House Katrina Probe to 'Move Ahead' Without Dems

GOPUSA ^

[Happy2BMe]

House Katrina Probe to 'Move Ahead' Without Dems
By Randy Hall
CNSNews.com Staff Writer/Editor
September 22, 2005

(CNSNews.com) -- An investigation by the U.S. House of Representatives into the government's response to Hurricane Katrina will "move ahead" even if Democrats choose not to participate, the head of the probe said Wednesday.

"This is not some partisan cover-up," Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.), chairman of the Select Committee to Investigate the Preparation for and Response to Hurricane Katrina, told reporters. "We're working for the American people, and we want the hard questions to be asked and answered."

Davis added that the probe "can't wait" for Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), the House minority leader, who refuses to name any Democratic members to the select committee, which she has called a partisan "whitewash" and a "sham." Late Thursday afternoon, Davis released the list of 11 members of the select committee, including himself, all of whom are Republican.

"I don't want to spend a lot of time debating and arguing," said Davis, who also chairs the chamber's Government Reform Committee and its investigation of Katrina relief efforts. "At the end of the day, we must come together for good, hard fact-finding."

While noting that he hopes Pelosi "comes around," Davis stated House Democrats "could tie up the process forever, and losing time is losing information."

The Virginia Republican said he would invite Democrats from the areas affected by Katrina to the hearings. "If my neighborhood was knocked down by a hurricane, I'd want to have the opportunity to ask the right questions."

Davis, whose committee will begin hearings on the Katrina disaster Thursday, said he expects at least some congressional Democrats to attend the session on Sept. 27, when former Federal Emergency Management Agency Director Michael Brown is slated to testify.

"I don't think the Democrats will pass up an opportunity to cross-examine" Brown, who resigned on September 12 after being removed from his Hurricane Katrina relief duties.

Discussing the work of the committee, Davis said that a "smorgasbord of things need to be ferreted out. We'll start by seeking the chronology of events."

After noting that "mistakes get made, and we're not out to demonize anybody," he added: "I don't think it is going to be pretty for anyone involved in this situation."

Davis made the remarks at a news conference held by the House Republican Conference "to address the needs and victims of Hurricane Katrina."

The main speaker at the event was Mississippi Republican Gov. Haley Barbour, who said his state "bore the brunt of the worst natural disaster ever to hit the United States.

"Television does not capture the scale, the breadth, the intensity of the destruction," Barbour stated. "There are communities literally without any inhabitable structures. The size of this devastation is genuinely unprecedented in American history.

"Let me say right here that the federal government has been a good partner to us," he added. "Have they done everything perfectly? No, but neither have I. Neither has any mayor or any supervisor or any local government -- but they have done so much more right than wrong."

The Republican governor was also positive about the future of his state.

"We're focused less now on relief," Barbour said. "We're deep into recovery and ready to start rebuilding. Progress is being made every day.

"Our people are upbeat and optimistic," he added. "They're not into moping or whining or into victimhood. They're self-reliant, they're resilient, and they're already rebuilding."

Barbour's attitude was echoed by Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.), who recently toured the area devastated by Katrina.

Along with citing the "incredible job the military has done" keeping the situation under control in New Orleans, King said he was impressed by "the absolute spirit of the people" in Mississippi. "There's no one there with their head down. They're a tremendous example of the American spirit."

To help maintain that spirit, Rep. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) promised: "The House of Representatives is ready to do whatever is necessary to help people in the Gulf Coast lift themselves out of this tragedy.

"That said, we all know that we have a fiscal responsibility throughout this process," the speaker noted. "We want to make sure that taxpayer dollars are being used for their intended purposes and not being misspent."

GOP leaders in the House are "looking at all options" regarding ways to offset spending for hurricane relief, Hastert said. He also repeated a comment made by President Bush during a visit to the disaster-ravaged areas last week: "The Gulf Coast is not alone."

[Happy2BMe]

.

To help maintain that spirit, Rep. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) promised: "The House of Representatives is ready to do whatever is necessary to help people in the Gulf Coast lift themselves out of this tragedy.

"That said, we all know that we have a fiscal responsibility throughout this process," the speaker noted. "We want to make sure that taxpayer dollars are being used for their intended purposes and not being misspent."

[NonValueAdded]

Good for them!

[gondramB]

What other choice is there - the Dems won't appoint committee members.

And after Ken Starr no President in right mind will ever appoint another independent council.

[Das Outsider]

What other choice is there - the Dems won't appoint committee members.

They'll certainly get screech time in the MSM, so all is not lost.

[txhurl]

Woo-hoo!

Hillary ain't comin anywhere near the oval office.

[You Dirty Rats]

Childish behavior like this will not win the 'Rats more elections.

[auboy]

Pelosi: "If we can't stack the deck, we won't play at all."

[Prophet in the wilderness]

" The Republican governor was also positive about the future of his state.

"We're focused less now on relief," Barbour said. "We're deep into recovery and ready to start rebuilding. Progress is being made every day.

"( this needs to be noted in the MSM )( Our people are upbeat and optimistic," he added. "They're not into moping or whining or into victimhood.
They're self-reliant, they're resilient, and they're already rebuilding.) "


Barbour's attitude was echoed by Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.), who recently toured the area devastated by Katrina.

Along with citing the "incredible job the military has done" keeping the situation under control in New Orleans, King said he was impressed by "the absolute spirit of the people" in Mississippi. "There's no one there with their head down. They're a tremendous example of the American spirit."




What a difference of attitude between the Liberals/Democrats and the Republicans/Conservatives is like night and day.

[Happy2BMe]

" What a difference of attitude between the Liberals/Democrats and the Republicans/Conservatives is like night and day."

======================================

The vast contrasts between how Texas leaders have handled Rita and how NOLA handled Katrina will be studied for years.

It's shaping up as a major issue in 2006.

[Txsleuth]

This is the best news I have heard in a while---

I was just listening to Rush and he was talking about what I saw last night on c-span....

Sen. Landrieu and Sen. Vitter...giving a speech about legislation THEY are sponsoring...practically demanding that the Fed govt. spend whatever it takes to "fix NO" the levees and ruined homes....

It was so disgusting...and just like Rush said..I couldn't believe they were doing it...while TEXAS is in the process of being hit. The state that came to their rescue the fastest...

[uncbob]

Yep the Dems KNOW that the corrupt dem mayor and gov are going to look bad and that corruption will be exposed so by not participating they can yell GOP witch hunt etc etc and the MSM will carry their water for them

[T. P. Pole]

"The Select Committee to Investigate the Preparation for and Response to Hurricane Katrina"

And they say our government isn't big enough yet. SCIPRHK!

[Hendrix]

I had hoped that the republicans would not fold over the democrats strategy not to participate and calls for an "independent" investigation. I am glad to see some backbone being shown. What Pelopsi says makes no sense, and anyone with common sense should know that. Why would it be a sham if democrats participate? She does not want democrats to participate because if it is all republicans, she can say it is a sham, and if democrats participate, she cannot make that claim. That is why she is not allowing any democrats to particpate. They pulled the same trick on the other investigations of Delay by the House--they refused to participate and just made baseless allegations in the press. I am glad the republicans are putting a stop to this strategy.

[cwb]

Scr*w the Dems! If John Conyers can hold numerous hearings and faux impeachment proceedings on government property...before the media, the Republicans can sure as hell hold this hearing. The Democrats have been invited to participate...if they want to recuse themselves, so be it. Move ahead with the hearings and remind the media that this is something the Democrats did for 40 years as a majority party...and even now, as a minority party.

[Prophet in the wilderness]

" Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), the House minority leader, who refuses to name any Democratic members to the select committee, which she has called a partisan "whitewash" and a "sham." ..........

It just that she and the Liberals are afraid that the probe will reveal the truth in the corruption and incompetence in New Orleans and LA for the last 60 years.

The Democrats/Liberals are desperate in how are they going to hide this truth from the American people.

They don't like the idea that the money that is going to be appropriated to New Orleans and LA will be kept a eye on, and will be accounted were it goes and spent.

They are going to have some who with accountability, credibility, and resposiblity will be keeping a eye on how the money is spent, so they ( Democrats/Liberals ) can't SKIM off the top to put in their own pockets, and their scam to divert some of that money into the pockets of some Liberal politicians campaigns.

[Peach]

While I don't think we need ANY hearings to understand what went wrong in New Orleans, at least the House isn't caving to a special 9/11 type Commission and will hold hearings, even without Democrat's participation.

And, I might add, we could save lots of taxpayer dollars and congresscritter time and tell them what went wrong -- the Mayor is an idiot and the Governor got into a contest with the feds and neither the city nor the state talked with each other. And that plan we've heard about for years should be titled "Every Man for Himself".

[Prophet in the wilderness]

" It's shaping up as a major issue in 2006..... "
( Yes,,, in light of those ( 500 buses that were NOT used, and those comments of those people ( hurricane survives ) in the AstroDome on that ABC news special, who DIDN'T blame BUSH, but, mayor Nagin, and govenor Blanco )

That hopefully most of the American people will know the truth of what REALLY happened.

If the Liberals/Democrats want to make this THE ISSUE for 2006 - 2008, it will repulse most Americans, and will backfire on them.

[Evacuee]

Aren't you concerned about the political implications for House Republicans? Recent polls show 78% of the public want a 9/11-style investigation. (G-d only knows why!) Right and wrong don't matter much when they fly in the face of public opinion. Remember the public response when Congress tried to save Terri?

[prairiebreeze]

I still have trouble believing Blanco had enough assertiveness to commit all the obstruction she did without some other lib pulling her strings from behind the scenes.

However, perhaps it's just a case of "stupid is as stupid does".

...plan we've heard about for years should be titled "Every Man for Himself"

Ain't that the truth...

[Peach]

There are a lot of freepers who think someone was telling Blanco what to do and it's entirely possible. She certainly seemed clueless.