Democrats May Investigate Secret Program

[cal04]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/11/AR2009071103011.html?hpid=topnews

House Democrats said yesterday that they expect to launch a formal investigation into a secret CIA program that was not disclosed to Congress for almost eight years, a probe that could entangle senior Bush administration officials who oversaw intelligence issues.

Democrats on the House intelligence committee said the inquiry would examine both the nature of the still-secret program and the decisions to keep congressional oversight committees in the dark about its existence.

"This wasn't an oversight. There was an order given to not inform Congress," said Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), chairman of the panel's oversight and investigations subcommittee.

(snip)
Rep. Silvestre Reyes (D-Tex.), chairman of the intelligence committee, has said the panel was "affirmatively lied to" regarding this program's existence. Reyes had not had a formal discussion with Rep. Peter Hoekstra (Mich.), the ranking Republican on the committee, about opening a formal investigation. But lawmakers and aides said such a step was a formality and that a formal investigation probably would take place.

(snip)
Rep. Anna G. Eshoo (D-Calif.), a senior member of the intelligence panel, said she was calling for the committee to hire an outside counsel to investigate the issue. "We have to know who gave the order for this, who gave the order to conceal this, where did they draw the money for this," she said.

Eshoo said the committee may have to use its subpoena power to interview some of the top officials who oversaw intelligence issues during the Bush administration.

[Fearless]

1. With how much I know this whole keeping things secret....

will bother Congress... this could be the BIG ONE!

BushCo = prison.

[Duer 157099]

2. Let's see, yesterday I heard them saying it was "mandatory"

and now, a whole day later it has devolved to "may" investigate?

[Demeter]

3. Here's Hoping

Hoping Harry Reid is either in on the push to investigate, or otherwise totally neutralized by laryngitis, and anything else that keeps him out of scuttling the idea....ditto for darling Nancy, who ought to be sufficiently ticked off at the CIA by now so as to push for an investigation!