Dems did oversight better, says Grassley

[NewJerseyDem]

http://www.thehill.com/news/051304/oversight.aspx

Several senior Republicans and Democrats say Congress has failed to carry out its critical role in overseeing the vast federal bureaucracy, falling particularly short since Republicans captured the White House in 2000.

The members say the problem of congressional neglect extends far beyond the latest revelations of national intelligence failures and prison abuse in Iraq, and touches virtually every federal function — from education programs to government contractors.

“We Republicans have never quite reached the level of competent oversight that the Democrats developed over their 40 years that they controlled Congress,” said Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), the Senate Finance Committee chairman and one of the few Republicans to pepper the administration regularly with inquiries. “We tried to emphasize legislating, and we’ve delegated so much authority to the executive branch of government, and we ought to devote more time to oversight than we do.”

When your party controls Congress and the White House, “You get less oversight,” said Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.), who chairs the House Government Reform and Oversight Committee. “That’s the way it goes.”

[BayCityProgressive]

1. HA

they admit their own incompetence! Hopefully we win back the senate and a few house seats this year.

[KeepItReal]

2. "Our Bad"...says Repubs..

That sh*t don't cut it folks.

That sounds like nonfeasance to me (malfeasance at worst).

[sundancekid]

3. and what kind of power is it exactly that corrupts??? and why????

IMAGINE THAT ... OVERSIGHT by a co-equal branch for checks and balances -- what a concept ... say, should we tell the Iraqi's about it too?

[maddezmom]

4. “That’s the way it goes.”

is that an excuse?

[qanda]

5. I hear a campaign commercial in the works

Vote for a Democrat, because they do it better.

[Just Me]

6. I am almost afraid to feel the optimism I want to feel by this piece. n/t

[Toucano]

7. Right on, Chuck!

I'd only add "...we’ve delegated so much authority to the executive branch of government..." that we should really give back our salaries and go home.

[DBoon]

19. Dictators do eventually dissolve their "legislatures"

Sounds like they are admitting this is an option...

[Mel]

8. these people disgust me

stupid republicans no sh*t you guys are screwing the United States of America you hear that republicans it's the United States of America not the fascist sounding bs name you use now called The Homeland.
That's why my money donations are going to House of Reps. campaigns to get the republicans OUT. They know their time is up they have screwed the United States of America and are derelict in their duties!

[peacetalksforall]

9. That's the way it goes? Crap on the people!

[Hand]

14. What a moran...

Talk about irresponsible... They juast wrote themselves out of the picture. They're fucking chilren. Amateurs.

:mad:

[rumguy]

10. It's time to get these fuckin' repigs out of power

I want them politically destroyed!

[Ernesto]

20. Then get a star

[squidbro]

11. Imagine, the republicans are incapable of governing. Who'd have thought?

I have always been far more fearful of Congress falling into republican than the Presidency.

The recent events bear witness to the fact that the republicans are incapable of running the nation.

Even more than I want shrub out of office, I desperately want the Democrats to take back Congress.

[finecraft]

12. I think they know the "real" poll numbers

and are scared to death. They let the extreme right wing of their party take over, and they will all pay a political price. I don't put Grassley in the same group as Delay, Hastert, Thomas or that obnoxious fat, smug creep Hayworth, but he and others sat obliviously by and let them get away with murder. If the moderate repugs get drug down with the zealots, so be it. I, for one, won't shed a tear for them.

[cap]

13. no.. Congress has lost power

and I'm not sure that the Congressmen and Senators like that...even when it is their team in the White House.

[w4rma]

15. Holy smokes! That's bluntly honest! And it's from a Republican politician!

:wow: Has hell frozen over?

[peterh]

16. Can’t quite see that soundbite finding its way on faux….

Or cnn….or msnbc….or….

[leesa]

17. Dems did most everything better. But we knew that.

[UpInArms]

18. I've said it before, guess I'll say it again

Bush has taken our Securities and Exchange Commission and given it to the very folks that it is to monitor. He has taken the Environmental Protection Agency and given it to the polluters. He has taken the State Department and given it to a radical fringe. He has taken the Justice Department and given it to a fundamentalist zealot. He has taken the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and given it to the power companies. He has taken the Department of the Interior and given it to the companies that will profit from the removal of public resources.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/articles/02/05/07_contra.html