Protecting our nation's secrets - why have deadlines passed with no apparent consequences?

[Squigglenob]

A little over a month ago, Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) demanded that the White House and the Oversight Committee make some progress on scheduling interviews with White House officials about improper oversight of our national secrets. A little less than a month ago, Congressman Waxman also demanded that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales answer a set of questions about the legality of Vice President Dick Cheney's claim to be part of the legislative branch and thus not subject to the oversight body responsible for safeguarding our national secrets.

In the June 26, 2007 letter to White House Counsel Fred Fielding, Chairman Waxman demanded that several current and former White House officials be made available for interviews before the committee. And he warned that, if progress wasn't made, he'd be forced to ask the full Oversight Committee to consider congressional subpoenas at the June 28, 2007 meeting following that day's scheduled hearings. According to the Recent Hearings and Meetings section of the Oversight Committee's schedule webpage, that business meeting was canceled.

In addition, a letter to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales dated June 27, 2007 requests that the Attorney General answer a set of questions that relate specifically to whether Vice President Cheney has the authority to exempt his office from Executive Orders and whether Cheney's tortured logic about being part of the legislative branch holds legal water. And the letter demands that all the questions be answered and returned to the committee no later than July 12, 2007. According to the Oversight Committee's webpage, no further action has been taken in the two weeks since the deadline passed.

And there are no hearings scheduled to take any action on either passed deadline before the summer break.

I can't help but ask - why not?

I asked the Oversight Committee to comment about these issues... read more of Brian Angliss' post at Scholars & Rogues