Showdown: Rice Finally Agrees To Appear Before Waxman Committee

After years of ignoring congressional letters and rejecting requests for testimony, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has finally agreed to subject herself to a grilling before Henry Waxman (D-CA) and the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

With little fanfare and no additional details, the following entry was added yesterday to the committee's schedule:

Hearing with Secretary Rice on Iraq
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
Thursday, October 25, 2007, 10:00 AM at 2154 Rayburn House Office Building

Some additional details out this morning from CongressDaily AM:

Waxman has for months peppered the State Department with inquiries, demands for documents and criticism of the department's work in Iraq. Though the committee has focused especially on State's oversight of security contractor Blackwater USA, Waxman has attacked the department's efforts to curb corruption in the Iraqi government, construction of an embassy in Baghdad and efforts to train Iraqi police.

Waxman has made about 18 separate major inquires into State Department activities since January, according to the department.

Committee staffers said the hearing could address all the issues.

Rice still appears unwilling to speak candidly. According to a State Department official, she will balk at discussing "the administration's use of intelligence before the Iraq war and the outing of CIA operative Valerie Plame," though she's "more willing to discuss department policies implemented during her tenure as Secretary of State." How gracious.

Comments

[mellene]

01:55 PM on 10/25/2007

Chris Shays ask Rice about the composition of Blackwater soldiers in Iraq and she says they are former Seals and other military, not admitting that they are Chilean commandos. The Scahill book on page 182 last paragraph beginning sentence indicates that they are using Chilean commandos. Why the lie or misrepresentation by Shays and Rice?

[rc2250]

11:31 AM on 10/25/2007

I wonder if the bloody handed protester had anything to do with her "willingness" to testify?

Why has there not been impeachment hearings?
Why has this congress shirked it's responsibility to our country?

Clearly, we have a rotten to the core government and a semi rotten legislature. Pelosi can not remain in office either. She is incompetent and a drain on the democrats message.

[nomobull]

08:22 AM on 10/25/2007

WHY WASTE OUR TIME? DO WE CARE WHAT SHE HAS TO SAY AT THIS POINT?

[joja]

07:40 AM on 10/25/2007

Hey, why were the comments on the war protester confrontation with Rice closed?

Here's mine anyway -- I think the Code Pink crowd is an infiltration orchestrated by Karl Rove. They act so insane, they actually make people who are normally opposed to the war, symapathetic to assholes like Rice. Why don't they just take their psychotropic meds and shut the fuck up! As Jon Stewart says, YOU'RE NOT HELPING THINGS!

As far as the Dems ever asking questions of substance when regime witnesses go before their committees, I don't think that's high on their agendas. After listening to Barbara Boxer, Diane Feinstein, and the endless parade of Republican softballers, it's obvious they prefer to hear the sound of their own voices rather than get a real answer from any of these clowns.

[racom]

09:06 PM on 10/24/2007

You got that right. First, she will duck, dodge and sidestep every question that comes at her. Second, the democrats don't have a clue as to how to ask important, probing questions. Dog and pony show indeed! The entire government is a farce!

[BARRISTER]

07:00 AM on 10/25/2007

Isn't she a Public servant paid out of the Treasury of the United States? Then since when does she decide if and when she will attend before The Congress of the United States when ordered to do so by The Congress of the United States?
Bush and the rest of the zionist/NeoCon Cabal seem to think that they are above the Law and they are being aided, abetted and comforted by certain Democrat elements in Congress. A word to the wise...Elections are next year. A lot of you Democrats are in for a surprise when the votes are counted. We Democrat voters are going to Santorumize yous guys. Wait and see. We gave you the requested majorities and what have you done? Enabled Bush and the Republican minority as if we left them in charge.
'08 will teach a lesson in poliyics to each of ypou.

[thebanana]

09:04 PM on 10/24/2007

When asked today why the US sent Maher Arar, a Canadian citizen changing planes in NYC, to Syria to be tortured, she stated that her memory was unclear, and that she would get back to the Congressman on that one. Un Huh.

[starrianna]

09:24 PM on 10/24/2007

OMG she is a total c*nt.

Her new nickname should be Cunti Rice.

[brantl]

09:07 AM on 10/25/2007

That IS here nickname.

[esl]

07:36 PM on 10/24/2007

Why don't the chairmen of the committees that want her to testify just tell her Congress won't pay her salary until she cooperates. Why does the Congress act like they have no power to get what they want from this administration? Hey, who pays their salaries? (Duh, WE do.) Doesn't our constitution give the power of the purse to Congress?

[ElkoJohn]

03:00 AM on 10/25/2007

good point, nobody duz nutin until the Dems fund it.

[starrianna]

06:49 PM on 10/24/2007

I - for one - think that it is

L * A * M * E

that HuffPo deleted all 1,500+ comments on Condoleezza Rice vs. War Protesters!

WHY? Umm, free speech people?

I'm aware that many of you are firing off angry emails to HuffPo for this bullshit.

Let people read how upset people are!

THAT IS THE WHOLE POINT!

(Attention HuffPo workers: explain yourselves!)

[ElkoJohn]

03:02 AM on 10/25/2007

you read all the blogs about the AH interview with Nancy P., but still no response about ignoring our questions about impeachment.

[gonnuts]

06:28 PM on 10/24/2007

People, please, this is nothing but a Dog & Pony Show to give us the illusion that they're will be accountability and justice.

The list of crimes committed by this government would take more than the 350 words allotted and all we have to show for it is nothing.

People are still dying and being tortured. Corporations are making blood-money hand over fist. Our Constitution is still being shredded.

Leahy has been holding hearings since December and still the mechanisms to steal the 08' elections are in place.

You can forget about ever seeing justice done. This country is finished.

[amerdiaspora]

08:18 PM on 10/24/2007

yeah nuts i agree with you
that is why we are at best going to end up with hillary (gop lite) clintin as pres

but to be fair it is not just the fault of the legislature in that they were elected into that position and no one has the balls to tell them to work for their sallaries.

i voted with my feet, went abroad and no longer pay taxes for a war i do not belive in and a government that i no longer have faith in

[ElkoJohn]

03:07 AM on 10/25/2007

Death to the Oligarcy:
Some authors such as Vilfredo Pareto, Gaetano Mosca, Thomas R. Dye, and Robert Michels, believe that any political system eventually evolves into an oligarchy. This theory is called the "iron law of oligarchy". According to this school of thought, modern democracies should be considered as elected oligarchies. In these systems, actual differences between viable political rivals are small, the oligarchic elite impose strict limits on what constitutes an "acceptable" and "respectable" political position, and politicians' careers depend heavily on unelected economic and media elites....Wikipedia

[NATIONALSECURITY4US]

06:22 PM on 10/24/2007

I DO HOPE WAXMAN QUESTIONS HER ON A SERIOUS MATTER THAT I BROUGHT TO HIS ATTENTION FROM A
OFFICIAL E-MAIL THAT I SENT VIA HIS COMMITTEE ON 3/21/2007 + OTHER PRIOR COMMUNICATIONS TO HIM REGARDING THE SAME SUBJECT...

THE E-MAIL CAN BE READ AT:

http://360.yahoo.com/caspereraser1

Enjoy knowing the truth my fellow Americans &
do know this -- that a mass majority of the Congressional members of both parties in both chambers are not even bothered by the extent of the seriousness of the crimes that were committed...

Way 2 many people in this GOVT. & in this SHRUB
administration -- STILL POSSESS CREDENTIALS &
SECURITY CLEARANCES THAT SHOULD HAVE STRIPPED AWAY FROM THEM LONG AGO -- ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO
STILL DO POSSESS A BADGE & GUN...

[wcs55]

06:21 PM on 10/24/2007

Her credibility is ZERO so whatever comes out of her gap-tooth mouth, nobody will believe.

[nick1936]

05:27 PM on 10/24/2007

Oath or not she will still lie like all repuks

[gonnuts]

06:17 PM on 10/24/2007

What makes you think that this cretin gives a damn whether she's under oath or not?

Name anyone from this administration that has been held accountable for anything? Even
Libby, who was convicted is as free as you and I.

rice will lie, deflect, and do anything but tell the truth unless the truth helps her.

But, this hearing will most likely do what the others have done. Give us the illusion that justice will be done. I'm not betting that will happen.

[FlowerGirl]

04:24 PM on 10/24/2007

I pity the committee. It has to look at her. I have never seen another human being that reminded me so much of a moccasin.
She and her husb.. er, make that president, are totally lacking in any human warmth. With sociopaths like that running our country, we have become a blight on the world.
What kind of people are we that we allow these to pursue their (master's) policies to the detriment of America and the world?

[amerdiaspora]

08:20 PM on 10/24/2007

hee hee hee hee hee:

eva braun the second!

[ang4ever]

10:23 PM on 10/25/2007

Bush women - Laura and Condi - enough to drive Bush to drink.
.
Laura should just leave this guy.

[claytongrayum]

03:43 PM on 10/24/2007

Under Oath or Not, you think she will admit wrong doing? Haven't the American people at least learned that the Bush administration has never been in the wrong. Because GOD is on our side. Getting raped-

[HowietheScreamer]

02:14 PM on 10/24/2007

Will she be under OATH? THAT is the important question. Will it be televised? Will she be another Gonzo with "I can't recall" as her main answer?