Dear Mr. Conyers (an open letter), [View All]

[rateyes]

This morning, after getting ready for the day, I went to my computer and browsed to the website www.rawstory.com. Once there, I followed a link that took me to a story that reported your call for an independent prosecutor in the CIA interrogation tape destruction case.

When I read the quotes attributed to you, I must say that my visceral reaction was to literally become sick to my stomach. Sir, you have more than disappointed me in your reaction to this matter. You have caused me to lose a great deal of respect for your leadership.

In the aforementioned article you were quoted as saying: "While I certainly agree that these matters warrant an immediate criminal investigation, it is disappointing that the Attorney General has stepped outside the Justice Department's own regulations and declined to appoint a more independent special counsel in this matter. Because of this action, the Congress and the American people will be denied – as they were in the Valerie Plame matter – any final report on the investigation."

Sir, with all due respect, I ask you to quit insulting our intelligence. You say that because of the action of Attorney General Mukasey that the American people will be denied any final report on the investigation. Sir, are you not the Chair of the House Judiciary Committee? Do you not have the power to conduct your own investigation--issue subpoenas, take depositions, hold hearings? Do you not have the power to give the American people a final report on this matter, regardless of what the Attorney General does? Why are you passing the buck for your failure to investigate to the desk of the Attorney General? This simply makes one think that you don't really want to get to the bottom of this matter. This way you "can have your cake and eat it, too." The case is not properly investigated, no one is held responsible for this crime, and you make it look like all the blame rests on someone else's shoulders.

I've got to hand it to you--such action on your part is good politics. However, it's lousy governance. You should be ashamed of yourself.

In your quote, you had the nerve to actually infer that the Valerie Plame case is also closed, as far as you are concerned. You say that the people were denied a final report in the Valerie Plame case. If memory serves me correctly, when you were the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee and the majority refused to investigate this matter, the minority, led by you held "hearings" in the basement of the Capitol building, having been denied use of the regular hearing room. Now that you Chair the committee, what keeps you from calling Patrick Fitzgerald to testify, along with others, and issuing that report which has been denied the American people by Bush's justice department?

Are you really that powerless a leader?

Later in that same article, you were quoted as offering this observation: "The Justice Department's record over the past seven years of sweeping the administration's misconduct under the rug has left the American public with little confidence in the Administration's ability to investigate itself. Nothing less than a special counsel with a full investigative mandate will meet the tests of independence, transparency and completeness."

I agree. But, sir, while the Justice Department has indeed swept "the administration's misconduct under the rug," it is clear that over the past year you and the rest of the Democratic leadership have held the rug up for the Justice Department. To mix metaphors, the Justice Department is an addict, and you are its enablers.

I give you a case in point: You, sir, have had referred to your committee articles of impeachment for the Vice-President of the United States. You also are quite aware of the many high crimes committed by the President. Yet, sir, rather than take up the investigation that was referred to you by the House, you continue to sit on your hands. You, sir, have criticized the Justice Department for failing to do its job because of political considerations, yet are guilty of the same political calculations when it comes to investigating the alleged crimes of the President and Vice-President. That, sir, is hypocritical beyond measure.

Mr. Conyers, courage means standing up and doing the right thing even if you are the only one standing. You used to know that. You used to be a hero when it came to civil rights, liberty and justice for all people. But, since reclaiming the Chair of the Judiciary committee, it seems you have lost your courage. Yes, you still "talk tough," as is seen by your remarks referenced in this article. But, sir, "talk is cheap."

I call upon you, sir, to once again reach deep inside yourself and find your courage, and to use the power given you by the American people to investigate all of these crimes, and bring all those responsible for them to justice, regardless of who they are and any other political considerations.

If you will do that, then regardless of whether or not the Attorney General appoints a special counsel in the CIA tape case, you will begin to, as you have said, "allow our nation to begin to restore our credibility and moral standing on these issues."

I wish you a new year filled with joy, and a heart refilled with courage.

Sincerely,

Rateyes

ON EDIT: If you would like to add your "moniker signature" to this letter I will send in my own name, please let me know with a reply. Thanks.

http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Conyers_demands_Justice_Dept._appoint_special_0102.html