Originally Posted by roachboy

i would think that putting something like this in place as a permanent feature of government would generate more problems than it would solve. for example, the residual herbert hooverites of the world still will argue that fdr violated the constitution repeatedly in the course of instituting the new deal. i don't think that's exactly the case, but i'm also not an expert on such matters--the point is that i can see a permanent feature becoming very quickly a partisan platform for carrying out investigations of less merit than those which were done by the bush people.

so i think that such an investigatory body should be convened each time there is a consensus that some egregious violation of the rules has been done--something on the order of allowing torture or the illegal wiretapping actions of this administration--or the cooking of intel to support a case for an otherwise unnecessary war. *these* are problems.

but i would support that the option be available. maybe this, if it goes forward, will set a precedent for that in any event.