Lieberman Has No Plans To Investigate Blackwater, Corrupt Iraq Contractors

Joe Lieberman (I-CT), who chairs the Senate committee responsible for government oversight, says he has no plans to investigate Blackwater and other Iraq war contractors accused of potentially criminal wrongdoing. Roll Call reports (sub req'd):

Though Lieberman said he gets "angry when I hear about fraud or corruption in the spending of American dollars," he said he in part chooses what to have hearings on by "watching who else is doing what," noting that [House oversight chairman Henry] Waxman has held several hearings on Iraq oversight, as have the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations committees.

"You've got to set your own priorities, and it was clear to me that other committees were going to pick this up," said Lieberman.

Roll Call notes that on the day Iraq revoked Blackwater's license after the shooting of 17 civilians, Waxman immediately announced hearings on private security contractors. Lieberman "announced two firefighting grants for the towns of Bolton and Willington in his home state."

Lieberman has held only one hearing all year on "reconstruction challenges in both Iraq and Afghanistan," compared to eight hearings on Iraq and contracting abuses in the House.

Comments

[JewishJesus]

Joe, you grouper-faced weasel and traitor...­just switch parties NOW....As a fellow Jew , you make me anti-semet­ic....as they say in yiddish...­.fansen en goygle....­which means....a fart in your throat!!!! You blow,Joe!!!!

[Driver125]

And now for my "Sure bets of the decade":
(1) Democratic majorities increase in both the House and the Senate (due only to Republican hate)
(2) A Democrat (any Democrat) wins the White House (same reason as above)
(3) Scum-bag Joe quietly slips into the Republican Party (officially) since the Dems will have a good sized majority and no longer need him for ANYTHING.

[Not Blind]

Lieberman has always been a staunch pro-Israel supporter. Given he's Jewish, one should not expect otherwise. He and other Chicken-Hawks are now pushing for a war in Iran, Israel's sworn enemy. He, like other politicians, said they'd do this or that, but once in office, turned his back on those who elected him and went off on his own real agenda. Nothing new about that either. That he's reluctant to investigate Blackwater and other corrupt private contractors is not news, being as many Congressional representatives and cabinet members have personal financial interests in these firms and are profiting handsomely by the misery they've wrought upon Iraq and the U.S.
Joe Lieberman and other neocons are nothing but sociopaths. They don't care that others suffer because of them. Laws, human rights, freedoms are what they deem impediments to their agenda: personal avarice and power.

[Rand]

Can you explain, then, why Frank Lautenberg, Gary Ackerman and lots of other Jewish members of the House and Senate are far to left of the SOB?

[JewishJesus]

Good point,Rand­...it's Lieberman, not "THE JEWS" who are fault here!!! He's the rotten apple at the bottom of the barrel!!!!

[fourex]

Lieberman has no intention of serving this nation and up-holding the constitution. The Democratic backers of Lieberman must be brought to the dock for questioning.

[Purple Girl]

Can we mail him back to Isreal ???
I have absolutely no problem with the jewish community- but this man is supposed to be representing US asnd our interests. Hopefully he hasn't bastardized the "independent Parties' name so bad no one will be able to run under it's name. Joes definitely Independent from the American Constitution and the welfare of this country. Add him to the list of traitors (near the top- right after Pelosi)

[RogerHWerner]

You get no argument from me that Lieberman is a poor Senator. I can't say I think much of the guy as a person either. If people read this article however they would discover that Lieberman has no plans to investigate Blackwater or other Iraq contractors because they are already being investigated by other House and Senate committees. I don't like Lieberman but what he claims make sense, which makes me believe it is a convenient excuse. But I wonder why anyone would elect to open an investigation of an activity that is already subject to multiple investigations? This makes little sense, seems a waste of time and money, and smacks of political grandstanding unless it can be demonstrated that the various investigation are focused on different aspects of the investigated activity.

[Ginzaman]

What a f*****g idiot.

[nirak]

I shouldn't have looked at this Lieberman picture. He is going to give me nightmares.
What a disgusting person, inside and out.

[charlietuna11]

THERES NO QUESTION THAT IF THE CHICKEN HAWK COULD GATHER UP EVERY ARAB,MUSLIM,AND PERCEIVED ENEMY OF ISRAEL,HE WOULD PERSONALLY MARCH THEM INTO GAS CHAMBERS.H­ES NO DIFFERENT THAN THE NAZIS.IF HE WERE IN GERMANY IN THE LATE THIRTIES AND EARLY FORTIES,THE NAZIS WOULDNT TAKE LONG TO PIN POINT THIS CREEPY COLABORATOR.

[Ramirez]

And that proves Godwin's Law.

[BUSHsurvivor]

Everytime I see a picture of him I just want to puke!

[jerryfromcalifornia]

I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE NEXT ELECTION SO THIS SCUMBAG BECOMES IRRELEVANT. THIS PIECE OF CRAP SHOULD CRAWL BACK UNDER THE ROCK WHERE HE CAME FROM. HE SHOULD GET CANCER AND DIE (MAYBE I'LL TELL YOU HOW I REALLY FEEL).

[cityspeak]

Hey is any body working to remove him form office in CT?

He in no way represents the fine people of CT I have met in my lifetime.

Is there a process to remove him from office?

He failed the people of NOLA by refusing to investigate the Bush disaster down there and now no investigation of Blackwater? Stand up you CT yanks and let him know you demand accountability from your officials!

[wanked]

Why would he care...hes the biggest fucktard in the cosmos. BTW, Ct isnt snobby...i­t has alot of rednecks and KKK and holy Joe supporters AGHHHHHHHH­HHHHHHHHHH­H...worse than snobby... but we have CHRIS DODD and hes ok.
Kucinich 08

[Qbear]

The only positive thing I can think of for Lieberman is he is HETEROSEXU­AL...final­ly one asshole in Washington DC the LGBT community doesn't have to claim.

[researcher]

what now we must call conn a red state? does this mean they will be allowed to marry their cousins and like az have as many wives as they want while the taxpayers in this red state support their kids sometimes as many as 40 from one hubby while he drives around in his $30,000 pickup truck. Guess who bought that truck?

remember politicians are a reflection of the voters. Imperialist Americans where might makes right.

the world is watching us bleed a slow death of our republic fast approaching fascism.

now demos give bush that 190 billion and hurry up and build that oil pipeline to Israel.

so glad to see the Hunt's being able to get that Iraqi oil. About time we got something for our imperialism.

power to the elitist neo cons they deserve it; they play the middle class like a fine violin.