"RESOLVED . . ."

(Title link: 2-page pdf version of the House Iraq Resolution to be debated starting today)

The Big Blogs - I like all that they have to say about Congress -

• "The Crypt" at Politico carried a link-rich piece about the upcoming House debate on our current president's (OCP) surge strategy(!?) on the war in Iraq. Does anyone really think that he will be swayed by anything Congress has to say on the subject.? All his rhetoric on "bring me your ideas" was just that - empty rhetoric. It is titled "The Morning Wrap-up." Politico reports that OCP says he will not be paying much attention to the debate.
• "joe in dc" at Americablog (2/12/07) wrote this interesting post: "House GOP prepares for "mini-political campaign" over Iraq resolution." I must say that I still experience delight in watching the Repubs as they struggle with how to be the minority party in both houses of Congress. It seems that they are occasionally only left with partisanship.
• "Peterr" at Firedoglake (2/12/07) posted "Five Minutes," about the upcoming House debate on the proposed Resolution on the Iraq War. His very illuminating writing engendered well over 100 comments. The House Rules Committee met late into the evening to set the terms of the floor debate and limited vote to finish this week. Meanwhile the Senate is still, unfortunately deadlocked, only because of the Senate's procedures that grant more power than the House to the Republican Minority.
• "jmelli" at Blue Jersey credits his Senator Bob Menendez and Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd for introducing legislation to restore habeus corpus rights, ban torture and uphold the Geneva Conventions. (hat tip to Atrios for the link.) It seems that The Senate is taking seriously its November election mandates to repair damages done to nation by the current administration and previously passive Congress.
• "Budget slates education, health programs for hefty cutbacks," By Amelia Gruber at GovExec.com., discussed the slashed domestic discretionary spending in the 2008 budget that OCP has sent to Congress. One of the most valuable benefits of the Democrats' majorities in Congress will be the power of committee oversight and the subsequent wielding of the "power of the purse" over what the administration has to spend. We hope to see a significant reorientation of priorities.
• Matt Stoller at MyDD (2/12/07) touts "The Open House Project," sponsored by the Sunlight Foundation and endorsed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. This is often easier for the Speaker to talk about than to actually put into practice.
• David Sirota, who lives in Montana, writes for The Huffington Post (2/13/07): "Capitol Hill Junior High, Or How Media Kool Kids Try to Bar Access to Your Government." He compares Montana's open meetings access to the legislative process to Washington's closed political party caucuses, where deliberations and discussions are secret. I do not, however, see this changing any time soon.
• Facing South - Blogging for a Progressive South (2/13/07): "Live updates on Waxman hearing fireworks." On the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform's hearings on military contracting. What a mess!

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