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July 11, 2006

Oversight at Last

It's nice to see that Congress is finally getting into the game, even if they are several years late. This is how our government is supposed to work, with each branch jealously guarding its turf from encroachments by the others. (I talked about why this doesn't work a few months ago.) For the past six years, the Bush administration has been all over jealously guarding its turf, but the other two branches failed to show up for the game, giving the executive disturbingly broad powers with the apparent consent of the other branches.

Actually, while I say the other branches, it's Congress I'm displeased with. (Though happy they are now starting to do something.) That is not in any way intended to grant a pass to the administration for their actions; the President should have tied Congress into the war effort from day one, rather than treating them as a problem to be avoided at best and finessed at worst. But when he failed to do so, Congress should have screamed bloody murder. Their failure to do so was a contributing factor in the problem we find ourselves in now. I was particularly happy to hear this.

"We are not a parliament, and when we function like a parliament we're unfaithful to the process and our system of government," said Rep. Christopher Shays (R-Conn.), who will preside over the Iraq hearing. "We hurt our country and both branches of government. If we had been more forceful . . . Abu Ghraib would have never happened."

I think he's wrong in the specific case of Abu Ghraib; that was a failure because we put a bad unit with a lousy commander in charge and got predictable results. The Army's failure to hold senior leaders accountable for that remains a personal embarassment for me, and it did a great deal to undermine the legitimacy of our occupation. But be that as it may, Congress is supposed to be overseeing the executive in these matters, and if they are now really going to take up that responsibility, than kudos to them.

The question is, will they take it seriously? Given that this is an election year and the President's dismal approval ratings mean it behooves Republican candidates to be seen taking him on, politics may work in our favor in this. This is a good opportunity for the Democrats to start making substantive proposals that demonstrate their ability to perform the oversight role for the greater good of the nation, which could redound to their favor in November as well.

Cross-posted at Obsidian Wings.