After 9/11 Congress formed a bi-partisan committee to investigate.
There will be no bi-partisan investigation of Hurricane Katrina.
The GOP has announced that they’re forming a GOP-controlled committee to investigate government response to the disaster. The Democrats, as the minority party, have no way to block them from doing this.
Politics before country. Party loyalty above the public good.
What are they so afraid of?
One of our posters has long proposed that we have an independent fourth branch of government to investigate wrongdoings and failures of the other branches of government. This is a perfect example of why this is neccesary. The party currently in power can use their power to cover up what they’ve done (or in this case, haven’t done). Something about that isn’t right.
Nothing. No one cares.
At least until the next natural disaster or terrorist attack.
Because the GOP just can’t pass up a chance to prove themselves morally bankrupt.
Right, but will the majority of employees be democrats or republicans? 
I thought we weren’t supposed to rush to judgement.
You’d think that “This isn’t the time or the place” to form a committee so quickly.
Ah well, what’s good for the goose is good for the FUCK YOU, PEON! WE SHALL DO AS WE PLEASE. BEND OVER!
-Joe, crouching
Neither. It would be nonpartisan. My proposal would be to make it a random selection of qualified people who serve for 2 year terms. It’d be like a Grand Jury except it has potential oversight over the whole government. It takes a simple majority vote to initiate an investigation into anything. The proceedings would be made public except when the counsel is investigating classified matters of national security. They’d be required to issue a yearly report on any problems they see within the government, whether it be pork barrel spending or actual criminal actions.
What’s so upsetting about this? Congress usually appoints committees to investigate various matters, and sometimes they will do so even if there are other commissions looking into the matter as well. Those commissions aren’t common things either, and don’t in any way change the fact that Congress is a primary and coequal branch of the federal government.
Furthermore, the Republicans won majorities in both houses in fair elections, and thus get to set the committee structure.
Them’s the rules, and they’ve been written this way for a long time.
Well, if the rules allow those who fucked up to investigate themselves, I’m sure there can’t be any problems. Rules are rules, after all.
Did I say that the Republicans weren’t within their rights to do this? No.
Am I implying that this stinks to high heaven? Yes.
This isn’t some piddling little matter. This is an investigation into the mismanagement of what is probably the largest natural disaster ever to strike the United States. A great deal of evidence suggests that a large share of the blame for that mismanagement lies with the Republicans in the White House.
A bi-partisan investigation would demonstrate to the American people that the Republicans in Congress are more interested in the truth than party loyalty.
I’m an American first and a Democrat second. Can you say the same, Mr. Moto?
And do you think those Democrats on the committee will just go along with that “whitewash”? What about Republican members from the Gulf Coast? Would they be more beholden to their constituents, or the Administration?
Listen, I’m so terribly sorry that you’re upset with the makeup of Congress. But take heart - you have an opportunity to remedy that situation next year, if you can get your act together.
As one of the voices calling for pause during the heat of action, there’s nothing wrong with beginning to empanel an investigative body about now. Sadly, it’s starting on the wrong foot by not being truly bipartisan. Unless it is restructured before going much further, the left won’t believe a word of it, and some of us on the right will consider it a waste of time and paper.
Control of the committee means control of its subpoena power. A GOP-controlled committee can simply refuse to investigate anything that might prove embarassing to the White House. And the Democrats on the committee will be powerless to prevent it.
In any case, Pelosi and Reid are calling upon their fellow Democrats to boycott this sham.
Look, this isn’t about scoring points in some abstract game. It’s clear that the government’s ability to respond to a national disaster is broken. But the message that the Republican leadership is sending to the country is that they’re more interested in covering their asses than in fixing it.
Thank you. And yes, speaking as someone on the left, unless this committee is bipartisan I won’t believe a word of what it says.
If you want to divide the country in the middle of a crisis, this is a damn good way to do it … .
Yup. Some of us are still waiting for the senate to complete its investigation into Bush’s use of pre-war intelligence. There’s no reason to expect the republicans to be any more interested in actually finding out how the Katrina response went wrong.
Why don’t we wait for them to do something wrong before we condemn them, shall we? I’ll admit that the structure of the committee leaves much to be desired, but who knows? The horse may sing. 
Moto, nobody anywhere should be investigating themselves. If the Republicans in Congress aren’t willing to allow an independant investigation they shouldn’t waste our money on a phoney one.
My bolding.
I’ll agree that the White House is interesting in covering its ass. So far, I’m willing to give other Republicans the benefit of the doubt.
Because if enough people make enough noise right now, there’s still time to switch to a bipartisan commission and avoid this huge waste of time.
Right now Ried and Pelosi are pushing for a Democratic boycott of the panel if its not bipartisan. Public pressure on our representatives NOW could change the way this plays out.
Great idea! Of course, isn’t that what the fourth estate is for? :dubious:
Oh wait, you said independent. Let’s just hope the recent infusion of spinal fluid we’ve seen in press gaggles lately will work its magic!