As usual, most of my links coming via Shakespeare’s Sister. With butterflies. I’ve got butterflies going on this morning.
I”ll be here this afternoon watching the hearing at 2:30. (It is at 2:30, not 2:00.)
Downing Street Minutes and Pre-War Intelligence
U.S. House of Representatives, Conyers, J. (D-MI)
Washington, District of Columbia (United States)
ID: 187209 – 06/16/2005 – 2:00 – nsConyers, John Jr., U.S. Representative, D-MI
Bonifaz, John C., Founder, National Voting Rights Institute
Wilson, Joseph, Deputy Chief of Mission (1988-91), Iraq
McGovern, Ray, Member, Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity
Sheehan, Cindy, MotherRep. John Conyers, Jr., and other Democrats hold a public meeting concerning the “Downing Street Memo” and pre-war intelligence on Iraq.
On May 1, 2005 a Sunday London Times article disclosed the details of a classified memo, also known as the “Downing Street Minutes”, recounting the minutes of a July 2002 meeting of Prime Minister Tony Blair with his advisers that depicted an American president already committed to going to war in the summer of 2002, despite contrary assertions to the public and the Congress. The minutes also described apparent efforts by Bush administration officials to manipulate intelligence data in order to justify the war to the international community.
CNN’s interview with John Conyers.
Raw Story’s very helpful list of the DSM documents with links.
Americablog now has Downing Street Memo t-shirts. Hmmm. I could redo some of my DSM graphics and do Cafepress, but it means going in and making them print ready, as I did them just for monitor viewing. Big difference.
Awaken the Mainstream Media’s targets for the day
Great list of alternative press here for contacts.
Are those butterflies in my stomach I’m feeling or am I just tired? Well, I know I’m tired. It could be butterflies. That weakening, expanding lightness at the center. I don’t like it. Uncomfortable. If it doesn’t settle down before the hearing, will certainly quiet as soon as I tune into C-span online.
Here is Conyers’ schedule for today via his blog.
The pace will not let up tomorrow either. At 9am, I will be on C-Span’s Washington Journal for a half hour. Shortly after 10, I will be appearing on Stephanie Miller’s show to break some news I am very excited about. Finally, at a time to be determined, I will appear on the Al Franken Show at 12:15pm.
For those commenters who were concerned (or hoping) that there would be a media blackout of the forum, that will not be the case. I have every major network, other than Fox, bringing cameras to the hearing. Nightline is taping the event, which I think represents a welcome development from a well respected investigative program. In addition, C-Span 3 and Radio Pacifica are carrying it live.
Member interest in the hearing has been stellar and participation is expected to be very high. My friends Jerry Nadler, Maxine Waters, Chris Van Hollen, Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, Sheila Jackson Lee, Barbara Lee, Jim McDermott, Lynn Woolsey, Major Owens, barney Frank, Cynthia McKinney, Corrine Brown, Jay Inslee, and Charlie Rangel are all likely to attend. A number of other Members are attempting to adjust their schedules to attend as well.
There has been some confusion about where the event will be held. As some of you may be aware, the Republican majority on the Judiciary Committee will not allow me to use Committee space, as I have in the past, for this. As a result, I had to consider some other locations, all with pros and cons. In the end, I decided it was best to hold the hearing in the one official room that was available, a very small room in the basement of the Capitol (HC-9). I want the location to be one that is nonpartisan and one where any Republican member interested in attending can do so.
Consequently, the time of the hearing has been changed to 2:30pm. Because of the lack of seating, I have created an overflow room, where the public can listen to or watch the hearing in the Wasserman Room of the DNC on South Capitol Street. I want people coming to DC to know that it is highly unlikely they will be able to get a seat in the hearing room, it is THAT small.
Following the hearing, I will personally deliver a letter with stacks and stacks of signatures to the White House. This is the culmination of all of your efforts and I hope Thursday makes you very proud. I also hope at the end of the day tomorrow, we will all feel that the truth has begun to be known by more and more Americans and that we are all re-invigorated to do the critical work that comes next.
To review, here are the details:
WHAT: Democratic Hearing on Downing Street Minutes and Pre-war intelligence
WHEN: Thursday, June 16, 2005, 2:30pm
WHERE: HC-9 The Capitol
(Overflow Room – 430 S. Capitol Street, SE – The Wasserman Room)WITNESSES: Joe Wilson, Former Ambassador and WMD Expert
Ray McGovern, 27-year CIA analyst who prepared regular Presidential briefings during the Reagan administration
Cindy Sheehan, mother of fallen American soldier
John Bonifaz, renown constitutional lawyer
Are those butterflies I’m feeling? Maybe. Definitely. Hope my Cspan stream holds out. Sometimes it will get funky. There’s always Radioleft.
Butterflies. Sound like they should be a good funsy feeling, don’t they. Snuck up on me. Not at all anticipated. No hint of them when I got up or yesterday. Then as I began this post, blam.
Anyway, that’s where I’ll be at 2:30 EST. Cspan 3 online. The moment the stream starts the butterflies will stop. Will be a good feeling knowing I’m listening at the same time many friends are. Husband will be at the studio listening to music. Son will be running back and forth wanting food and this and that and PBS on. And I’ll be saying, “Yes, I’ll get you some milk, just a minute, just a minute. Yes, crackers, just a minute. Yes, whatever, just a minute. Ok, now. Yes. Wait. Ok, yeah, now, I’m getting it now.” My own mundane situation, the setting for my listening. My computer is one step away from the crackerbox small kitchen. I’ll be back and forth between it and the broadcast. Milk, Cspan. Peanut butter, Cspan.
