GAO and the Executive Branch

The General Accounting Office, an arm of the US Congress, has requested that Vice President Dick Cheney turn over all notes on meetings of his Energy Task Force. This task force was appointed by George Bush to study US energy policy in light of the energy crisis experienced by California early last year. The taslk force was to come up with recommnedations for future US energy policy. The GAO (in other the US Congress) wants to review all meetings, who attended each of the meetings and what each participant said.

So much for another congressional fishing expedition. There is no evidence of any wrong doing, but if they can only get a hold of the meeting notes, maybe, just maybe, they can find something that might be questionable about the meetings. So much for the separation of the Executive and Legislative branches. Maybe Congress would prefer just sitting in on all meetings that take place at the White House, George Bush's Texas ranch, Dick Cheney's Vice Presidential residence. What Congress is really looking for is an issue they can use in the upcoming fall elections. The Democrats have control of the Senate (which accomplished little last year) and desperately needs to find an issue or two to gain control of the US House.

I think we can bury bipartisan cooperation until early next year and expect little to be accomplished in the current legislative session. Any progress will have to wait until the next session which begins in 2003. It will be politics as usual for the foseeable future.

01/28/02 ( 277 )
© Copyright 2000-03 www.mypov.org - All rights reserved.