Senators to Press Scandal

[Spazito]

WASHINGTON — As the White House struggles to get beyond the prisoner abuse scandal, it faces an unsettling fact: The Senate Armed Services Committee (news - web sites) — controlled by Republicans — plans to keep the issue alive for weeks to come.

That promises more headaches for the White House and once undreamed-of opportunities for Democrats on the committee, such as Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts and other critics of President Bush (news - web sites)'s handling of the war in Iraq (news - web sites).

The Armed Services Committee, led by 77-year-old Senate veteran John W. Warner of Virginia, has served noticed that it would not pull back, as the House Armed Services Committee has done. Instead, Warner plans extended hearings to call on the carpet such high-profile officials as Army Gen. John Abizaid, commander of U.S. troops in Iraq, and L. Paul Bremer III, head of the U.S.-led Coalition Provisional Authority.


More disturbing still for the White House, Democrats and Republicans on the Senate committee say they will shift the focus from the misdeeds of a handful of guards at Abu Ghraib prison outside Baghdad. What they want to dig into instead is how senior Pentagon (news - web sites) officials loosened the rules protecting prisoners during interrogation.

more

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=2026&ncid=2026&e=4&u=/latimests/20040517/ts_latimes/senatorstopressscandal

[Walt Starr]

1. Okay, this is officially no longer a "flap" for Bush

This has risen to the level of full blown scandal.

Finally, a scandal becomes a scandal.

Notice, a Bush scandal only rose above the level of "flap" when sex was involved.

[Terran]

5. And senior members of his own party aren't giving him a break

Warner and others must have had enough of *, at last. They know they won't have a party left if they don't get rid of the creep-in-chief.

[The Backlash Cometh]

2. This quote should be highlighted

What they want to dig into instead is how senior Pentagon (news - web sites) officials loosened the rules protecting prisoners during interrogation.

This is tying into that article that was published in the Houston Chronicle yesterday that provided a rather unflattering picture of a Texas private prison specialist who was hired by Ashcroft.

The plot thickens.

[callous taoboy]

13. They should also look into

Kay Bailey Hutchison's husband's Wackenhut Prison company. A friend of a friend of mine was beaten badly by gang members as guards looked on and did nothing. The victim sued Wackenhut but got NOWHERE because it is Kay Bailey Hutchison's husband's company.

[MaryBear]

14. Huh?

I don't follow your logic here.

[smiley_glad_hands]

3. Finally,

A moment that I can say that I'm proud to be a Virginian.

[schultzee]

4. When corruption moves high up in the Military, we are in serious trouble.

Hitler managed to corrupt everyone and get them to do his deeds.

[0007]

6. ....and the next step for this crime cabal will be the Hague

[peacetalksforall]

7. What did the House Committee do/not do?

Are they going silent?

[peacetalksforall]

8. If I were in the justice departments of other governments...I would

carefully observe how we investigate ourselves and follow through. If unsatisfactory, I would make plenty of silent noise - through diplomatic channels. If ignored, I would raise my voice louder and louder and then go international, if necessary.

Everyone in the world knows that you don't prosecute the lowest in rank, let the private tormentors go free, and ignore the command line. Everyone, that is, except ruthless dictators and leaders who've done the same thing.

This country needs to be adult about all of this. We're in trouble, because we don't have adults in charge in the administration at the present time. And only a few in Congress and the Senate.

[sjgman9]

9. Thank you John Warner!

Even though I'm a Chicago Democrat, I'm very happy at John Warner for keeping these hearings alive. I understand that he and Ranking member Levin are very close and this really angers both of them.

Looks like we have opportunities for Teddy to breathe fire at all the NeoCons asshole idiots!

Let the fun begin!

[Beetwasher]

10. I Think We Really May Have Finally Turned A Corner!

Oh man, I sure hope so!

[wryter2000]

11. Wahoo!

A bit more of this and Warner will get on my list of reasonable repugs. (Of course, the list only has about 4 people on it right now.)

[The Stranger]

12. Sounds like they need to speak with Douglas Feith.

[MaryBear]

15. I'm glad to hear that this is taken seriously.

It is an important issue, possibly bipartisan!

[carolinayellowdog]

16. Warner refused to support Oliver North in 1994

which led some VA pundits to declare him dead politically, saying the GOP would never get over his disloyalty. But this is the first time since then that he's shown some independence; he drank the impeachment kool-aid.

[tedzbear]

17. John Warner is doing this to highlight McCain to succeed Bush.

Repugs are defecting to McCain's camp and his potential candidacy for President in 2008. They realize Bush is sinking fast and it's time to man the life boats. They are surrendering 2004 to Kerry, but hope McCain can be their savior in 2008.
That is why Warner is continuing the scandal investigation: to highlight McCain's differences with Bush.

Anyone else think this is what's going on?

:kick:

[Calm Like A Bomb]

18. Hell hath no fury like a senator with a bruised ego.

They're pissed that the administration has kept them out of the loop and made them look bad.

Bend over Dubya! It's time to get yours!