Bush Admin does a 180, Petraeus and Crocker will have to testify in public.

[ck4829]

Under pressure from Democrats to follow legislation which demands that General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker "will be made available to testify in open and closed sessions," the White House has confirmed that (surprise!), it will follow the mandate of the law:

"Q Gordon, is the White House trying to restrict the testimony of General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker when they come here in mid-September with their latest report on the situation in Iraq?

MR. JOHNDROE: General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker will testify to the Congress in both open as well as closed sessions prior to the September 15th report. That has always been our intention. I believe the President has talked about the need to hear from General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker. Those two men will come back to the United States, they will report to the President; they will report to Secretary Rice, they will report to Secretary Gates, as well as the joint staff. They will report to Congress, and more importantly, they will report to the American people on what they see on the ground there.

And I think it's unfortunate that anyone would suggest that they would not do that; trying to start a fight where there really isn't one, because this has always been the plan, and in fact it's even called for in the legislation"

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/8/17/44935/1707

[rodeodance]

1. "That has always been our intention."-----HA HA

[liberal N proud]

2. But with a White House prepared speech I am sure!

[rodeodance]

3. my GAWD-what a LYing Sack of S**t

[rodeodance]

5. "it's unfortunate that anyone would suggest that they would not do that; "--gee, wonder

where we go that IDEA?


...And I think it's unfortunate that anyone would suggest that they would not do that; trying to start a fight where there really isn't one, because this has always been the plan, and in fact it's even called for in the legislation"

[rodeodance]

6. Bush now wants Petraeus and Crocker to testify privately (earlier post)

Forum Name General Discussion: Politics
Topic subject Bush now wants Petraeus and Crocker to testify privately
Topic URL http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x3453687#3453687
3453687, Bush now wants Petraeus and Crocker to testify privately
Posted by BR_Parkway on Thu Aug-16-07 09:27 AM

http://www.americablog.com/2007/08/bush-now-wants-petraeus-and-crocker-to.html

Today's revelation is that, despite the law mandating a public hearing by Petraeus and Crocker, the Bush administration now wants only a private congressional briefing:

White House officials suggested to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee last week that Petraeus and Crocker would brief lawmakers in a closed session before the release of the report, congressional aides said. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates would provide the only public testimony.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D-Del.) told the White House that Bush's presentation plan was unacceptable. An aide to Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl M. Levin (D-Mich.) said that "we are in talks with the administration and . . . Senator Levin wants an open hearing" with Petraeus.

Those positions only hardened yesterday with reports that the document would not be written by the Army general but instead would come from the White House, with input from Petraeus, Crocker and other administration officials.

[rucky]

4. Prepare for more theater.

and the dems will be "conviced" enough to write another check.

you may as well get outraged now, so you won't get too worked up when it happens.

[rodeodance]

7. Wash Post: An Early Clash Over Iraq Report

Forum Name Latest Breaking News
Topic subject An Early Clash Over Iraq Report (WH want Private briefing by Patraeus)
Topic URL http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2955921#2955921
2955921, An Early Clash Over Iraq Report (WH want Private briefing by Patraeus)
Posted by rodeodance on Thu Aug-16-07 10:26 AM

Source: wasp POST





An Early Clash Over Iraq Report
Specifics at Issue as September Nears

By Jonathan Weisman and Karen DeYoung
Washington Post Staff Writers
Thursday, August 16, 2007; Page A01

Senior congressional aides said yesterday that the White House has proposed limiting the much-anticipated appearance on Capitol Hill next month of Gen. David H. Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker to a private congressional briefing, suggesting instead that the Bush administration's progress report on the Iraq war should be delivered to Congress by the secretaries of state and defense.

White House officials did not deny making the proposal in informal talks with Congress, but they said yesterday that they will not shield the commanding general in Iraq and the senior U.S. diplomat there from public congressional testimony required by the war-funding legislation President Bush signed in May. "The administration plans to follow the requirements of the legislation," National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said in response to questions yesterday.



The skirmishing is an indication of the rising anxiety on all sides in the remaining few weeks before the presentation of what is widely considered a make-or-break assessment of Bush's war strategy, and one that will come amid rising calls for a drawdown of U.S. forces from Iraq.
..........

White House officials suggested to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee last week that Petraeus and Crocker would brief lawmakers in a closed session before the release of the report, congressional aides said. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates would provide the only public testimony.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/15/AR2007081501281.html?hpid=topnews