Gates is testifying in Senate hearing now. cspan3

[napi21]

http://www.c-span.org/watch/cs_cspan3_wm.asp?Cat=TV&Code=CS3

Chairman Levin is giving opening statement.

[Muttocracy]

1. Thank you for the heads up!

Sincerely,

A Hearing Junkie

[gateley]

3. Warner up. How did Gates do? nt

[Muttocracy]

2. hmm, Levin talking about paying for reconstruction

Didn't Bush say this morning we were hardly paying for anything... wonder who to believe.

[gateley]

4. Am I watching the right thing? Warner? nt

[Muttocracy]

7. yep, 2nd ranking Repub. for Armed Services (after McCain)

Here's the member list:
http://armed-services.senate.gov/members.htm

Some day I will learn to keep the two Nelsons straight.

[gateley]

9. Thanks!

I can visually I.D. ONE of the Nelsons - but only since watching him the other day.

[napi21]

6. I didn't hear Shrub today, but if we are "hardly" paying for anything,

I guess that means he doesn't NEED that additional money he already asked for, huh?

[gateley]

8. What on earth could he possibly have meant by such

an obviously false statement?

If he thinks he can get people to buy that, that's really frightening -- truly deluded.

[gateley]

5. Thanks from another hearing junkie --

and to my fellow junkie!

[Muttocracy]

10. Our independent retired general, e.g. Odum and McCaffrey (sp?)

say it's over, it's just about how fast and in what pattern we withdraw.

Or that's what I got out of their comments last week.

[gateley]

12. That's EXACTLY what they said,

and the last sentence or two that Menendez gave on Tuesday said that, too. Those exact words "we had a panel of experts here last week tell us IT'S OVER".

And, as we've discussed, that's definitely the general impression the SFRC gave as a whole.

[gateley]

13. Are we missing Panel Two of the SFRC? nt

[Muttocracy]

14. no, I think it's finished. relatively short.

[gateley]

11. Kennedy's there -- good!

He's a good guy - he does always show up. He was there to support Dodd in his FISA filibuster.

[NJSecularist]

15. Levin is really grilling Gates. n/t

[Muttocracy]

16. yep, and there's that reconstruction $$ question again.

[gateley]

17. Yes. I hope this committe

kicks some butt like they DIDN'T last week.

EDIT - typo.

But as long as I'm here, who was spewing that CRAP about how GOOD things are going? (Wasn't looking at my screen).

[LSK]

18. thanks, tuning in

[NJSecularist]

19. The Liberal Lion is speaking right now. n/t

[gateley]

20. Good! nt

[gateley]

21. "Subsequent drawdowns based on the situation on the ground".

Yesterday I think it was pretty much said the situation on the ground shouldn't be the determining factor at this point. (I think Kennedy's kind of saying just that as I type).

It's more goal post moving.

[Muttocracy]

23. the various admin/military folks don't even have their stories straight with each other! nt

[Inuca]

33. That's what Hagel the other day

called "keeping the policy hostage". These people do not understand (or more likely do not want to accept) the difference between tactics and strategy. You adjust your tactics to the situation on the ground, but you define a strategy that attempt to CHANGE the situation on the ground.

[bdamomma]

22. the family's are strained but these guys do not give an eff.

this is total BS, they will keep this going until bushie boy is out.

[gateley]

47. That's what Biden said last week.

Again, I get the sense they all realize that.

[gateley]

24. Kennedy! Don't ASK "shouldn't the Congress have the right to vote on..."

TELL them - like Biden told Crocker on Tuesday.

[Muttocracy]

26. Biden and many others including GOP said so this a.m.! nt

[bdamomma]

25. oh, Teddy these guys do not care.

[Muttocracy]

27. We have so many caring, intelligent, logical senators. This must drive them mad. :(

[bdamomma]

29. no, the ones who do not care are Gates and Mullen

they are cronies of bush.

[Muttocracy]

31. right, that's how I read what you wrote - just that these hearings are an exercise in frustration.

[bdamomma]

28. Maliki wants our troops out.

these jerks do not listen to us nor to the Iraqi people.

[gateley]

30. Maliki doesn't have the power we once hoped for, I don't think.

Just for what it's worth. :shrug:

[gateley]

32. Literally -- Literally!

Hearing Lieberman makes my stomach clench. And there's a BURN, too.

[Inuca]

35. Pepcid

works wonders :-).

[gateley]

34. Having the Iraqis pick up the bill for their economic reconstruction -- Gates.

Everyone seems to forget that we CAUSED the economic destruction of their country. :grr:

That being said, since they do have oil revenue and more than likely will continue to receive it, I think they should pitch in.

[bdamomma]

36. are we sure that Iraqi revenue is going to Iraqis, or to Halliburton or KBR.

[gateley]

41. If WE (Bushco) have anything to say about it, it's going to Halliburton/KBR. nt

[gateley]

37. I'm ashamed to say this,

but I'm having trouble paying attention. There's such a different dynamic than in the SFRC.

[bdamomma]

38. there is alot of heavy weights on the SFRC.

[gateley]

40. I'm liking what Levin is saying now, though. My ears have perked up! nt

[Muttocracy]

39. yeah, most of it fades into the background nt

[horseshoecrab]

42. Iran Alert!

Gates just mentioned Iran and their meddling.

Uh oh...
"the iraqi government is increasingly concerned about iran"

horseshoecrab

[Muttocracy]

43. right, which leads up back to Boxer's questions about them walking

hand-in-hand and kissing.

He must have meant "Bush's government is..."

[gateley]

46. Sigh. They're hammering on that one a LOT.

I heard Lieberman ask something like "Is Iran still (something something) and killing American soldiers?". Nice framing, jerk.

[Muttocracy]

44. Gates - "Iraqi nationalism is progress" - just like under Saddam? nt

[ClayZ]

45. Susan Collins, "why isn't Iraq paying for the fuel we use there?'

K and R

[horseshoecrab]

54. Susan Collins is ...

up for re-election in Maine in 2008. Dem. Cong. Tom Allen is opposing her.

Makes me want to drive up there to work for her opponent.

oooh oooh ... wait for it... She is endorsed by Joe Lieberman!!1!

good freakin' grief.

horseshoecrab

[gateley]

48. Oh no -- Graham --

remember his kissing their asses the other day?? "I am so proud of the both of you". This should be good,.

[gateley]

49. Boy - Graham is really good at leading the witness.

If I were an attorney and we were in court, I'd be screaming "objection".

[Muttocracy]

51. he's a very smart lawyer - think he is/was a

judge advocate general or whatever it's called (military lawyer)

[Muttocracy]

50. the problem is not simply the Status of Forces Agreement - it's the additional

stuff they want to add in.

[gateley]

52. Natch. nt

[Muttocracy]

53. Iran! coming fast! with nukular weapons! against Israel!!!!

I though Joe L. was bad!

[horseshoecrab]

55. graham is insane! n/t

[horseshoecrab]

57. graham...

Insane as in: he looked so joyous as he described the Iranian meddling that they're trying so hard to push.


horseshoecrab

[horseshoecrab]

56. sen. thune up n/t

[horseshoecrab]

58. Thune reading script n/t

[horseshoecrab]

59. Carl Levin

Reiterating the point which he made earlier that we, and Maliki too, aren't following the Iraqi Presidential Council (not sure of what it's called) which says that ALL militias are prohibited not just the Mahdi army. Asks Adm. Mullin to check into whether this outlawing of the Mahdi Army but not other militias, including Maliki's own militia are prohibited in Iraq's constitution as well. Thinks that they may be.

That's it. Nothing to see here.


horseshoecrab

[gateley]

60. I lost my feed and can't get it back. :-( nt

[gateley]

61. Firefox to the rescue. nt

[horseshoecrab]

63. that happened to me earlier too

Seriously, these blackouts rarely happened back when dinosaurs roamed the land (about a couple of years ago?). I've wondered if it's Comcast.

Anyway, Levin got that last bit in -- which I definitely appreciated. Sharp guy.

We got to find out (via wikipedia by the way) that Joe Lieberman endorses Susan Collins. I think the shorter list for Joe would be: which repubs does Joe NOT endorse?

I hope that CSPAN1 will repeat the maiden speech of the new Congresswoman from Cali, who has replaced Tom Lantos. Apparently she tore bushco a new one, the thugs stamped their tiny feet, booed and walked out. I'd like to see that one.


horseshoecrab

[gateley]

62. Reid is on CSpan2 -- sounds kind of interesting

[horseshoecrab]

64. thanks! will check it out!

[Ilsa]

65. Gates never should have left TAMU. His dubious tenure at CIA

had largely been forgotten about, but now he has a new quagmire to lie about and be associated with. He vallues loyalty to Bush41 over what is good for the country. Not such a good thing for upholding his Aggie Code of Honor (“An Aggie does not lie, cheat, or steal or tolerate those who do”). Tough shit, Ranger65.