Why is it Democrats were never able to launch a single investigation when in the minority

[Toots]

But Republicans seem to have no problem at all. They are launching an investigation into whether the NIE was politically motivated. Sixteen seperate Intelligence Agencies all agreed after very intensive study of the situation and yet Republicans are able to get an investigation launched..:shrug:

[lonestarnot]

1. sweet hugh...

:shrug: go figure :headshake:

[KharmaTrain]

2. And Which Investigations Are The Repugnicans Leading?

The investigation into the NIE is being spearheaded by Democrats, not Hoekstra. It's nice he's going along for the ride, but who cares what he says or thinks. If anything, this goon can't be trusted as he has tight ties with Erik Prince and the Blackwater cabal.

Democrats couldn't investigate in the past since they didn't have majority status and subpoena power. When Conyers attempted to hold hearings on the Downing Street Memo, the hearings were shoved into the basement of the capitol.

Hoekstras blowing smoke as he has little real power...other than to be an obstructionist. Any "investigation" a Repugnican calls for is surely a diversionary tactic.

[derby378]

3. I think it's because Dems on the Hill didn't want it badly enough

They underestimated Rove, they allowed Cheney to fly under the radar, and the rest is history.

[Echo In Light]

5. There are some legit deifferences, but no one will upset the apple cart to a substantial degree

[OHdem10]

4. This is going to soumd trite but think about it.

Just as the NYT had the large caption: "Republican Unity Trumps Democratic
Momentum"last week the message behind that headline is strong in all
areas.

There is a damning weakness in the Democratic Party. Yes, we can
call ourselves a Big Tent Party simply because we are a collection
of groups. If we are honest, we are a party with no one overarching
philosphy that unites all groups. Consensus is rarely found.

On the Hill there are at least thee groups. Centists(DLC) Blue Dogs
and Progressives. Tell me when do they find consensus.

The GOP know and have learned some lessons about Leadership.
Act as if you know what you are doing, whether you do or not.
No matter how wrongheaded their philosophy and policies, the
GOP, have practiced and know how to look confident. Watch them
the way they walk, the way they talk, their tone exudes confidence
in themselves. They could not have accomplished this without
an overarching Philosphy of Conservatism. They believe they are
right so sometimes almost like bulls in a china shop, they will
stick together and push forward. In the Democratic Party, the
Centrists DLC have no core beliefs---Me too, the Republicans.

Without confidence in your own party and no phiosophy , the Democrats
simply will not stand up to Republicans.

Whether we like it or not, Our Party has authorized our troops
to be in Iraq for years. Centrists DLC Blue Dogs trumped
Liberals and Progrssives.

The Democratic Trumps each other while the GOP Trumps entire Democratic
Party.

[ThePowerofWill]

12. Thats just what i was thinking about when i read the op.

The repub's march lockstep all the way in unison. However it seems you can always find a few Dem's who will flop for the other side.

Not that i agree with marching lockstep, but it has worked well for the pub's.

[PsN2Wind]

6. Look at how little they are able to do in the majority!!

N/T

[leftofthedial]

7. because enough "democrats" are bought-and-paid-for patsies

and closet repukes

that concepts like "majority" and "minority" and "voting" are irrelevant.

[dbt]

10. DingDing DING!

No more calls, please. We have a WINNER!!!

:evilgrin:

[fascisthunter]

11. .

welcome to reality DU.

[Enrique]

8. Abramoff, Plame, 9/11, Abu Ghraib, Iraq intelligence

off the top of my head, a few investigations that took place with dems in the minority.

And as far as I know Hoekstra hasn't gotten his investigation.

[Cerridwen]

9. Because the Democrats take the Marquess of Queensberry rules to a knife fight

in part, because we expect them to play by the rules. The republicans and their constituencies, in case there is anyone here who hasn't noticed, have no compunction about "playing by the rules." Mix in a good dose of DLC corporatism and corporate sponsorship, add a pinch of Blue Dog shortsightedness in which economic "responsibility" trumps social interests, throw in a large handful of hooyah!, we're tough, manly men (of both sexes) types, then add a dollop of authoritarian, "we know what's better for you than you do" "leadership" and you have a wonderful recipe to create the Gumby Democrats, i.e., very little spine and the ability to bend over as far as need be to avoid the appearance of breaking the rules, losing corporate dollars, committing the sin of financial ineptitude, and looking like girly-men (of both sexes) when it comes to the "War on Terrah".

[Wilber_Stool]

13. The Dems investigated Plame.

The lead witness was Larry Johnson.

[L. Coyote]

14. WRONGO> The OP is not true. Read the Conyers Report.

They just did not control Committees, so they could not start an official Committee investigation. There were plenty of investigations. You are creating an artificial semantic barrier and then using it to bash Dems with a falsehood. Meanwhile, we have facts to the contrary.


From the Conyers Report:

"... we find that there were massive and unprecedented voter irregularities and anomalies in Ohio. In many cases these irregularities were caused by intentional misconduct and illegal behavior...."

"... it is imperative that we examine any and all factors that may have led to
voting irregularities and any failure of votes to be properly counted."

Preserving Democracy: What Went Wrong in Ohio
Status Report of the House Judiciary Committee Democratic Staff, Jan. 2005.
http://www.house.gov/judiciary_democrats/ohiostatusrept1505.pdf

[Enrique]

15. good example

also here is a list of oversight hearings conducted by Byron Dorgan's Democratic Policy Committee, while the dems were in the minority.

Compare the seriousness and substance of this list with the silly anti-dem rhetoric in this thread.

http://democrats.senate.gov/dpc/dpc-hearing.cfm?A=all


DPC Hearing Archive
108th and 109th Congresses
Organized by Date



The Senate Democratic Policy Committee held the following 39 hearings in the 108th and 109th Congresses.

Click on the links below to access information pertaining to these hearings, including full transcripts, witness testimony, audio and video files, and other information that was distributed at each hearing.


An Oversight Hearing on the Planning and Conduct of the War in Iraq: When Will Iraqi Security Forces Be Able to "Stand Up," So American Troops Can Begin to "Stand Down"? (10/12/06)


An Oversight Hearing on the Planning and Conduct of the War in Iraq (9/25/06)


An Oversight Hearing on Accountability for Contracting Abuses in Iraq (9/18/06)


An Oversight Hearing on the Bush Administration's Plan to Rebuild Iraq's Hospitals, Clinics and Health Care System: What Went Wrong? (7/28/06)


An Oversight Hearing on Providing Relief to Seniors Who Have Fallen into the Prescription Drug "Donut Hole" (7/17/06)


An Oversight Hearing on Reduced Federal Funding For Law Enforcement and the Rise in Violent Crime (7/10/06)


An Oversight Hearing on Pre-War Intelligence Relating to Iraq (6/26/06)


An Oversight Hearing on Post-Katrina Reconstruction: Has the Federal Government Left Gulf Coast Residents and Businesses Behind? (5/19/06)


Lessons from Enron: An Oversight Hearing on Gas Prices and Energy Trading (5/8/06)


An Oversight Hearing on Whether Halliburton Has Failed to Provide Clean Water to United States Troops in Iraq (4/7/06)


An Oversight Hearing on the Implementation of the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit (2/27/06)


An Oversight Hearing on Trade Policy and the U.S. Automobile Industry (2/17/06)


An Oversight Hearing on Whether Halliburton Has Failed to Provide Clean Water to United States Troops in Iraq (1/23/06)


An Oversight Hearing on Gulf Coast Reconstruction Contracting (10/17/05)


An Oversight Hearing on Record High Gasoline Prices and Windfall Oil Company Profits (9/19/05)


An Oversight Hearing on Whether the Army Corps of Engineers Retaliated Against Whistleblowers Who Objected to Iraq Contracting Abuses (9/16/05)


A Special Joint Oversight Hearing on the National Security Consequences of Disclosing the Identity of a Covert Intelligence Officer (7/22/05)


An Oversight Hearing on Waste, Fraud, and Abuse in U.S. Government Contracting in Iraq (6/27/05)


An Oversight Hearing on President Bush's Social Security Privatization Plan: Will You and Your Family Be Worse Off? (5/13/05)


An Oversight Hearing on the Administration's Mercury Pollution Rule (4/19/05)


An Oversight Hearing on Waste, Fraud and Abuse in U.S. Government Contracting in Iraq (2/14/05)


An Oversight Hearing on the Bush Administration’s Plans to Privatize Social Security (1/28/05)


An Oversight Hearing on Contracting Abuses in Iraq (9/10/04)


An Oversight Hearing on the Administration's Mercury Emissions Proposal (7/9/04)

A Hearing on Recent U.S. Trade Agreements (6/18/04)

Do China's Abusive Labor Practices Encourage Outsourcing and Drive Down American Wages? (3/29/04)

Shipping American Jobs Overseas: A Hearing on the Bush Administration's Claim That Outsourcing is Good for the U.S. Economy (3/5/04)


Oversight Hearing on Iraq Contracting Practices (2/13/04)


Clearing the Air: An Oversight Hearing on the Administration's Clean Air Enforcement Program (2/6/04)


Do Deficits Matter? The Impact of Long-Term Deficits on Economic Growth and Job Creation (1/20/04)

America's Uninsured: Myths, Realities and Solutions (1/6/04)


Will the Bush Administration's Overtime Proposals Mean A Pay Cut and Longer Hours for American Workers? (12/11/03)


Are We Exporting American Jobs? (11/14/03)


Contracting Abuses in Iraq (11/3/03)


National Security Implications of Disclosing the Identity of an Intelligence Operative (10/24/03)


Have the President and Congressional Republicans Kept Their Promise to Support the No Child Left Behind Act? (7/18/03)


Will the Bush Economic Plan Create Jobs? (6/9/03)


The President's FY 2004 Budget Request (2/7/03)


Is the Bush Economic 'Stimulus' Plan Effective, Fair, and Fiscally Responsible? (1/22/03)