The "SIGIR Sneak" Failed: Restoring Oversight of Iraq Contracts

[CorpGovActivist]

On October 17, 2006 - mere days before the election - President Bush signed the FY07 defense appropriation bill (introduced by one Congressman Duncan Hunter): http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:HR05122:@@@R|TOM:/bss/d109query.html|

Snuck into the bill at the 11th hour was a provision that would have killed SIGIR (the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction), which has served as a conduit for Halliburton and other defense contractor whistleblowers: http://www.sigir.mil/

For those who say there are "no good" Republicans left, I offer the fine example of Senator Susan Collins of Maine, who not only expressed outrage that her vote on the bill was snookered, but insisted that a new law be passed, repealing the SIGIR Sneak: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=sigir+maine+collins&sa=N&tab=nw

True to her outrage, her convictions, and her words, she swung into action, along with her principal Democratic co-sponsor, Senator Russ Feingold. On November 13, 2006, she introduced "A bill to extend oversight and accountability related to United States reconstruction funds and efforts in Iraq by extending the termination date of the Office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction," which restored the old sunset formula for SIGIR.

The chastened President had to sign it into law on December 20th - a fine holiday comeuppance, handed to him by a sane, sober, grown-up member of his own party: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:SN04046:@@@R|TOM:/bss/d109query.html|

Senator Collins has no love lost where Karl Rove is concerned, either. She has been repeatedly targeted by the Rovites: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=rove+collins+maine

She is now the ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, where some say she is likely to work more closely with Senator Carl Levin than with the new Chair, Senator Joe Lieberman.

Senator Collins is a likely pro-subpoena vote on that committee. In fact, I'll go out on a limb and predict that - at least once this Congress - she will counterbalance Joe Lieberman, and vote to issue a subpoena he tries to stifle.

- Dave

[burythehatchet]

1. I wish she would just come over

just so the country could yell one collective FUCK YOU JOE.

[CorpGovActivist]

2. Spy vs. Spy

I'd rather have her sitting in the GOP Caucus, taking notes on Mitch McConnell's battle plans.

- Dave

[blm]

10. I doubt McConnell's ACTUAL battle planning includes moderate senators.

McConnell is a Rove type player.

McConnell is not as oblivious as Bill Frist - he is a snake through and through - like Rove. McConnell was one of the key Senate operators and coverup players for BushInc during BCCI, CorpGov.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

3. Thankfully there are still some respectable

GOP Senators kicking around. Kudos for Collins. And Lieberman makes me physically ill.
Thanks for pointing out recognition where it is deserved.

[CorpGovActivist]

4. Senator Olympia Snowe Is Nobody's Fool - Least of All Karl's - Either

I have a feeling that Maine is going to get quite a name for itself in this Congress.

Cantankerous, ornery, independent-minded: American.

; )

- Dave

[G_Leo_Criley]

8. collins -- clearing up the confusion caused by ...

conehead's signing statement appended to her postal bill, was one of the more pleasant Republican moments lately.

Every moderate R (and those who wish to be perceived as moderate as well) will get cover from Collins and Snowe. It's a start and it's what we need. There will be more to come.


glc



edit for punctuation

[CorpGovActivist]

11. An Interesting Side Note about Senator Collins...

... she is the first person ever to be a delegate to the William Randolph Hearst Foundation's United States Senate Youth Program to have actually become a Senator:

http://hearstfdn.org/ussyp/

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=united+states+senate+youth+program+collins

Each year, two delegates are chosen from each state. I had a blast my year, and - like her - I readily concede the impact the program had on me. The interest in public policy was already there, but the program really gave an incredible behind-the-scenes view.

- Dave

[DemReadingDU]

5. Senator Susan Collins, WooHoo

:woohoo:

[DemReadingDU]

6. morning kick

:hi:

[radfringe]

7. I've watched Snowe on C-span

she's one of the few republics that I can find some common ground with and actually admire. My biggest bugaboo about her is she sometimes tip-toes around her statements - as if she's trying to be critical without being accused of being critical.

sometimes I just yell at the tv "COME ON JUST SPIT IT OUT. LAY IT ON THE TABLE!!!!

[G_Leo_Criley]

9. 'nother mornin' kick

:kick:

glc