Greenwald interviews Sen. Grassley: Sen. Leahy will have hearing on anthrax investigation

[deminks]

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/radio/2008/08/20/grassley/index1.html

Glenn Greenwald: My guest this morning is Charles Grassley, the Republican Senator from Iowa, who, among other things, is a member of the Senate Finance and Judiciary Committees, and we're speaking today about the numerous question surrounding the anthrax investigation. Senator Grassley, thanks very much for joining me this morning.

Charles Grassley: Thank you very much. Glad to be with you, and thank you for your interest in this issue.

(snip)

GG: Speaking of that, on August 7th, just a couple weeks ago, you wrote a letter to Attorney General Mukasey, and FBI Director Mueller, in which you stated:

This has been a long investigation, full of missteps and mistakes. There's been too much secrecy up to this point, and it deserves a full and thorough vetting. There are clearly a lot of unanswered questions, and it's time to start a dialog so we get answers.

And you then listed 18 questions that you have about the investigation, the last one of which was, quote: "What additional documents will be released, if any, and when will they be released?" Now, first of all, have you received a response from either the Justice Department or the FBI to that letter?

CG: No, and I assume one of the reasons I haven't is because in the meantime, the FBI has consented to a hearing that Senator Leahy's having, and a hearing is one instrument of doing it. At the time I wrote the letter, I didn't know whether there'd be a hearing or not, and I wanted to make sure, as one individual senator who's not chairman of the Judiciary Committee, that I would do my own oversight and get answers to questions. It could be that the forum for answering my letter would be the hearing, but I want to make sure my 18 questions are answered one way or the other, and I want to ensure that every document's out.

If this case is solved the way the FBI wants us to believe that it's been solved, is it closed? And if it's closed, then everything ought to be brought out into the open. One of the problems we have right now is, with the FBI, there's just too much secrecy. Getting all the documents out, getting all the information out is important.

(end snip)

copy of letter and 18 questions here:

http://grassley.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.Detail&PressRelease_id=9f42563c-f11d-e765-d965-e937adfa47dc&Month=8&Year=2008

[Supersedeas]

1. when Republican show more curiousity than Dems regarding oversight of Mukasey

then we really have a problem.

[deminks]

2. Yes, I had to re-read it a couple of times to make sure I was

reading it properly. It may just be appearances, but I think he might be sincere.

[KharmaTrain]

3. Muck-Assey Is DOJ

This is FBI...Robert Mueller...who burries the bodys so Muck-Assey doesn't have to.

Now will Chuckles vote to cite both the FBI and DOJ in contempt? I have a bright shiny dime that he and Magic Bullet Arlen will talk the talk, but never walk the walk.

It's good Senator Leahey will hold hearings, but haven't we had enough of the stonewalling, the "sternly written letters" and the cowering of both Democrats and repugnicans to get some real answers to at least one of this regime's crimes.

[Supersedeas]

4. maybe, but it's Mukasey's DOJ that proclaims from on-high that there was

enough evidence to indict, convict and sentence Bruce Ivins for this act of domestic terrorism against political targets using a deadly weapon manufactured by the U.S. Govt under Republican control. Therefore since the DoJ proclaims to have their man (the dead guy), it's Mukasey's call ultimately to close the case.

When the chips are down, there is no Republican that we can count on...but my surprise is at the lack of Democratic enthusiasm for public hearings.