I can't stop LAUGHING!!! Congressman Dingell is planning to KICK SOME ASS!

[in_cog_ni_to]

The repuke shredders must be SMOKIN'! They have got to be shakin' in their boots.:rofl:


Democrats Pledge Array of Investigations
By KEVIN FREKING, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - The incoming chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee is promising an array of oversight investigations that could provoke sharp disagreement with Republicans and the White House.

Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., pledged that Democrats, swept to power in the Nov. 7 elections, would govern "in the middle" next year. But the veteran lawmaker has a reputation as one who has never avoided a fight and he did not back away from that reputation on Sunday.

Among the investigations he said he wants the committee to undertake:

_The new Medicare drug benefit. "There are lots and lots and lots of scandals," he said, without citing specifics.

_Spending on government contractors in Iraq, including Halliburton Co., the Texas-based oil services conglomerate once led by Vice President Dick Cheney.

_An energy task force overseen by Cheney. It "was carefully cooked to provide only participation by oil companies and energy companies," Dingell said.

_A review of food and drug safety, particularly in the area of nutritional supplements.

Meanwhile, the incoming chairman of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee said his committee would not take on contentious issues, such as extending expiring tax cuts or overhauling Social Security, at the beginning of the year. Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., said Democrats do not want a fight with President Bush and want to prove they can govern.<snip>

MORE at link:
http://www.comcast.net/news/index.jsp?cat=GENERAL&fn=/2006/11/26/528658.html

[porphyrian]

1. People HAVE to see this. - n/t

[in_cog_ni_to]

3. I've seen Dingell in action

and he will NEVER back down from a fight when he knows he's right. He's one tough dude.:7

[Union Thug]

2. This guy deserves our support. Take the fight right into their faces! n/t

[last1standing]

4. You do NOT want this man looking into your affairs.

Not if you have something to hide, that is. He's relentless, intelligent and very ethical. I'd call him the Harry Truman of our era.

[spoony]

5. I love this fellow

and I'm really happy he's in a position now to help every American in the way he's served his local constituents for so many years!

[classof56]

6. Now we're gonna get somplace. Yes! n/t

[noahmijo]

7. Total proof that the Democrats are not doing NEARLY ENOUGH!!

Oh sure they're starting the investigations which we know will eventually go up to the highest levels of power and unmask alot of incriminating evidence against the bush crime family but I have to ask:

What is this man doing about my coffee??????


EXTREME :sarcasm:

[in_cog_ni_to]

8. When you think about the committees our Dems will chair, just TWO of them

Dingell's and Conyers' can take these corrupt thugs down. The GARBAGE Conyers has on these people is ENDLESS and Dingell seems to have a boatload of trash too! THEN, we have WAXMAN waiting in the wings with subpoenas...these people are in some DEEP SHIT!:rofl: It tickles me pink!:bounce:

[The Doctor.]

13. I am VERY much looking forward to this as well.

We desperately need to flush the shit out of DC so America has a chance again. They are a disease.

[bobbolink]

14. I think you're enjoying yourself too much....

Who said revenge wasn't sweet?

:bounce: :party: :rofl: :bounce:

[in_cog_ni_to]

18. NOT ME!

Bwahahahahahahahahaha!:rofl::rofl: I am SO looking forward to this! Pelosi said the committee hearings will be OPEN now! We will probably get to enjoy watching the lying, squirming rat bastards LIVE on C-SPAN!:bounce: I'm giddy just thinking about it!:rofl:

[calimary]

35. No kidding! Waxman is my guy - I just absolutely CANNOT wait!

Waxman's already on record saying there's so much dirt to investigate that his problem is figuring out where to start.

I'll bet sphincters are tightening all over Washington DC.

[DBoon]

26. investigating food and drug safety might include your coffee

Getting someone to brew it and serve you a cup may be out of scope though.

[radfringe]

9. as Trent Lott said back in '94

when the Repubs took control "Let the investigations begin"

[marmar]

10. Time for some binding, under-oath testimony from these pig beasts....

:popcorn:

[JudyM]

33. I'm hoping that Cheney finds himself so much on the defense that he has no time to further destroy

our country.

[The Doctor.]

11. This could be bad.

I think that the Dems should be quiet about lauching investigations for the exact reason the OP suggests;

"The repuke shredders must be SMOKIN'! They have got to be shakin' in their boots."

They should have lied and said, "There will be no investigations, we will move forward in the spirit of bipartisanship." And then turned around in January and issued injunctions against the destruction of all evidence right before launching the investigations.

So 'SHHHHHHHH!!!'

[SammyWinstonJack]

17. You don't think the repubs wouldn't be shredding even if Democrats

didn't announced their intent to investigate? repubs know their ass is grass and the Democrats are the lawn mowers, without Democrats announcing it. They will do everything to cover their asses before the shit hits the fan, whether the Democrats announce their intent to investigate or not. repubs are dumb, but not that dumb.

[bobbolink]

20. That ship sailed long ago.

Remember the photo of the shredding truck outside Cheney's house?

I doubt it was there to get rid of old newspapers.

[The Doctor.]

23. I don't remember.

And I do think that speaking about investigations is likely to get more papers shredded than not.

[CanonRay]

12. I bet the shredders are overheating!

[LiberalFighter]

15. They should padlock the doors until investigations are over

[Morgana LaFey]

16. OMG, that's amazing

Well, he wasn't the one who dreamed these up, was he? They're the ones who did the deeds, so now they get to see their nasty business reach the light of day.

I hope it all comes out. That Energy task Force alone will be really, really BIG. Big Shew, Big Shew.

On another note entirely, I'd forgotten how much power is in the hands of whoever controls Congress, or even one of its houses. It's amazing, just amazing. That might be something to change eventually, too, I think. If only because this one party rule idea is for the birds and VERY bad for the country.

[scarletwoman]

19. All I can say is, we damn well better let our Dems know that we have their backs.

One of the biggest heartbreaks of my life was watching the Iran-Contra investigations peter out. And look what happened -- nearly every single damn one of the people who were involved in that got back into power when the bushies took over.

Never again! These incoming Dem chairpersons better be damn fucking serious about seeing this shit through. No more skating through on technicalities for members of this crime syndicate.

If the Dems start vacillating and making pathetic mewling noises about "bipartisanship" and "not opening old wounds" because "we need to move forward" -- like Clinton did -- we need to show absolutely NO mercy and NO patience!

I'm not much cheered by talk. I want to see the real action. And we'd better be prepared to keep pushing and pushing hard so our Dems don't go all faint-hearted on us. Just 'cuz some of our guys are talking a good game doesn't mean that we can sit back and relax and wait for the show. It's OUR job to make sure the show happens!

sw

[Joe Chi Minh]

21. I hope Gore Vidal gives a regular commentary on the court

proceedings. And, boy, do I want to see Ben Veniste holding them up to ridicule during them!

[nicknameless]

22. Sounds great ... with the exception of any Congressional "investigation" of

nutritional supplements. That's been a big pharma agenda for decades.

There are plenty of issues regarding food safety that Congress should investigate. GMOs & disease, the beef industry, organic standards, etc.

But Congress needs to leave nutritional supplements alone. If they don't, look for big pharma payola driving the "investigation".

[mcg]

27. All I want regarding nutritional supplements ...

is that they are what they're supposed to be. It's up to me what supplements I take, I don't want the government interfering.

[nicknameless]

30. Exactly.

:thumbsup:

[in_cog_ni_to]

32. Couldn't agree more.

They have much more important things to be spending their time on. Nutritional supplements shouldn't be one of them.

[OzarkDem]

39. No, regulation and quality control of the supplement industry is needed

The supplement industry is a very high profit, big money business that sells products that, for the most part, are unregulated. Its a very big myth that supplements are harmless, many are not and can be dangerous and life threatening.

The phony claims that supplement manufacturers peddle to the unwary public are not backed up by rigorous, peer reviewed scientific research. Consumers, often those who can't afford it, spend millions every year for overpriced junk that doesn't live up to its advertising. Its just as wrong to fall for the sales pitch of the billion dollar supplement industry as it is the pharmaceutical industry.

The people who make these products are out to make billions in profits, just like any other big business and the products they sell need to be held to the same standards for quality and efficacy.

[JNelson6563]

24. A credit to Michigan

Though we have a majority Rethug Cong. delegation (in regard to the House only!) we've got some great Dems in the House. Dingell and Conyers for starters.

Proud Michigan Dem! :toast:

Julie

[Scout]

25. kick for Rep Dingell n/t

[progressoid]

28. Go John Go!!!

[MiniMe]

29. Can I just take a moment to get over his name?

:rofl: I can just hear the repukes calling him ding-a-ling, or something along those lines.

Go Rep Dingell, :yourock:

[symbolman]

31. I think the next two years there's gonna be a LOT of popcorn

needed..

Might even invest in some popcorn stock, seriously - think of all the snack foods that people will be gobbling down watching Right Wingers get SCREWED ALL DAY LONG ON CSPAN!

I won't get a damn thing done for the next two years, total hysterically joyful couch potato :)

[Sapere aude]

34. The repukes will suffer a mass memory loss come January.

I want investigations into the stealing of our rights such as the NSA wire tapping and the loss of habeas corpus.

[roamer65]

36. That's my representative!!

Fighting 15th, man. We re-elected him with 88% of the vote. No Rethug even had the guts to run against him.

[in_cog_ni_to]

37. You are SO LUCKY! I'm stuck with the useless piece of crap,

Jerry Weller. Why idiots in my district keep reelecting that rat bastard, I'll never know.:grr:

I DO have 2 awesome Senators though...Obama and Durbin.:loveya:

I cannot wait until January! The next 2 years are going to be PRIME REALITY TEEVEE!:popcorn:

Dingell got 88% of the vote? :woohoo: That man is NOT anyone you want to mess around with. I can't wait to see him in action. I still laugh just thinking about it!:rofl:

[OzarkDem]

38. Glad to see focus on nutritional supplement quality

Its an area that needs more regulation and oversight. Corporations who sell these products are no different than pharmaceutical companies when it comes to high costs, advertising, profits and profit motive.

The major differences between nutritional supplement manufactureres and pharma companies is pharma companies are at least held to a higher standard of accountability when it comes to the quality of their products and scientifice evidence of benefit and no harm to patients.

[Hidden Stillness]

40. Dingell is one of the True Treasures

John Dingell is one of the greatest people in Congress, and is actually the longest-serving Representative ever. Dingell's father was a great Repesentative here in Michigan, and when the father died, Dingell finished the term, ran for it the next time, won, and has been there since; this was 1955. Most of the great legislation of the past two generations is connected, one way or another, with Dingell--from civil rights to investigations of corporate crime, to anti-pollution laws, women's rights, Medicare/Medicaid, rights for workers, the Endangered Species Act, a lot of legislation for the benefit of older people, and a never-ending effort to pass universal health care, which Dingell has proposed, and which has been shot down, every year since 1955, and which was proposed and shot down every year before that, by Dingell's father. Truman wanted universal health care--the Congress and lobbyists did not. Dingell is famous as one of the most honest and ethical, and one of the most feared and hated by corporations, politicians ever, and who also has one of the most knowledgeable staffs.

Dingell has been honored here, by Gov. Granholm, union halls, citizens' groups, and others, many, many times, and despite many years of illegal Republican redistricting, moving Dingell's district further and further west until it left a great part of the city/suburban area, and moved rural, it made no difference whatsoever and, as mentioned, Dingell trounces the Republican (when one of them bothers to run, which they usually don't) every time. You might recall Dingell from last Christmas reading a poem on the floor of the House (it was replayed on "Countdown"), a takeoff on "Twas the Night Before Christmas." Also, Dingell's wife Debbie, a feminist, Democratic platform committee member, and with a university in the Detroit area--Wayne State?--is also fabulous. One of the greats, and we also have John Conyers right here in southeast Michigan, too. "Let the investigations begin."

[underpants]

41. "sharp disagreement with Republicans and the White House."

Now that's an understatement

The Medicare drug bill? Hell just google "Rchard Foster Scully"

[peekaloo]

42. Dingell bells , our Bu$h smells, Cheney's going to pay.....

oh what fun, the continued slide since Fitzmas has been delayed.

[Eurobabe]

43. LOL

[izzybeans]

44. After he shakes the tree of corruption can we call the fallen fruit "Dingell Berries"?