Bush Perjury Watch: Will Bush Lie to Congress About the Iraq Benchmarks?
Last week we warned Gen. Petraeus against committing the felony of lying to Congress, and it appears he largely heeded our advice.
Neither official addressed the Iraqis' performance on the 18 benchmarks outlined by Congress, even though the Government Accountability Office reported last week that only three of the goals had been met. Bush is obligated under legislation he signed last spring to assess the benchmarks in a report by Saturday.
Has Bush run out of flunkies who will lie to Congress to protect him? Will Bush have to lie to Congress himself?
With Petraeus and Crocker returning for testimony before the Senate today and then meeting with reporters tomorrow, Bush may deliver his report Thursday along with a national speech.
In other words, Bush will give a so-called "report" to an empty TV studio, rather than to Congress.
Still, Bush must send a written document to Congress by Saturday. Will Bush's document contain lies? And will it have Bush's signature?
Stay tuned - we'll be watching this like a hawk...
Update 1: emptywheel caught intelligence czar Mike McConnell lying to Congress:
The government’s ability to eavesdrop on terrorism suspects overseas allowed the United States to obtain information that helped lead to the arrests last week of three Islamic militants accused of planning bomb attacks in Germany, Mike McConnell, the director of national intelligence, told senators on Monday.
But another government official said Mr. McConnell might have misspoken. Mr. McConnell said the information had been obtained under a newly updated and highly contentious wiretapping law, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. But the official, who has been briefed on the eavesdropping laws and the information given to the Germans, said that those intercepts were recovered last year under the old law.
So when will perjury charges be filed?
- Bob Fertik's blog
- Login or register to post comments
-
Were Gen. Petraeus and Amb. Crocker Sworn In?
Last night, right-wing talk show host Mark Levin went on and on about how they were sworn in, and therefore, everything they said should be accepted as factual.
Did anyone see that? Did I just miss it?
Chip, According to all the reading I've done in the past...
couple of hours, including several threads at DU, Ike Skelton(D-MO)refused to swear Betray-US and Cracker in.
He spent much of his time picking on the spectators. That was the important part of this glorified dog and pony show.
A mind once expanded can never return to its original dimensions.
Anne Hathaway: 1556-1623
The greatest derangement of the mind is to believe in something because one wishes it to be so.
Dog and Pony Show
What is so scary is that they believe the lies themselves. The rest of us don't. Hi guys the show is over. We know about the lies of the WMD and 911 was an inside job.
Fact?
Bushes generals are hand picked or they would have resigned with all the rest over WMD lies. No one defies the "decider" and keeps their job.
Dove, if you noticed, BetrayUS is only a Lt. General...
Bush couldn't find a single 4 star general who would take the job.
BetrayUS is counting on getting that 4th star out of this.
The decent generals have all been retired or fired by Shrub.
A mind once expanded can never return to its original dimensions.
Anne Hathaway: 1556-1623
The greatest derangement of the mind is to believe in something because one wishes it to be so.
I was in error about Gen. BetrayUS's rank...
Bush sent his name to the Senate and BetrayUS's promotion to 4 star general was confirmed by the Senate on January 28, 2007.
That obviously was his reward for taking the job.
A mind once expanded can never return to its original dimensions.
Anne Hathaway: 1556-1623
The greatest derangement of the mind is to believe in something because one wishes it to be so.
Promotion for lies of war
Shame be on the house of BetrayUS. Guess war makes one hard hearted to think of the suffering and death of so many because of your lies. What comes around goes around at the Hague trials for genocide in Iraq.
Thanks, grinch
I didn't think I saw it. I guess it would have been "disrespectful" to swear them in.
Just wondered whether Gen. Powell was sworn in when he testified about the "presence" of WMD's in Iraq? You know, that little "blot" he regrets - as do many family and friends of Americans who died for his lies, er, "blots".
Let's not demand honesty, reinforced by a solemn oath. Let's just assume that, so as not to be disrespectful. Never mind that one who truly respects the Constitution complies with it - and doesn't mind swearing to publicly state the truth.
Let's accept truthiness, instead.
Solemn oath to truth...
Democrats promised us if we elected them they would make everyone take a solemn oath to tell the truth to the American people during Congressional hearings. That was bipassed because it is "disrepectful'?
It is "respectful" to the American people that you are going to tell the truth. We are the judge and jury. "We the people" should be assured of that or they will be punished for committing perjury or worse. They work for us and we pay for them to do a job. None of this how dare we question their word stuff like they are clergy or kings or they have more power than we and know better than we do to make decisions behind closed doors.
That carrot to find a "bench mark" seems to get further and further away. Bush even admitted he wanted "unending war" why would we think he would bring the troops home in Janurary or Fall of 2008? He keeps dangling that "occupation lie of a carrot on a string" in front of us.
Bush, Inc. is building bases there and closing them at home (or putting mercinaries in them). We pay for it all even though we said we didn't approve. His plans aren't short term nor are they in our best interest. Maybe a Middle East Union to own all the land area there and down the coast of Africa for gold, oil (Somolia)? Port of War in Dubai for Halliburton profit and lack of over sight (using our tax dollars). Imagine it!!
Judging from what other generals have to say about us not even being able to handle an earthqake...I'd say it is treason and genocide he's planning. We can't protect ourselves or our homeland from our enemies and they know it. Even Mexcio's President knows it.
Bad management and incompetence is not the word for it. Treason, genocide, and profiteering is more like it. Everything they touch turns to rubble and enviornmental damage.
General "BeTrayUs" is not the leader of our country. He is a military man who does as he is told to wage war or protect us. Bush puts the blame on everyone else to take the fall while he does nothing really. Brownie, Bin Laden, Gonzales, FBI, CIA....all fell to his blame and abuse. For a price I imagine.
Refused to swear them in?
Is this not treason in both parties? What happened to those promises to win the last election to enforce accountability. What about the uproar over not swearing in Rice, Bush, Cheney, etc.? The spectators were fighting for democracy and the illegal war to end. They know the generals are lying. The world knows it too. Our treasury is flowing to Dubai and off-shore banks. Skelton is for Bush? Guess Skelton is his own judge and jury. My judgement he has to be replaced in the next election. He'll probably walk away with his plunder for his treason. DC is lawless.
Why would we trust Bush's generals when they lied about WMD and the fact that they are winning (when they are not). We expected the generals to lie. Where have you been Congressman Skelton? We've had six years of lies and illegal war.