Crooks and liars know not political party boundaries.

Organized crime infiltrated both decades ago.

I agree with PoP :;waves::

We need to know, and for the Dems to stonewall this is just too broad a hint that their own paws aren't clean either. Air the laundry, you assholes - that's why you got the majority.

...read more page cannot be found.

Thanks, we're working on the problem now. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Kind of reminds ya' of the Roman Empire in its last dying days doesn't it? -- steeped in corruption, abandoning its citizens, arrogant beyond all reason, oblivious to the world around it and wholly committed to destroying itself from within.

Ironically, the link to the rest of the story, as of 939am EDT, is broken.

No conspiracies, just a broken link..... or is it? ;-)

They all suck.
.

J R.

It's not possible, especially when a large majority of American citizens are oblivious to the fact that this stuff is taking place.

I ride public transportation each and every morning and afternoon and trust me - nothing we discuss on here is EVER a topic of conversation.

The dumbing-down of America has helped the ruling class greatly.

L.A. Confidential @ 8:

Kind of reminds ya' of the Roman Empire in its last dying days doesn't it? -- steeped in corruption, abandoning its citizens, arrogant beyond all reason, oblivious to the world around it and wholly committed to destroying itself from within.

Kind of makes you wish Caesar Chimp would take a leisurely walk over to the Senate steps to observe the filibuster.

Why is every piece of paper in Washington classified? What happened to open government? This is insane. The government can do whatever it wants, classify the report and we have no idea what the hell is going on. Meanwhile, they tap our phones, read our messages and god knows what else. I want all my communications classified.

Let me try that again. Done
Why is every piece of paper in Washington classified? What happened to open government? This is insane. The government can do whatever it wants, classify the report and we have no idea what the hell is going on. Meanwhile, they tap our phones, read our messages and god knows what else. I want all my communications classified.

Mike @ 17:

BET IT IMPLICATES MURTHA.

Uhhmmmmm......

Murtha is a member of the House Appropriations Committee, and the Subcommittee on Defense. How is it that you are bringing up his name in a completely unsubstantiated way in a story about the House Intelligence Committee?

Better trolls, please.

We have some good friends who came to visit yesterday, both of them Katrina refugees. I had a heart-to-heart with the lady and she said she was glad Bush attacked Iraq because that's where the terrorists are and she doesn't want the terrorists coming over here to get her. I had a tough time not yelling, "Oh My GOD! How can you say that?!! Bush's attack on Iraq made NOOOOOO sense! It's all about the oil! We're much less safe then we were on September 10, 2001!!!" This woman was displaced by government corruption yet she STILL believes Bush was justified in attacking Iraq because "that's where the terrorists are." There are millions of confused people out there that are totally misinformed. The GOP has spent billions of dollars and many many years programming the more weak-minded of our populace, and it has been extremely effective!
Fact: About half of the population has an IQ below 100.
The GOP knows this, and they make the less intelligent folks feel safe by pretending to be strong father types, and they ARE capable of "fighting" it out with the pussy-ass Dems and always "winning." The proof's in the pudding, take a look around! The US government is starting to look more and more like a staged play, not a real government.

Since most Democrats and Republicans are actually corporate Republic-rats, both parties need a shakeup.
I am a proud progressive who is deeply disturbed by the EQUAL malfeasance of both parties.

The Democrats are actually worse by hypocritically pretending to represent the interests of average people.

Mike Gravel has already described the parliamentary process by which the Democrats can bring home our troops, but his method is conspicuously ignored. Gravel is definitely well versed in such processes, as his time in the Senate demonstrated.

Nader's "gaffe" of 2000 is being proven correct after all:
The Democrats took control of Congress and have refused to vigorously confront the lawless Bush administration on ANY issue.
Nothing, nada, zippo, has changed since 2006 with the small exception of a few crumbs for minimum wage earners.
THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE between the Democrats and Republicans.
Q.E.D.

J R.

The US government has been a staged play for far longer than you think or know.

Consider the quote from FDR, the supposed "beloved" liberal, man-of-the-people:

"Nothing ever happens in politics by accident. If it happens, it was planned that way"

my taxes are paying for this sh**... I want to see it

Well, then we need to snatch the government back from these ass clowns! POWER TO THE PEOPLE!

I hope Melanie Sloan sues to get these released

Revolution people, need I say more?

is there a warehouse of spines someplace waiting to be shipped to dc?

it's stuff like this that makes me wish you'd elect an independent. I mean Bloomberg seems like a rational, centrist & competent administrator. He wouldn't be beholden to corporate interests(I think, maybe I'm being naive). I've yet to hear his down sides, are there any & what are they?

I am not surprised that we will not be hearing about the Cunningham investigation any time soon.

Congress is still an "old boy's club", no matter what the party or sex of the member. Of course, there are many of those who take the job seriously, and do it with pride and integrity.

However unfortunately, for too many of these folks, it is simply "to hell with what's right or wrong". The job doesn't pay much, but no matter - corruption and all that it entails will ultimately pay the bills. Generally such a paycheck depends on keeping secrets - and this is what is happening now. Both sides are likely "dirty" in this scandal, and want to keep the public unaware.

In 2008 it will be time to literally "clean house" and get rid of those who abuse the power. Remember, that those who seek power often do it to enrich themselves in other ways once they can control the situation.

Like I been sayin, they all the same these days. It took the Dems 40 years to become the cooked corrupted mfer's they were in the 70's and 80's. Took the repubes 20 years, guess it come more natural for them or something. Now, the repubes are on the outs and the dems will start to line their pockets again. New boss, same as the old boss........

A closer look... research in progress...

.."two weeks ago, several Democrats joined Republicans to block the report's release only to other members of Congress.
--> Which Democrats?

Five Democrats objected to keeping the report secret.
--> Which five?

Here is the current intelligence committee:
http://intelligence.house.gov/MemberList.aspx

Silvestre Reyes, Chairman Democrat Texas
Alcee L. Hastings, Vice Chairman Democrat Florida
Leonard L. Boswell Democrat Iowa
Robert E. (Bud) Cramer, Jr Democrat Alabama
Anna G. Eshoo Democrat California
Rush D. Holt Democrat New Jersey
C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger Democrat Maryland
John Tierney Democrat Massachusetts
Mike Thompson Democrat California
Jan Schakowsky Democrat Illinois
Jim Langevin Democrat Rhode Island
Patrick Murphy Democrat Pennsylvania
Peter Hoekstra, Ranking Member Republican Michigan
Terry Everett Republican Alabama
Heather Wilson Republican New Mexico
Mac Thornberry Republican Texas
John McHugh Republican New York
Todd Tiahrt Republican Kansas
Mike Rogers Republican Michigan
Darrell Issa Republican California

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/washingtondc/la-na-cunningham16j...
http://www.topix.net/content/trb/2007/07/cunningham-report-embarrassing-...

Sounds like we need to send a posse up to Rancho Corrupto to get to the bottom of this here bruhaha.

Doggiebobo @ 37:

Ron @ 13:

OT

Interesting article on Iraqi oil agreement and protests.

http://www.opednews.com/articles/genera_kathlyn__070716_basra_oil_workers_pr.htm

And were we not told by this admin. that the cost of the war and reconstruction would be paid
for from oil revenues generated within Iraq??? WTF...70 to 80 percent of oil revenues going to
outside "foreign interest"...that certainly is not what we were told...ANOTHER lie by bush, et.al.

It all boils down to the worst corruption in any administration ever in the history of our country.

JR@24 people like your freind can be seen nightly on jay leno show , walking with jay ! it boggles the mind how stupid so many americans are!

I'd say that one of the two Democrats on the committee who would vote to keep this secret is Rush Holt of New Jersey. After all, he is a DLC-er, the Democrat wing of the neo-cons.

Let's have their names and numbers please.

"National security" and/or "there's an ongoing investigation" -- the 2 stand-by answers for why we the people are kept in the dark.

pissed off patricia @ 55:

I have looked all over today's LA times to try to find the rest of this story so I could add a working link, but I just can't find it.

Ron, it says the investigation is complete, so why keep the findings classified now? If someone is guilty, charge them.

I think one of the congressmen was John Doolittle. You know how good the EXTREME RIGHT WING MAIN STREAM MEDIA (ERWMSM) is at reporting republican corruption. NOT.

Eamon @ 40:

it's stuff like this that makes me wish you'd elect an independent. I mean Bloomberg seems like a rational, centrist & competent administrator. He wouldn't be beholden to corporate interests(I think, maybe I'm being naive). I've yet to hear his down sides, are there any & what are they?

Yes, an independent sounds good right about now. I'm researching Bloomberg myself. Honestly, I haven't been paying too much attention to the guy ..except that he's not Giuliani's BFF which is a good thing.

theWalrus @ 63:

We have truly entered an insane time. The Republican Party is destroying democracy. If something isn't done to stand up to them, and soon, America is finished.

Sad, but all too true.

There is one on the above list that IS ALSO ON THE HOUSE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE
--> that has also signed on to the Impeach CHENEY bill.

--> Jan Schakowsky Democrat Illinois
http://www.house.gov/schakowsky/

I wonder what Jan knows?

Full list of intelligence committee:
http://intelligence.house.gov/MemberList.aspx

http://www.mediachannel.org/wordpress/2007/07/11/e-mail-shows-cnn-gupta-...

Needs to posted for all too see, the first comment is great

oops, forgot this part...

Now the Democrats are in power. But the committee's chair Rep. Silvestre Reyes (D-TX) has decided not to publicly release the full 23-page declassified version. ...

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-cunningham16jul16,0,6656321,f...

Reyes needs to be called to account.

... After the committee completed a report on how Cunningham abused his seat last year, the Republican leadership blocked its release, though ranking member Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA) was able to disseminate a five-page summary of the findings last October. ...

Eric @ 67:

Here's the original report. It was in yesterdays paper:

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/washingtondc/la-na-cunningham16jul16,1,1392673.story?ctrack=2&cset=true

Thanks for the link Eric.

I think this is perhaps the most galling part of the story:

"The report's principal author said in an interview that the terms under which he was hired to conduct the investigation prevented him from examining lawmakers' roles.

"There was an agreement as to what they wanted to look at, and that was not anything that could be looked at under the sun," said Michael Stern, a former attorney in the House counsel's office who was hired by the committee to lead the internal probe. "The language did not include the culpability or potential involvement of other members."

So, even an investigation that was designed to target the underlings while letting the Big Fish off the hook can't release it's report?

BTW, I count 12 Dems on the Intelligence committee, with only 5 voting for releasing it, meaning a MAJORITY of Dems on the IC voted for keeping their shadiness secret.

Shameful. :-(

Some men pay for prostitutes while others get them for free. But whether Senator David Vitter or Rep. Duke Cunningham paid for pleasure with their cash or their votes, their Republican colleagues appear ready to protect their Johns all the same, at least as long as public opinion will allow.

For the details, see:
"Vitter, Cunningham and the GOP Parliament of Whores."

As a lot of Duke Cunningham's corrupt dealmaking involved "corrupt contracts deep in the 'black' world of intelligence and defense appropriations, where there's little or no oversight", I suspect that is an area ripe for earmark abuse that neither party wants overhauled, and may very well be what is mentioned in the full report that they don't want to come out.

justabill @ 75:

73 anonymous Says:
The Dems can’t afford to lost another Congressional member. ...

Notsomuch in the House, where a simple majority vote is all it takes and the Dems have a solid majority. This is a House report on Duke Cunningham being blocked by Rep. Silvestre Reyes (D-TX).
I seriously doubt there is any dealmaking between the Dems and the Repubs to keep this thhing shuttered. More likely it's just like the LA Times says:

“Members oppose putting this thing out because you read this and the natural question is: ‘Did you know this, and what did you do about it?’ I don’t think any members wanted that scrutiny.”

Thanks, justabill. I guess I knew that, but I'm not feeling my sharpest this morning!

the dems might be afraid of payback, which is one of the reasons why impeachment is not on the table.

81 BaScOmBe
It was classified so we would not find out which contractors are ripping off the government and takling your taxpayer dollars.

Actually, as a lot of Cunningham's illegal deals involved his using his bud Dusty Foggo to help steer bogus "black funds" CIA contracts that are highly classified and never see any public oversight, I suppose there is a lot about this scam that will need to remain classified, but this 23-page report the Dems are helping hold up was not classified.

Now the Democrats are in power. But the committee's chair Rep. Silvestre Reyes (D-TX) has decided not to publicly release the full 23-page declassified version. ...
http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/003686.php

yellow bellied - corrupt - AIPAC whore - corporate mouthpiece Dems are gonna lead America after 08? -- Im moving.

I figure, now that the Dems have added new rules re: the disclosure of member's earmarks as a token response to the Cunningham scandal, what they don't want the public at large to realize how easy it still is for Defense and Intel committee members to submit black funds earmarks for funds at the pentagon and the CIA that will never be publicly revealed.

An Investigation into the CIA’s 'Black Budget'
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0401/S00151.htm

The dark secret of the black budget - Pentagon's defense budget
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1316/is_v19/ai_4973378

Cunningham was using the "black budget" as cover for a lot of his scams, and now that the Dems have the majority they know they can abuse the same shroud of secrecy to bring home the bacon to their districts without raising the ire of govt accountability watchdogs.

What did Cunningham do, accidentally used Fonzie's comb?

Democrats or not, let the info flow.

Where is our freedom of information act?!?!?!

How do we contact the committee dems? Can you give us a list? Bloggers will remind them, that the information had better be released or some partisan ass kicking of both parties on the committee will commence.

"Burning down the house - our house"

[...] as the old boss… An internal investigation that the House Intelligence Committee has refused to make public [...]

This is almost as ridiculous as Bush asserting executive privilege about the Pat Tillman documents. Not quite, but certainly close enough, and if anything MORE corrupt, since the information isn't just morally damning, it may well expose outright illegal activity.

Rat bastards, and every politician of every party who supports hiding information of this sort doesn't even deserve the chair that comes with his or her position.

Zio-Sheep @ 86:

yellow bellied - corrupt - AIPAC whore - corporate mouthpiece Dems are gonna lead America after 08? -- Im moving.

Bye.

If the Democrats are hiding something, start looking into it once the Republicans have lost all trace of power.

Boo f#$king hoo. Is he crying because of what he did, or because he got caught. There's a big difference. Power, wealth, immunity, traded in for an orange jump-suit and gruel on trays. Lots of free sex though, I hear.

As Mark Hanna (19th Century Ohio industrialist / senator) once said; "there are only two things in politics; the first is money, and I don't remember what the second one is". Not much has changed, nor will it. Sorry to be such a sceptic but I have liitle faith in the system right now.

I'd like to see a public firing squad for pols convicted of corruption, war profiting and treason . . .