John Warner Opposes Webb's Modern Day "Truman Commission"

By: Lowell
Published On: 9/26/2007 4:36:34 PM

As you know, Jim Webb has proposed creating a "modern day Truman Commission" to investigate waste, fraud and abuse in contracting for the Iraq war.  This commission is vital, particularly in light of the recent revelations regarding Blackwater.  A vote could come at any time.  Unfortunately, according to TPM Muckraker:

John Warner (R-VA) has just come out against it on the grounds that it would take power away from the Senate Armed Services Committee. Stay tuned.

How utterly pathetic; I thought John Warner announcing his retirement was supposed to make him more independent of the White House, not less.  Instead, what happens is that Warner votes against Webb's "dwell time" amendment for our troops, then he announces his opposition to Webb's "modern day Truman Commission."  Great stuff, huh?

Anyway, if you want to let Sen. Warner know how you feel about this, here's the contact information.  Not that it will do any good.

John Warner (R-Virginia)
DC: (202) 224-2023
Roanoke: (540) 857-2676

Comments



This is pure dirty politics on Warner's part. (Nell - 9/26/2007 4:52:46 PM)
He doesn't want to see Webb get the exposure and credibility that would come with this badly needed commission, nor does he want the inevitable dirt that would get uncovered about the way the GOP has treated "defense" contracting as part of its crony machine.

The scale of what needs to be done is well beyond what even very able and committed members of the Armed Services Committee could do.  Warner's excuse is entirely bogus.



warner and liz.. (lgb30856 - 9/26/2007 5:11:56 PM)
the only reason JOHN warner got elected cause he was with the chicken eatin liz. for goodness sake. he does not have a brain. please don't call him a statesman.

he has sold out.



Interesting (BP - 9/26/2007 5:26:07 PM)
Jim Webb may now have received enough knives in his back that he's ready to release his "inner Popeye" ("that's alls I can stans, cuz I can't stans no more!").

Just a couple of months ago, Senator Webb was eager to demonstrate his goodwill and his willingness to work toward important legislative goals through the use of compromise and diplomacy.  See the bottom of the first page at his Pac site here:  http://www.bornfight... 

and read the full story here:  http://content.hampt... 

I don't blame him.  If I were a first-term Senator, I would have tried to do exactly the same thing.  Worth a try, but it's clearly not working.  For the 19,847,362nd time, Republicans have demonstrated that they see goodwill, a willingness to compromise, and diplomacy as a sign of weakness and an implicit request for a knife in the back.

Senator Webb's remarks on the Lieberman/Kyle amendment may indicate that the Jim Webb I voted for is back.  At least I hope so.  He's going to have to kick some serious butt in order to get this proposed Commission through the Senate.  So much of Congress is in bed with defense contractors that, ultimately, Senator Webb is going to have to take his case directly to the public.  In doing so, he could use the help of organizations like (dare I say it?) MoveOn.



Warner's perfidy (Kevin Hayden - 9/26/2007 11:06:15 PM)
Warner's much vaunted expertise on the military has never been matched by either consideration for the troops nor by independent action.

We have a Senator in Oregon who's also good at jawflappery but he'll only vote against Bush when the pro-Bush outcome's assured. He knows he's in deep dip come November '08.

Warner, on the other hand, freed of re-election concerns, can toe the party line he always has. Not because he's a Stepford Senator, but because he's incapable of an original thought.

But I'm sure you folks are fully aware of that already. I just hope it pays off big for the other Warner, the one with a brain and soul.



Warner & Webb and IRAQ votes (Tony Mastalski - 9/27/2007 10:03:13 PM)
What is now clear is that John Warner (aligned with HIS President) has become the best foil the Republicans have against Jim Webb's common sense and push for ACCOUNTABILITY.  John Warner is playing  a perverse politics and should be ashamed of himself. Warner has surrendered principal to a selfish President who should have been denied a long time ago.

Thank goodness that Webb continues to set an example and battles on. More should follow his lead. Oh yeah .... what the F#$@K was Hillary thinking / voting??? She's the old school careerist politician with considerable baggage. We some one NEW on the presidential front too.