Dems Target Pre-Iraq War Intelligence
Gandalf Grey
Dems target pre-Iraq war intelligence
By Josephine Hearn
Democrats are eyeing several parliamentary maneuvers to prod Congress into
investigating the so-called Downing Street memo and other recently disclosed
documents that they contend shows that the Bush administration manipulated
prewar intelligence to build support for the war in Iraq.
Although any Democratic move will almost certainly fail in the face of
vigorous Republican opposition, such maneuvers would constitute the first
steps toward filing articles of impeachment, a bold step that some Democrats
have left as an open question in recent weeks.
"If you read the record of the writing of the Constitution, 'high crimes and
misdemeanors' had a very particular meaning at the time of the drafting of
the Constitution. It certainly didn't mean lying about sex, but it might
well mean lying to the Congress about a large public purpose such as Iraq,"
Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) said at a forum held by Rep. John Conyers
(D-Mich.) earlier this month, referring to the 1998 impeachment proceedings
against then-President Bill Clinton.
Democrats and allied groups are mulling at least two options to spur an
investigation.
Conyers met recently with representatives of a recently formed coalition of
liberal groups, AfterDowningStreet.org, that is calling for a
resolution-of-impeachment inquiry, which would direct the Judiciary
Committee to launch a probe of the claims. Republicans filed such a
resolution in 1998 to kick off their effort to remove Clinton from office.
"We would like to see a member of Congress look into whether or not the
president committed impeachable offenses," said John Bonifaz, a
constitutional lawyer who co-founded the group. "We've been having that
discussion with a number of offices."
But Conyers is reluctant to take such a bold step just yet. "My inclination
at this time is not to do something like that," Conyers said, although he
noted that he wanted to press for an investigation in other ways, including
sending committee investigators to London.
Conyers and Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) are expected to give a
special-orders speech on the Downing Street Memo on the floor tonight.
Still, other members may move forward with Conyers. "My sense is other
members are following [Conyers's] lead for now," a House Democratic aide
said. "However, the groups who are advocating for this may well lose
patience with [Conyers's approach] and may seek another member to do this."
Another, lesser option being considered is a resolution of inquiry on the
Downing Street memo. This less-drastic parliamentary maneuver would ask the
administration to provide more information related to the claims.
Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), co-chairwoman of the Out of Iraq Caucus and a
member of the International Affairs Committee, is circulating a letter
calling for a resolution of inquiry. Employed from time to time by the
minority, the resolution would be referred to the committee of jurisdiction,
which would then have to vote it down in a set number of days or it would
proceed to a floor vote.
"Join me in co-sponsoring a 'Resolution of Inquiry' to learn - as the
Downing Street memo indicates - whether steps were being taken by the Bush
administration to 'fix' intelligence and facts between the two countries
around a decision to go to war," Lee wrote to colleagues.
It is unclear if Democratic leaders will be on board. Jennifer Crider,
spokeswoman for House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), said, "We
haven't seen the resolution of inquiry. We would have to see what they are
asking for to make a determination."
Lee's draft language does not mention impeachment, instead hewing in the
direction of a letter Conyers sent to Bush on May 5 requesting more
information on questions raised by the memo and other recently leaked
documents, several sources said. More than 120 Democrats signed Conyers's
letter.
Waters said she too was working on a response to the memo. "I am working on
something that I can't talk about right now," she said.
Democrats have considered steps leading toward impeachment before. Conyers
met in 2003 with a Democratic lawyer and activist who were drafting articles
of impeachment, but ultimately he took no action.
Democrats expressed varying levels of enthusiasm for steps that could
ultimately lead to impeachment.
"I think there ought to be a resolution of inquiry. I wouldn't do it on my
own. I'd want to do it with others and . without any illusions of it going
anywhere," said Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) "Clearly the nation was misled.
We need to find out why the nation was misled."
"Impeach? I think that's a mistake, but there are factual questions to be
answered," said Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.)
"My position is I want to be at a point where the data is overwhelming,"
said Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) "We're looking to have more hearings. We
really want to turn this into official hearings of the respective
committees."
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"A little patience and we shall see the reign of witches pass over, their
spells dissolve, and the people recovering their true sight, restore their
government to its true principles. It is true that in the meantime we are
suffering deeply in spirit,
and incurring the horrors of a war and long oppressions of enormous public
debt. But if the game runs sometimes against us at home we must have
patience till luck turns, and then we shall have an opportunity of winning
back the principles
we have lost, for this is a game where principles are at stake."
--Thomas Jefferson