Well, fresh from Nancy Pelosi's breaking her pledge to promote high ethical standards in Congress, we have a new Democrat broken promise -- the rejection of one of the 9/11 Commission recommendations that the Democrats repeatedly promised to implement if they got the majority.

Which one? The one that directly effects Congress and how it operates.

It was a solemn pledge, repeated by Democratic leaders and candidates over and over: If elected to the majority in Congress, Democrats would implement all of the recommendations of the bipartisan commission that examined the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

But with control of Congress now secured, Democratic leaders have decided for now against implementing the one measure that would affect them most directly: a wholesale reorganization of Congress to improve oversight and funding of the nation's intelligence agencies. Instead, Democratic leaders may create a panel to look at the issue and produce recommendations, according to congressional aides and lawmakers.

Because plans for implementing the commission's recommendations are still fluid, Democratic officials would not speak for the record. But aides on the House and Senate appropriations, armed services and intelligence committees confirmed this week that a reorganization of Congress would not be part of the package of homeland-security changes up for passage in the "first 100 hours" of the Democratic Congress.

And it looks like one of those actively involved in thwarting the implementation of the proposal is corrupt cut-n-runner John Murtha, whose Appropriations Sub-Committee would lose some of its authority under the proposal. The Abscam unindicted co-conspirator wants to keep the authority to dispense pork fromt he defense budget all to himself -- where it can go to his brother's lobbying clients.

"I don't think that suggestion is going anywhere," said Rep. C.W. Bill Young (R-Fla.), the chairman of the Appropriations defense subcommittee and a close ally of the incoming subcommittee chairman, Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.). "That is not going to be their party position."

It may seem like a minor matter, but members of the commission say Congress's failure to change itself is anything but inconsequential. In 2004, the commission urged Congress to grant the House and Senate intelligence committees the power not only to oversee the nation's intelligence agencies but also to fund them and shape intelligence policy. The intelligence committees' gains would come at the expense of the armed services committees and the appropriations panels' defense subcommittees. Powerful lawmakers on those panels would have to give up prized legislative turf.

But the commission was unequivocal about the need.

"Of all our recommendations, strengthening congressional oversight may be among the most difficult and important," the panel wrote. "So long as oversight is governed by current congressional rules and resolutions, we believe the American people will not get the security they want and need."

Now frankly, reasonable people can argue whether that proposal is correct or not -- but when the Democrats ran on a platform of implementing the 9/11 Commission recommendations, the failure to implement one supported so strongly by the bi-partisan commission and declared to be so vital is clearly a breach of faith with the American people.

And a sign of Democrat lies and corruption as usual.

Posted by: Greg at 11:10 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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