Kucinich maybe maybe to be put in charge of Government Oversight Committee? I say HELL YEA!!!

[cascadiance]

Just a little while ago the sub on Thom Hartmann's show was talking to someone else about what might happen to the Government Oversight Committee with Henry Waxman leaving it's chairmanship.

A few other names were mentioned as being "in line" to take it over, but one name that was mentioned right after these two individuals was Dennis Kucinich!!!

In some respects, I look forward to this move even moreso than Waxman taking over for Dingell!

I think Waxman had a few too many AIPAC or other "leash" ties that kept him from really doing some hardcore investigations like putting Sibel Edmonds on the stand. I think that someone like Kucinich would be absolutely PERFECT for a much needed "take no prisoner" attitude that he has in keeping EVERYONE accountable in a principled fashion! I bet he would be one of the best to "just say no!" to AIPAC too!

[BrklynLiberal]

1. Kucinich would be perfect.

[riqster]

2. A perfect choice

He's a stickler prick. Just what that job needs right now.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

3. Yes. Please.

:kick:

[meegbear]

4. WOW!

That ... would ... be ... :woohoo:

[Muttocracy]

5. current committee members list

http://oversight.house.gov/about/members.asp

Democrats

* Chairman Henry A. Waxman, California
* Rep. Edolphus Towns, New York
* Rep. Paul E. Kanjorski, Pennsylvania
* Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, New York
* Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, Maryland
* Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich, Ohio
* Rep. Danny K. Davis, Illinois
* Rep. John F. Tierney, Massachusetts
* Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay, Missouri
* Rep. Diane E. Watson, California
* Rep. Stephen F. Lynch, Massachusetts
* Rep. Brian Higgins, New York
* Rep. John A. Yarmuth, Kentucky
* Rep. Bruce L. Braley, Iowa
* Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton, District of Columbia
* Rep. Betty McCollum, Minnesota
* Rep. Jim Cooper, Tennessee
* Rep. Chris Van Hollen, Maryland
* Rep. Paul W. Hodes, New Hampshire
* Rep. Christopher S. Murphy, Connecticut
* Rep. John P. Sarbanes, Maryland
* Rep. Peter Welch, Vermont
* Rep. Jackie Speier, California

[cascadiance]

7. Others mentioned as fighting for this committee chair were Carolyn Maloney, Elijah Cummings, ...

... and one other person here I can't recall their name...

[Muttocracy]

8. not sure if that list was in seniority order or not. nt

[midnight]

6. Would this appointment help him with Impeachment and his 35 articles

he has already introduced? I hope so.

[cascadiance]

9. Just to clarify, Kucinich was a person just mentioned as a possibility....

I haven't heard him mentioned yet in any "official" capacity. Seniority-wise, he'd probably have to jump a few people on this committee too.

That's why I think it is REAL important that DU and other groups here push to get him this chairmanship, so that it is recognized that he is the PEOPLE'S CHOICE!

[truedelphi]

54. Hear! Hear!

Wish I could K & R - "cannot recommend threads that were started over 24 hours ago"

[Hubert Flottz]

10. That is the kind of "Change" we need!

[cascadiance]

11. Here's a good article in Raw Story that puts his "Domestic Policy Subcommittee" chairmanship...

... in context with the larger goals of the Government Oversight Committee when headed by Waxman. Perhaps one could read between the lines on things in here on what Kucinich might do if he were head of the entire committee.

http://www.rawstory.com/news/2007/Kucinich_If_Bush_attacks_Iran_all_0114.html

and another...

http://www.care2.com/c2c/groups/disc.html?gpp=72&pst=636116

[John Q. Citizen]

12. When will this be decided?

[Lars39]

13. I'll take that bone! :^)

[1776Forever]

14. OH Yeah! Now that is the TICKET Baby! Wow - that would be fantastic!

[Individualist]

15. That sounds too good to be true!

As you say, DK would be perfect for the job.

[Greyhound]

16. This man deserves, and we need him, to be a major voice in the People's House

in the coming years. I'm afraid that it will not be allowed, but here's hoping.:toast:
:kick: & R

[pleah]

17. K&R for Kucinich, since he actually reads the information that he gets.

:toast:

[cascadiance]

18. Darrell Issa's pushing to be the ranking Republican on this committee now...

And in his statement cites his ability to work well with Kucinich on the Domestic Policy Subcommittee...

http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_S_issa17.104eba6.html

Inland Rep. Issa pushes for top GOP slot on key investigative committee

By BEN GOAD
Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON - Fresh off his successful re-election bid, Inland Rep. Darrell Issa is running again. This time he's vying for the top Republican spot on the influential House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

And he's not taking any chances, even though his chief rival for the post -- Republican Rep. Chris Shays of Connecticut -- was unseated on Election Day.

...

Issa maintained that he has a good record of working with Democrats on the panel, pointing to his relationship with Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio. Issa is the ranking member of the committee's Domestic Policy Subcommittee, which Kucinich chairs.

He said the two have worked closely to set the subcommittee's agenda, and each has traveled to the other's home district to participate in field hearings -- Issa to Cleveland for a hearing on the subprime mortgage crisis, and Kucinich to Southern California for a hearing on wildfire prevention.

...

[slay]

19. Kucinich rules!

My favorite elected government official. Can we clone him yet? :)

[Zorra]

20. Perfect choice. n/t

[WA98070]

21. That would be so great!

[bluesmail]

22. If that happened my so-called faith in government would be restored.

[Pastiche423]

23. Please, please, please!

Let it be Dennis!

[southerncrone]

24. Bring on Dennis with his flashlight, backbone & huge set of b@lls!

:)That would give my some faith that we might actually have a chance at a democracy again.

[TheKentuckian]

25. yay yay!!!

[underseasurveyor]

26. Nothing would make me happier.

Except Dennis being President but /sigh... that was another time.

Dennis is THE perfect one for this spot. I hope it's offered to him and accepted...../fingercrossed,hoping,wishing,wanting..... needing.

[ooglymoogly]

27. Too good to be true....kr nt

[cascadiance]

28. afterdowningstreet.org is discussing this too...

... and the feeling there is Pelosi won't let this happen. Hope that she won't stand in the way...

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/37807

emptywheel on firedoglake likes either Kucinich or Elijah Cummings to take over...

http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2008/11/20/kucinich-or-cummings-for-oversight/

[mike_c]

29. what an awesome thing that would be....

Make it so.

[liberalla]

30. Now, that would be ideal. Give us Dennis!

Kucinich for Oversight!

[MasonJar]

31. But even though I'd love it, if two others are in line, what are the chances

for Dennis and would the other two be much worse than Waxman? I think Waxman will be perfection in his new job. He is one committed environmentalist.

[Faux pas]

32. That would be a brilliant play! Don't tell me it's a pipe dream, k?

[DUlover2909]

33. Kucinich would be pefrect for any job. I wish he was president.

[NikolaC]

34. I Really Hope So

He would be perfect. However, I am afraid that it won't happen, though I would love it if it were true.

[mmonk]

35. Now that would be vewy vewy interwesting!

[Frank Cannon]

36. I'm going to pretend that I never heard this story

Because that would be too fucking great to be true.

[NorthCarolina]

37. Is there a petition or any effort ongoing to attempt to Make This Happen?

If not there should be.

[caseycoon]

38. The VERY BEST choice!

:applause:
I sure hope it comes to be.

[defendandprotect]

39. Won't happen ...tho I wish so ---

[LWolf]

40. Certainly worth keeping an eye on. nt

[Phred42]

41. THAT would be a significate bone to toss to Liberals and Progressives!

:toast:

God knows Obama hasn't tossed us anything yet. This would be something.

[riqster]

42. Not the PE's call

We will have to hound the Dems in Congress.

[Phred42]

45. Agree

Speaking of 'hound'

[lonestarnot]

43. Woodamnwhooooo!

:applause:

[BREMPRO]

44. I like Kucinich, but would he be too much of a grandstander?

I agree he would be good at being a govt. watchdog, and would be a great choice to oversee the corruption of BUSHCO, but now that Obama's in, would he just be more of a nuisance to the Obama's agenda? I also haven't seen him as a team player. On the other hand, it would show the strength and confidence of Obama to choose him, that he expects high standards for his administration and wants a watchdog that cuts through the BS to keep the govt/pentagon in line.

[bobshin]

47. What team? The team of fall over and play dead? The real nuisance is the

bait and switch Democrats who've promised us change, went through some motions, then dropped it all.

[JackRiddler]

48. Team?! This is a democracy, not a sports league.

[jamesatemple]

50. Ah, Brempro. I can see that the last eight years have

modified even our perception of reality. Sad, isn't it? The reality is that Kucinich mustered the courage to herald publically the things that Democrats, Progressives, and others felt should be. Alone, it appears, this diminutive man with a giant heart strode forth with a singular desire to see that the criminals that have damn near destroyed our country are held accountable. Now, some folks see his heroic actions as "grandstanding", merely because other "representatives" lack the moral conviction and courage to stand with him.

If, as we emerge from the dark years, the definition of "grandstanding" has been altered to mean the action of a person of honesty and character to take on those who have been an anathema to our good Country, then may I be the first to suggest an award named in honor of Dennis Kucinich, the "Kucinich Grandstanding Award", to be given only to our most honest and best politicians.

[bobshin]

46. One of the few credible politicians EVER! Not appointing him would be...

disappointing.

[KharmaTrain]

49. In Time He Will

The House & Senate are laden in senority...you earn your way to a gavel. Even with Waxman overthrowing Dingell, Henry has many years under his belt...his challenge was a lot more credible due to his senority than it would have been if someone newer had attempted.

Dennis is working his way up...I think he's already chairing subcomittees and given time he will earn his way up the ladder. With 434 other people eying the power, it's not that easy to push these people aside.

[windoe]

51. ...

Please. Let it Be So.

[petepillow]

52. I won't allow myself to believe it until it's true. That makes almost too much sense.

With that kind of logical placement of authority, an actual long-lasting difference might be made.

Imagine...someone with proven backbone to stand up to power actually given ADDITIONAL power. That doesn't sound like REAL AMERICA to me...(:sarcasm:)

Please God, let it be true.

[Swamp Rat]

53. GEAUX DENNIS!!!!!!

:bounce:

[Donald Ian Rankin]

55. A calamity in the making if it happened, but I think unlikely for that reason.

Kucinich is a gesture politician first and foremost, as demonstrated by his attempts to persuade the Democratic party to destroy itself by launching inevitably-doomed impeachment procedings.

Putting him in charge of the government oversight committee would be a colossal risk, and for that reason I think it's very unlikely to happen.

[tritsofme]

56. Of course it won't happen.

I was just going to let them have at least one thread to dream in. lol