BRIAN ROSS REPORTS
- Like Jay-Z + the Beatles, But Worse
- Update: Help for Homeless Children
- Bush Era, Revised -- and with More Barbeque
- The Tax Woman Cometh
- Paging Mr. Stanford: Antigua Called
- Who Are You Calling Partisan?
- Update: IRS Won't Use Private Debt Collectors
- But Is It Art?
- PMA Scandal a Sore Point for Dems in 2010?
- Down in Flames
- A New Mystery for RNC Chief
- PMA Clients Were Big Givers
- Raided Lobby Firm Still a Force on Capitol Hill
- Stanford Update: Another $143 Mil Found
- Cheney, Hooked on Controversy
TOP BLOTTER CATEGORIES
- Abramoff Lobbying Scandal
- American Al Qaeda
- Avian Flu
- Beirut Hospital Out of Gas
- Cheney
- CIA
- CIA Secret Prisons
- D.C. Madam Affair
- FBI
- Federal Air Marshal Service
- Homeland Security
- Hurricane Katrina
- IRS
- Mark Foley Internet Scandal
- Millionaire Sex Scandal
- Nigerian E-mail Scams
- Norman Hsu, Clinton Fundraiser
- NSA: Wiretapping
- Osama bin Laden
- Payola
- Pharmacy Investigation
- PMA
- Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert
- Stanford
- Steele
- Terror
- Troopergate
- U.K. Airline Terror Plot
- U.K. Bombing Attempts
- Wen Ho Lee
- William Jefferson
- Zarqawi
« Previous | Main | Next »
Payback Time: Who the Democrats Will Target
Email
Print
ShareNovember 08, 2006 8:24 AM
Halliburton, the CIA and big tobacco companies are among the early targets identified by top Democratic staff to ABC News as likely targets for investigation once the Democrats take control of the House at the beginning of next year.
The staffers say Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), now expected to become speaker, has told top Democratic donors there is a "100-hour agenda" she wants to push through -- taking on the minimum wage, drug and energy prices and corruption.
THE BLOTTER RECOMMENDS
Defense contractors, including Halliburton, the intelligence rationale for the war in Iraq and CIA secret prisons are what one staffer called "uninvestigated scandals."
Here's a look at who's in line to take over the most powerful committee chairmanships and the investigations they are likely to pursue:
In the House:
Henry Waxman (D-Calif.): Described as "a pit-bull with a fantastic staff," Rep. Waxman is in place to take over as chairman of the powerful House Government Reform Committee. Insiders look for this to become the powerhouse investigating committee "where the action is at." Expect Rep. Waxman to start by issuing subpoenas for top Halliburton and KBR executives. Others issues will include Iraq war contracting and Katrina and Gulf Coast re-building.
The last time executives from tobacco companies were called to testify was when Congressman Waxman was Chairman of the Health and Environment Subcommittee of Government Reform in 1994.
Jane Harman (D-Calif.): As a possibility for Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Harman is eager to pursue the ties between convicted Congressman Duke Cunningham and defense contractors. But she is far from assured of taking over as chair of the committee due to long-standing opposition by the Congressional Black Caucus and Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.) who wants the job himself. Insiders say the job most likely goes to Sylvester Reyes (D-Texas).
Regardless of who is chairman, one of the first issues most likely will be the Cunningham scandal. Also on the agenda is pre-war intelligence: Who forged the Niger documents?
George Miller (D-Calif.): Rep. Miller is slated to take over the Education and the Workforce Committee. Expect a full rehearing of allegations involving convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff, the Northern Marianas Islands and Tom Delay.
John Conyers (D-Mich.): Rep. Conyers is in line to take over the Judiciary Committee. While one top hill staffer says, "His appetite for true investigation is untested," his new book takes on President Bush for violating the law on Iraq and secret prisons. Internet blogs are hyperventilating about possible impeachment hearings.
John Dingell (D-Mich.): In line for the Chairman of the House Commerce Committee, Rep. Dingell's office says he plans to hold oversight hearings on Medicare and energy policies. His first goal would be to push through a bill aimed at lower prescription drug prices for Medicare.
November 8, 2006 | Permalink | User Comments (819)
You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.
They will not be bipartisan. They will say anytime they are disagreed with that the republicans aren't willing to work with them. Stand by for a recession and higher tax burdens. They socialists have arrived.
Posted by: Shane | Nov 8, 2006 10:28:24 AM
No one forged the Niger documents.
The only person who lied about Niger was Joe Wilson.
Posted by: Rick Armitach | Nov 8, 2006 10:29:53 AM
Okay, let's not move forward and address the issues that need addressing. Let's dwell in the past and do the "pay back" thing and waste time and taxpayers money. If the dems get the Senate we can look forward to the next two years as lame duck and nothing significant will be achieved and that's sad. All the pettiness between the two parties will be in full force. It's sad and it makes me sick!
Posted by: Patricia Peters | Nov 8, 2006 10:30:24 AM
This is the scariest lineup that I have EVER seen! Good-bye decent America, I knew thee well...
Posted by: Fuzzlenutter | Nov 8, 2006 10:32:14 AM
Thank god, we will finally see some oversight that was non-existent under the gop.
Posted by: rdf | Nov 8, 2006 10:32:51 AM
Good morning,
Well I didn't expect what i'm reading about "Paybacks" so vindictive. I thought they were going to try progress not spend time on trying to get even. Time is money and we need them to be focused on current issues facing the country not wasting our money/time getting even. The only one that I read that I like is this John Dingell (D-Mich.)he didn't mention trying to get even with republicans he is trying to focus on the health care problem. Come on now, lets keep our focus on current issues and stop this getting even stuff.
Posted by: Covina Sprinkle | Nov 8, 2006 10:34:35 AM
It is sad that the reason the democrates want to come on board as our "leaders" is for "retribution".
When will our leaders grow up and work together for the good of the country instead of their own personal agendas?! I understand there have been mistakes but let's get our leaders to work together instead of trying to convict one another! I, for one am tired of a bunch of snot nosed brats "leading" our country! It's time for them to grow up and work together for the common good, as it is supposed to be!
Posted by: Greg | Nov 8, 2006 10:35:30 AM
GOD knows the Democrats are not perfect either, but people are tired of watching our tax dollars being misspent by the large corporations in a feeding frenzy helped by the dishonest promotion of their Republican partners! Head's should roll.
Posted by: Mike E. | Nov 8, 2006 10:35:36 AM
Maybe it's a good thing that Democrats have a little power so they stop sabotaging everything that this country has been trying to accomplish for the last 6 years...nah, I think not.
Posted by: Hankman | Nov 8, 2006 10:37:08 AM
Business as usual. Instead of taking care of business for the American people they are going after big business and other deep pockets. After the lawyers empty business bank accounts they will come after us. All this will happen as more illegals invade our country and are welcomed with open arms from the amnesty crowd. My children are going to be screwed.
Posted by: Robert | Nov 8, 2006 10:39:26 AM
My God, the inmates have taken over the asylum!!
Posted by: M A R | Nov 8, 2006 10:41:04 AM
I am sure that Bush, Cheney and Rove are busy right now shredding documents and will probably be classifying as much as possible before Jabuary
Posted by: Helene | Nov 8, 2006 10:41:24 AM
YEH, YEH, YEH
Posted by: jan mancini | Nov 8, 2006 10:48:31 AM
Can anyone say Hastings & intelligence in a sentence without laughing ( or crying)?
Posted by: Rickster | Nov 8, 2006 10:50:21 AM
get ready for bigger taxes. we'll be paying more for those who refuse to work.
Posted by: anonymous | Nov 8, 2006 10:51:44 AM
Looking forward to the next 2 years of the democrat’s culture of corruption. With the pictured above gas bags they will stall the next 2 years of any action or issues effecting America today.
Posted by: Mark | Nov 8, 2006 10:54:06 AM
Well, well, well...it appears that some important issues needing serious investigation have been piling up. I might have to quit my job in 2007 and become a fulltime C-Span viewer. I am especially excited for John Conyers, a true patriot, who has sent dozens of letters to the President that remain unanswered.
Posted by: Where's My Mangoes? | Nov 8, 2006 10:55:57 AM
Who's going to investigate falling gas prices? If Bush and the energy companies were responsible for high gas prices, then I assume consumers are to blame for falling gas prices. I demand an investigation into which consumers are responsible for stripping the energy industry of its profits!
Posted by: Vernon Mathers | Nov 8, 2006 10:56:01 AM
More Liberal waste of our time and money. And down the slope we go....
Posted by: JQ Public | Nov 8, 2006 10:56:41 AM
To the victor goes the spoils... Republican voters dropped the ball. There is no way the country changed that much in the last two years- Nancy and all her leftist liberal Californian friends are already showing their true colors and its not even January.
Posted by: Dixie | Nov 8, 2006 10:58:23 AM
Post a comment
