Dennis menaces the oil industry

This morning, I actually turned on C-Span.

I try to avoid this - honestly, I'd be better off avoiding all news these days, it gives me nightmares - but today was going to be special. Monica Goodling was scheduled to speak before the House Judiciary Committee, and Dennis Kucinich planned to speak for an entire hour about Congressional and White House efforts to privatize the oil of Iraq.

I somehow missed the Goodling testimony (although I suspect it will pop up on YouTube any moment,) but I did catch the tail end of Dennis' presentation. All I can say is - wow - this man is "Elliot Ness goes to Congress." His talk was carefully researched and crafted, harrowingly specific, named a vast assortment of sources, facts, numbers, dollars - and pointed fingers.

If this remarkable hour of 'truthiness' makes it to YouTube, I will definitely post the entire video here on this blog, because honestly everyone should see it.

Wonder what we're really doing in Iraq? Dennis lays it all out.

You already knew it was about the oil - the Baker Group even admitted that much. But the entire web of facts and figures behind the lies; the greed and deceit that the Cheney administration wove into an open war of aggression against Iraq -- well, let me just say that the sum total of this indictment will blow your mind.

Sometimes reality is more riveting even than Hollywood. And a lot more frightening.

UPDATE: There is literally no news coverage, anywhere, about his hour long talk. It seems to have been completely blacked out. I found one blurb about it in 'The Hill,' and the writer even mentioned that the members of the House ignored him when he spoke.

And we wonder why this war will never end.

Kucinich blasts efforts to ‘privatize’ Iraq’s oil
By Mike Soraghan
May 23, 2007

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio), a fervent Iraq war opponent and dark horse presidential candidate, claimed an hour of floor time Wednesday to criticize Iraq’s hydrocarbon law.

Kucinich argued that the proposed law would privatize Iraqi oil. He said the Iraq supplemental expected to pass the House tomorrow sets passage of the law as a benchmark the Iraqi government must meet. He says that provision should be removed.

“We must not be a party to any attempt by multi-national oil companies to take over Iraq’s oil resources,” he said. “This is an outrageous exploitation of a nation torn apart by American intervention.”

His declarations went largely ignored. No one sought to intervene, and when he was done, the House quickly moved to a non-controversial bill revising the boundaries of The Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site.

Yeah. Carl Sandburg would be rolling in his grave at the sight of these congressional cowards ditzing around with his home at a time like this.

Fortunately, Dennis has it all printed up and out on his website. Even the visual aids! Hopefully video coming soon. When I find one, I'll post it.

Keep the faith Dennis. Lincoln would support you -- hell, Lincoln would have been standing up there next to you - and I hear he was one hell of an orator, as Sandburg would no doubt tell you.

Sometimes I wish we could bring Abe back - just for a few hours - and set him loose, so he could knock the cobwebs off the rafters in that stale congressional chamber. He'd wake em up. I swear - after all of these years of reading his letters and speeches, I can almost hear him, railing against this lobbyist corruption. He left a lot of quotes and letters -- its not hard to imagine what he'd be saying, and how loudly he'd be saying it, if only he were here today.

But we've got you Dennis. Thankfully, we've at least got you to speak for us.


UPDATE 5/26/2007: I can't find a video of his presentation in the House. This is the closest thing I can find... apparently, Dennis has been trying to get this news out for a long, long time.