Posted on 02/15/2005 3:07:57 PM PST by Libloather
Frustrated Democrats Find a Voice
Lawmakers Use Policy Committee to Investigate Issues They Say GOP Ignores
By Dana Milbank
Washington Post Staff Writer Tuesday, February 15, 2005; Page A03
C-SPAN viewers tuning in yesterday morning might have thought they misread the results of November's elections.
There was Sen. Byron L. Dorgan (N.D.) -- a Democrat -- wielding a gavel and calling to order a hearing on Iraq contracts. Dorgan presided over a wood-paneled Senate hearing room, complete with water pitchers on the witness table, nameplates for the committee members, and C-SPAN 1 -- live!
But, paying closer attention, the viewers might have noticed that there were no Republicans on the panel, no administration officials at the witness table, and only two Democratic senators in the room. Then, the viewer might have surmised, correctly, that this was not a real committee hearing.
These are frustrating times for the Democratic Party, shut out of power in the White House, the House and the Senate. Democrats don't have power to call hearings, to subpoena witnesses or to move legislation.
**SNIP**
The Democrats' complaint is that Republicans, who control the real committees, will not hold hearings on anything that might embarrass the administration. "There is a serious problem here in the Congress with a lack of oversight hearings," Dorgan said at his hearing/event.
**SNIP**
"Part of the trick is you do it on a Monday or a Friday when the Senate's not in session," explained Jim Manley, a spokesman for the Democratic leadership.
**SNIP**
Only two senators bothered to attend the nearly two-hour event -- Dorgan and Senate Minority Leader Harry M. Reid (Nev.), who told those assembled that "I have a number of questions, but I have other things to do."
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
How about fraud, waste and abuse by nitwit RATS?
The committee is fake but accurate.
Light Bill
Heat
Security
Paying senate staff
Cost of the telecast to CSPAN
All wasted Senator's time(we paid for them to sit there)
Witnesses travel expenses.
SHHHH!!! First, get them all on board opposing fraud, waste and abuse.
You know, like how we got them all to say that Social Security was a crisis in 1999.
LOL... but not very accurate.
Oh, how the mighty have fallen, only left with pretending to be in power. *snicker with broad smile then creasing face*
This must be awful for them to have to play at holding committee meetings. But you've got to give them credit for their powers of delusion.
The part I enjoyed best was the 'certified whistleblowers' (I guess that's the next entitled minority') who had recieved threats from the administration and feared for themselves and for the company they worked for so they were afraid to show. Could you imagine the prime time Democrat Congresional Leadership Press conference cum MSM feeding frenzy on all the major networks , live on C-SPAN if they really could produce any such witnesses. It would go on for 6 to 12 weeks and probably derail social security reform.
So now the Democrats are playing house.
BTW, is Kerry working yet?
In fairness, I think our side did this several times. The truth is none of your costs that you list are relevant. IE:
1) Light - lights are left on anyway.
2) Heat is not localized per room and the room would be heated no matter what.
3) Security. Building security is always present. You pay for it had the hearing been held or not.
4) Senate Staff get paid whether they are doing this or sitting at their desk playing solitaire.
5) CSPAN. You don't pay for that, it's a private organization. Besides, they are only there because there was nothing else more interesting to follow at the time.
6) Senator's time? See number 4.
7) Expenses weren't paid by anyone. Or if they were, they came out of the Democrat Policy Committee budget which is going to be spent by Democrats on propaganda one way or another.
Denny Crane: "There are two places to find the truth. First God and then Fox News."
This mode of operation sounds like DIRTY HARRY.
Well .. several weeks ago - Dean made a comment about the dems doing what the repubs did under Newt - when the repubs took over the House in 1994.
So .. Rush was talking today about some of the things which the repubs did .. and holding these out of power committee meetings was similar to what the repubs did. Here is part of what Rush said: "When the House of Representatives closes for business every day, members can go to the floor, by themselves, and make speeches, and C-SPAN is obligated to cover it because the House is technically ... Well, it's called Special Order. There's no speaker up there. Well, they send somebody up to the speaker's podium, but in the eighties when this was being done it was just Newt and a bunch of Republicans up there hammering the Democrats."
"... hammering Tom Foley, defending Reagan, all sorts of stuff. And really, really, really making a good case, laying foundations for [a] conservative future and this sort of thing, and the Democrats laughed at it and took it for granted because they figured nobody watched C-SPAN anyway. But Newt kept at it, kept doing these things, and they eventually got everybody's attention, ..."
I believe this is what Dean meant by using the repubs method of making the dems case. The problem is - if the dems continue with their Bush-bashing, whining, complaining, negative, anti - everything attitude - America will continue to turn them off.
The reason America stayed with Newt was because they were telling the truth, it was positive, it was about the future, it was optimistic; the exact opposite of what I believe the dems will produce.
Even with the example set before them .. the dems will flop because they are still looking down their noses at the public. And .. maybe the dems don't get it - but the public get's it.
Yep, what they fail to realize is the message is as important as the medium. You can present a turd on a silver platter with parsley garnish, but it's still a turd.
Democracks playing grown-up.
Exactly!
Hahahaha!!! Treehouse democrats. One day they're cowboys, plotting for a shoot-out with W. The next day they're pirates, plundering and pillaging D.C. Full of ghost stories about evil republican monsters, they shine their flashlights under their chins and pee themselves with fear. It's a hoot to watch them pretend to have some power.
One big difference between Newt and this:
Newt did not make up a room to look like an official hearing!
Also, back then Cspan and others would pan and do zoom-outs
of the house chamber to show very few in special session.
THIS WAS ANOTHER MSM DECEPTION- to try and help Demonrats.
You are correct!
Newt used the House chambers themselves - and C-SPAN was therefore required to cover the sessions. And .. Rush did say that after the sessions had been going on - the C-SPAN camers did pan the room to show that nobody was there; and I would presume that act was done to help the dems.
That it was C-SPAN 1 that ran this phony Senate hearing demonstrates a liberal bias within C-SPAN.
I heard an audio clip of a C-Span caller mentioning the FAKE hearings. The first thing out of the C-Span babe's mouth was, "Have you been listening to Rush Limbaugh?" Has any C-Span on-air employee, in a self defensive mode, EVER axed a single caller if they've been watching CNN? I have no recollection...
.
2 C-Span ALOHA RONNIE Calls =
1) 1st Vietnam Veteran Caller after JOHN KERRY's 1971 Treasonous U.S. Senate Testimony before the Fulbright Committee was televised.
I was wondering who really got it right about the Vietnam War:
JOHN KERRY who called us Vietnam Veterans Rapists and Terrorists
who cut off heads and ears
...or...
MEL GIBSON who was so inpsired while filming our real Vietnam War Story "WE WERE SOLDIERS" that he finally decided he had to make his ultimate story of Love & Sacrifice titled "The PASSION of the Christ"..?
2) 1st Caller on C-Span's Saturday morning 'Washington Journal' after BUSH's Inauguration, praising him for his vow to bring Freedom to the World so that everyone may more Freely LOVE one another.
GOD is Good.
.
Internet and a telephone.
LETS ROLL!!
LOL...that was hilarious...Rush busted them but good!!
FReegards...MUD
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