if anything, that inquiry has uncovered.

Votes on all three House committees this week were along strictly partisan lines. The House Select Committee on Intelligence voted 11-9 on Thursday to adversely report H. Res. 418, which would have opened a formal inquiry by Congress of the Plame affair. The House International Relations Committee voted 26-21 against the same resolution one day earlier. And the House Judiciary Committee voted 15-11 on Wednesday as well against launching an inquiry.

Continued:

http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0538,waas,67952,2.html

[iconoclastic cat]

1. Actually, this is a good thing. If they went through with it, then the

witnesses could've had immunity from Fitzgerald's prosecution. (Case in point: Ollie North.)

[rodeodance]

2. 'were along strictly partisan lines."

[iconoclastic cat]

5. Yep. And I bet the Dems *knew* that would happen.

Now the Republicans will come off as being co-conspiritors, at least in the cover-up. I may be giving the Dems too much credit, but this smells like a sting operation to me.

[rodeodance]

3. Fritz already has testimony. It does not matter now.

[stlsaxman]

6. Agreed- no "whitewash committees" to get these criminals off the hook.

Fitzgerald is freed up for a full court press! (puns unintended, but i'll take the laugh!)

[iconoclastic cat]

9. Everyone keeps freaking out, like he's going to go all Repub on us!

I guess that it's just because I live in Chicago, and I've seen this guy in action for a long time. He takes out governors for sport. He is a non-partisan, bad-ass motherf*cker.

[Mr Rabble]

11. Bingo. I saw this very point made months ago

by Citizenspook and others. As others have noted, this was how the Iran/ Contra scum got off.

[Rex]

4. So they can shitcan Fitzgerald and that will be the end of it.

At least it's on record.

[iconoclastic cat]

7. Fitz and that committee had nothing to do with one another!

The investigation is ongoing, rest assured.

[Rex]

8. I mean Bush not Congress

nt

[iconoclastic cat]

10. That won't happen. It would set off a crisis.

Where is H2O Man when I need him?

[Rex]

12. You would think a fake war would be a crisis.

They impeached Clinton over a blowjob so I dunno, I really don't trust Congress anymore. I know I don't trust the BFEE.