So, When's the Shelby Investigation Start?

Now that former Clinton National Security Adviser Sandy Berger "has been cleared of all wrongdoing," the question is when do the congressional hearings and investigations begin into GOP Sen. Richard Shelby's alleged leak of classified information? What about the congressional investigation into the administration leak of an undercover CIA operative's name?

I mean, since the GOP is all of a sudden into aggressively investigating wrongdoing, and Berger "has been cleared of all wrongdoing," it must only be a matter of time until we see the Shelby/Plame investigations start, right?

A Question of Timing

No one will argue that an arrest of any top al Qaeda suspect is a good thing, but the timing of the announcement just smells, especially considering they held it for 4-5 days...

"Pakistan has captured Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani, a top al Qaeda suspect...Ghailani was seized early Sunday" but "the news came just hours before US presidential candidate John Kerry delivered his acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention in Boston" on Thursday. Pakistani officials "have rejected allegations that they delayed the announcement for four days to obtain maximum publicity... But in the arrests of other high-profile al-Qaida targets in Pakistan, including Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and Ramzi, the news media received word almost immediately."
- Washington Post, 7/30/04; Christian Science Monitor, 7/30/04
 
VERSUS

"An official who works under [the Pakistani intelligence] director informed The New Republic that the Pakistanis 'have been told at every level that apprehension or killing of [high value terrorist targets] before the election is [an] absolute must.' What's more, this source claims that Bush administration officials have told their Pakistani counterparts they have a date in mind for announcing this achievement: 'The last ten days of July deadline has been given repeatedly by visitors to Islamabad and during [Pakistani Intelligence Director Ehsan ul-Haq's] meetings in Washington.'" According to the ISI official, a White House aide told Pakistani intelligence last spring that it would be best if the arrest or killing of any high value terrorist target were announced during the Democratic convention.
- The New Republic, 7/19/04

CLAIM vs. FACT: Bush and Snacking

CLAIM
"The First Family...does not snack...They are very good at respecting meal time hours and do not eat between meals...there is no snacking..."
 - White House Pastry Chef Roland Mesnier, Whitehouse.gov, 7/27/04
Source: 

FACT
"President Bush fainted for a brief time Sunday in the residence of the White House while eating a pretzel and watching a professional football game on television."
- CNN, 1/14/02

(For all of you Sirota-haters out there, try to calm down and not take this one so seriously...)

Cause & Effect: Toxic Cleanups

CAUSE:

"The Bush administration has told Congress it will not ask for taxes on businesses to pay for federal toxic waste cleanups...In its fiscal year 2003 budget request recently sent to Capitol Hill, the Bush administration said it has no intention of asking Congress to reauthorize corporate taxes used to finance toxic waste cleanups since the passage of the Superfund Act in 1980." The move means the program "will be virtually bankrupt" and will slow down cleanups considerably. 
- CNN, 2/24/02; Seattle Post-Intelligence, 4/22/02; NY PIRG, 8/03

EFFECT:

"Almost one in 10 of the nation's 1,230 Superfund toxic waste sites have not yet been cleaned up enough to guarantee that people and drinking water supplies won't become contaminated, according to Environmental Protection Agency data."
- AP, 7/27/04

The Hypocritical Oath

From Roll Call today:

"Government Reform Chairman Tom Davis (R-Va.) is moving forward with an investigation of former National Security Adviser Sandy Berger’s removal of classified documents from the National Archives. Davis spokesman David Marin said that the panel’s staff has already begun scheduling meetings and briefings in connection with the Berger investigation..."

Are we really expected to believe that all of a sudden, Tom Davis and the Republicans are interested in law enforcement and preventing classified leaks? Where have they been for the last year when far more important - and far-reaching - controversies have boiled over?

For instance, why is Davis not moving forward to find out which administration official leaked the name of a covert CIA operative last year? Isn't that important enough to be investigated?

Or, why is Davis moving forward against Berger, but not against Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL) who is being investigated for leaking intelligence information? Sure, his case has been "referred" to the Senate Ethics committee, but there is no word of any pending probe from Republicans who head up the panel.

See a full list of all the other investigations Davis and Republicans have stonewalled in favor of the Berger investigation.

Even Brahimi Admits It

U.N. envoy Lakhdar Brahimi now admits "the war in Iraq was useless, it caused more problems than it solved, and it brought in terrorism." Brahimi, of course, was highly touted and praised by the Bush administration.

Let's see if they unleash the attack dogs on him, like they have on everyone else.