House Democrats to get Republicans on Record Supporting the Gannon/Guckert Scam

At last! The House Democrats plan to force the Republicans to support the Gannon/Guckert scam. The following is from Raw Story.

Democrats set to play new card in ‘Gannon’ scandal
By John Byrne RAW STORY Editor

House Democrats say they will force a vote in the House Judiciary Committee to put the Republican majority on the record with regards to investigating discredited White House correspondent Jeff Gannon who allegedly had access to confidential information, including a memorandum naming CIA operative Valerie Plame, RAW STORYhas learned.

The procedure, called a Resolution of Inquiry, will be directed to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and departing Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge, senior House aides say. Ridge has jurisdiction over the Secret Service, which is responsible for presidential security; Gonzales oversees the FBI, whose databases are used for criminal background checks.

The resolution requests all documents on how Gannon was personally cleared and repeatedly allowed access to the White House, aides tell RAW STORY. It also calls for any information the departments have on White House policies about how an applicant would go about getting clearance in general. Among those supporting the resolution include ranking Judiciary Committee Democrat Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), ranking Rules Committee Democrat Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY) and ranking Government Reform Committee Democrat Henry Waxman (D-CA). Other Judiciary Democrats are also expected to sign on.

The Judiciary Committee will be forced to decide whether to demand that all records from the respective agencies relating to Gannon’s credentialing be turned over to Congress.

If the Committee does not vote after fourteen legislative days, the resolution goes to the floor for a vote of the full House.

Democrats used this maneuver before, in Feb. 2004, to force four House committees to vote on whether to demand the Justice Department, the State Department and the Department of Defense released all documents relating to the outing of Valerie Plame.

Largely along party lines, the Republican-led committees quashed the resolution.

Democrats expect Republicans to vote down the new measure, but feel it might provide leverage in future Congressional elections, as it will force members to go on the record as to whether they support the investigation and its relation to the outed CIA operative.

This isn't going to get any investigation through the House, but it will put an issue on the table to beat the Republicans with in 2006. Both the investigation and defeating the Republicans are important.