Ray McGovern Thrown Out of Petraeus' Congressional Hearing

[cui bono]

Just for asking to have Petraeus sworn in while they were fixing the mic! :wtf:


'Swear Him In' Provokes Expulsion

By Ray McGovern
September 10, 2007

“Swear him in.” That’s all I said in the unusual silence this afternoon as first aid was being administered to Gen. David Petraeus’s microphone at the hearing before the House Armed Services and Foreign Affairs Committees.

It had dawned on me that when House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton, D-Missouri, invited Gen. Petraeus to make his presentation, Skelton forgot to ask him to take the customary oath to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. I had no idea that would be enough to get me thrown out of the hearing.

I had a flashback to a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in early 2006, when Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont, reminded chairman Arlen Specter, R-Pennsylvania, that Specter had forgotten to swear in the witness, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales; and how Specter insisted that that would not be necessary.

Now that may, or may not, be an invidious comparison. But Petraeus and Gonzales work for the same boss, who has a rather unusual relationship with the truth. How many of his senior staff could readily be convicted, as was the hapless-and-now-commuted Scooter Libby, of perjury?

<snip>

If Petraeus is so honest and full of integrity, what possible objection could he have to being sworn in?


more...
http://www.consortiumnews.com/2007/091007a.html

[BeHereNow]

1. Sorry Ray, that's not how we do things in a fascist regime...

hey CB!
BHN

[cui bono]

10. Yes, when will he learn...

Hey BHN!

:hi:

[BeHereNow]

2. BTW...

K&R!
BHN

[ray of light]

3. Ray--One of the great ones!

[Coexist]

4. off to the Greatest

[Breeze54]

5. That's what happens when you question authority!!

Assholes!!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_McGovern

McGovern has been an outspoken commentator on intelligence-related issues since the late 1990s

In May 2006, McGovern attended a speech by Rumsfeld and accused the defense secretary of lying about Iraq prewar intelligence during the question-and-answer session. McGovern challenged Rumsfeld on several lies, in which Rumsfeld was on the record for saying. McGovern asked him;


* "Why did you lie to get us into a war, which was not necessary and has caused these kinds of casualties?"

* "You said you knew where they were. -Rumsfeld
"I did not...I said I knew where suspect sites were." -McGovern
"You said you knew where they were: 'Near Tikrit, near Baghdad, and East, West, South
and North somewhat.'" (Rumsfeld stated this on March 30th, 2003 on ABC's "This Week")

* "Your allegation that 'there was bullet proof evidence' of ties between Al Qaeda and Iraq
.
Was that a lie or were you misled?" -Rumsfeld
"Zarqawi was in Baghdad during the prewar period...that is a fact." -Mcgovern "Zarqawi...
he was in the North of Iraq in a place where Saddam Hussein had no rule. That's where he was." -Rumsfeld
"He was also in Baghdad." -McGovern "Yeah, when he needed to go to the hospital...come on,
these people aren't idiots."<1>

Video

* Ray McGovern speaks at Peace Action National Congress (July 2004) - 23 minutes
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-117907105609894247&q=mcgovern


* Ray McGovern speaks in BackTalk, at Salisbury University - 60 minutes
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2220820137037607177&q=mcgovern

* Ray McGovern speaks "On torture" at John Marshall Law School in Chicago - 52 minutes
http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=-8409837684049382870&q=Ray+McGovern&q=mcgovern

Ray McGovern

[rurallib]

6. He wasn't even sworn in?

Did he have something to hide?

[cui bono]

11. Oh no... nothing at all. Just like all the others who don't get sworn in and

also the ones who don't bother to show up at all.

When are the Dems going going to MAKE them take an OATH???

:banghead:

[tom_paine]

12. If it was going to happen it would have happened already

(although once in the bluest of moons, the Dems do sear in Bushies like Gonzo, but it is relatively rare, certainly compared withthe Old American Republic)

Remember how, in the Old America Republic (1776-2000, RIP) EVERYONE who testified before a Congressional Committee was required to be sworn in?

Wow, what a great place that was. I would love to live in a country like that again, though it is becoming clear that we never again will breathe the sweet air of Freedom again. Just the vinyl synthetic-taste of the hologram that isn't freedom and never was.

[cui bono]

14. Why did it have to be Gonzo

that they did sear in... into my brain! :argh:

Seriously, what's the point of having the hearings then? They might as well let them do their Faux appearances and just watch those.

So sad.

[EFerrari]

7. THANK YOU RAY!

:kick:

[snappyturtle]

8. Wasn't that a small request? These hearings are really just a

small token thrown to the people to look like something is getting done. We are screwed. No representation.....and an adminstration with a unitary executive and free reign.

edit: Thanks to Mr. McGovern for trying.

[BeHereNow]

9. Yup.

That sums it up nicely.
BHN

[Mandate My Ass]

16. That's why Ray had to go. It won't do to wake up the grazing herd.

What a farce. Other than Gonzo there isn't a bigger sycophant of the Chimperor's who will gladly fling his poo for him. :grr:

What a complete farce. Sorry, it had to be said again.

[mdelaguna2000]

13. Both things are unbelievable

A) they didn't swear him in
B) that McGovern was removed for saying this

Speechless...

[goodhue]

15. were they sworn in today?

[druidity33]

17. k&r

McGovern's the real thing.

and.... HOLY SHIT! BETRAYUS WASN"T SWORN IN?! WTF!?


:mad:

[VP505]

18. There is one

to tell the great grandkids about, the time he got thrown out of a hearing that was stopped for microphone repair.