Democrats are set to subpoena

Bush's days of acting without fear of oversight are over.

Nothing better illustrates this than the news that the newly elected Democrats are seeking to begin a series of investigations into the Iraq war, "including review of no-bid contracts for reconstruction, intelligence failures and decisions to ignore the advice of military commanders about troop levels".

There is only one issue on which Pelosi has said there will be no investigation. Impeachment. She has indicated that she will not allow impeachment proceedings to proceed.

Other than that, it does appear as if the Democrats are going to reintroduce accountability into the American system.

"The American people sent a clear message that they do not want a rubber-stamp Congress that simply signs off the president's agenda," said Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.), who is in line to become chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. "Instead, they have voted for a new direction for America and a real check and balance against government overreaching."

Conyers and other Democrats say that sort of scrutiny has been noticeably absent over the last six years. Democrats accuse Republicans of being complicit as Bush has led the nation into an unwinnable war and adopted economic polices that favor the affluent and big business.

I am pleased that the Democrats are showing some backbone, it is time that this Republican administration was held to account for some of the excesses of the past six years. However, it will necessarily, be a balancing act.

"What we have to be wary of, and the American public will be wary of, is a subpoena bazaar here on Capitol Hill, and government by investigation by Democrats," said Kevin Madden, a spokesman for House Majority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio).

But even some scholars say recent GOP oversight has been lax. "This could be remembered as a historically unique period in which an administration got immunity from Congress to engage in errors with impunity," said Charles Tiefer, a University of Baltimore law professor and a former House counsel.

It is going to be fascinating to watch how Bush adjusts to this new reality. The arrogance of his administration has been, up until now, simply breathtaking. He has treated Democratic requests for accountability with derision. All that is about to change:

Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Los Angeles) is set to head the House Government Reform Committee. Waxman used another committee to push for landmark laws reducing pesticides in food and regulating nursing homes in the 1980s and 1990s. He also famously put tobacco company executives on the spot at a high-profile hearing in which they testified under oath that they did not believe that nicotine was addictive.

Since Bush took office, Waxman has written letters to the White House seeking information on a wide range of subjects — often getting no response. Now, with the power to issue subpoenas, he is likely to get answers.

Waxman wants to investigate waste, fraud, profiteering and "whether government is doing the job it's supposed to do."

"When Clinton was president, there was not an accusation too small for them not to launch investigations and issue subpoenas," Waxman said of congressional Republicans. "When Bush became president, there wasn't a scandal big enough for them to ignore. I think they've given us a good model on how not to behave."

The Republican controlled Congress manifestly failed to carry out it's constitutional duty to hold the executive to account. This is one of the myriad of reasons that led to their resounding defeat on Tuesday.

The Democrats will have to walk a delicate line in holding this administration to account, but nevertheless, this is what the American people have elected them to do.

No wonder Bush was looking so spectacularly awkward during his initial meeting with Pelosi. In this game of Monopoly he's just lost his "Get Out of Jail free" card.

Oh, happy days... Happy, happy days.

Click title for full article.

tag: Republican, mid-term, elections, November, Democrats, subpoena, subpoenas, investigations, accountability,