When Tom Daschle suggested in 2002 that we should measure the success of the War on Terrorism when Osama Bin Laden was safely behind bars, Tom Davis (R-VA), blasted him as Gǣgiving aid and comfort to the enemy.Gǥ
Now it is 5 years later, and 1,283 more days since GǣMission AccomplishedGǥ was declared in Iraq. Not only has the military effort led us to a $1.6 trillion debt held by Asia alone. Thousands of Americans have been killed and injured in Iraq, but Osama is still at large. On the one-year anniversary of the 9-11 Report, the bi-partisan 9-11 Commission flunks Tom Davis. The report card issued on the anniversary of the 9-11 Commission report concludes in effect that the Congressman who has let down the country and given aid and comfort to the enemy, is Tom Davis.
The worst grades come under the jurisdiction of Davis's Committee. From the report, Terrorists Will Strike Again: "Pork-barrel politics is expected for bridges and roads--not for defending against a deadly enemy trying to kill thousands of AmericansGǪ."
The conclusions of the Committee as reported in the Chicago Tribune:
...[T]he 10 former commissioners came together for the last time, to issue a "report card" grading action on those reforms. The results were dismal: five F's, 12 D's, nine C's and only one A (an A-minus). Progress in many important areas has been slow or non-existent. While the terrorists have been learning and adapting, we have been moving at a bureaucratic crawl.
The worst grades come under the jurisdiction of Davis's Committee. Despite spending billions of dollars, the spending was not properly administered or reviewed, and it is the Government Reform's Committee's job to assure that review. Instead, a new, looser contracting system had imposed on the Federal purchasing agency, GSA, spearheaded by Tom Davis. The new contracting program had been administered at least in part by David Safavian, now convicted in June 2006 in the Jack Abramoff scandal as the person who made it possible for Abramoff to guarantee government contracts for contributions. Furthermore, Safavian's wife, Jennifer, is one of 12 counsels on Davis's oversight committee. She had been appointed by the Office of the Independent Counsel and the successor of Kenneth Starr.
Unfortunately, Congress has treated homeland security as a typical revenue-sharing pork-barrel program, scattering the funds among the states rather than targeting them based strictly on risk. While the distribution has been bad, the use of this money often has been worse. ... Pork-barrel politics is expected for bridges and roads--not for defending against a deadly enemy trying to kill thousands of AmericansGǪ."
INTELLIGENCE AND CONGRESSIONAL REFORM
Intelligence oversight reform--------------------------------D
Incentives for information sharing --------------------------D
Government-wide information sharing ---------------------D
Privacy and Civil Liberties
Oversight Board----------------------------------------------D
Guidelines for government sharing of
personal information ----------------------------------------D
HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE
Critical infrastructure assessment---------------------------D
Unfortunately, Tom's idea of "oversight" is exactly what the report conclcudes is so damning. He collects campaign contributions from the construction companies, the communications contractors, and others involved in Homeland Security. Read more here.
Davis has donated his millions in PAC contributions to over 100 races, in 40 states. (Click to find the candidate in your district You owe it to your state to help defeat him, no matter where you're from. Luckily, he no longer continues in office unchallenged. Donate to and volunteer for Andy Hurst today.