Quote:
Originally Posted by host
If the impact (20 months into democratic control of the house....) of the numerous investigations led by Conyers and Waxman, are any indication, _dux, I would have to say, I doubt that a "Church Committee-style investigation", would have any appreciable effect on public opinion.
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host...the difference would be that such a Committee or Commission would have enforcement powers to compel testimony and documents - something that standing Congressional committees do not have. Bush has effectively stalled testimony of key officials and documents to the point that he can now run out his term w/o compliance, even if ordered by the courts in the next few months.
So much has been withheld from Congressional oversight inquiries in the last two years that there needs to be a means for such information to be exposed....not for retribution, but for reform.
While it may not result in punishment in and of itself, it could result in enactment of additional legislative safeguards to prevent the types of Executive Branch abuses that have occurred over the last eight years.
And it could refer alleged criminal acts to the DoJ for further investigation and prosecution.