How independent government commissions always work

[bluestateguy]

1. An issue is so radio-active that Congress does not want to touch it.

2. Rather than take responsibility, Congress farms the issue off to a commission to make it look like they are doing something.

3. The commission is staffed by wishy washy, pompous ex-politicians and bureaucrats who enjoy listening to themselves talk.

4. Hearings are held which produce a lot of rhetoric and finger pointing.

5. Members of the commission make the rounds on all the TV talk shows, but actually say very little.

6. The commission issues a report and makes recommendations to Congress and the president.

7. The commission report is kicked around and discussed on the TV talk shows by commission members, politicians and so-called experts.

8. Congress never acts on the commission report, which ends up sitting at the bottom of a shelf somewhere.

9. People wonder why the commission failed.

10. Another crisis or issue surfaces, and the process starts all over again.

[napi21]

1. Who would they put on such a commission?

I heard Kay Bailey Hutchinson this morning say she thought an independent comm. would be a better idea than congressional hearings. I happen to agree with that, because, at least they try to have an even number of representatives from each side. That takes some of the bias of the majority out of the issue.

She also said the people who sit on such a comm. should be experts with related experience.

Who would these people be? Former FEMA directors? Former military?

[FormerDittoHead]

2. You got it. Now if we had a Dem Congress + Senate things would be diff..

If, during Nixon's administration there were a Republican stronghold like this one, Watergate would have died away...

Now, we're seeing much worse things fall by the wayside of the public's conscienceness.