Congressional Hearings Quotes
Response to a freshman Congressman who could not understand why a House Debate was still continuing after all the issues seemed to have been aired.
The general principle applies to politicians consulting various experts in different ways.
She was testifying about the atrocities of the Iraqis in their invasion of Kuwait. However, this was completely fraudulent and deliberated orchestrated, the result of a huge campaign orchestrated by the Kuwait Embassy and Hill & Knowlton, America’s largest PR firm. She was actually the daughter of the Kuwaiti Ambassador to the United States. When she testified, she was only identified by her first name “Nayirah” with the explanation that if her last name were disclosed, her family in Kuwait would be the victims of Iraqi reprisals. She appeared all over America whipping up support for the First Iraq War. The image of the Kuwaiti babies being left to die on the hospital floor became the icon for support for the war. Ironically, there was more than ample justification for America’s role in the war without making up fictions like this. However this quotation to many is an example of the fraudulent schemes and lies that war advocates will resort to in order to manipulate public opinion.
The reason this quotation is famous is that Clapper answered “No, Sir”. 3 months later Edward Snowden disclosed the fact that the NSA was collecting some information from EVERY telephone call and e-mail made or sent in the United States. The colloquy became famous when the government tried to capture Snowden and try him for illegally revealing classified information when others saw him as a whistle blower who had told the truth and the guys who lied to Congress and the American people wanted to prosecute him.
The editorial was in response to Congressional hearings held by J. Parnell Thomas of the House Un-American Activities Committee whereby Hollywood producers and directors were questioned about their political beliefs.
Americans had never had the opportunity to see this committee in action before. While many Americans were intimidated, many were also very distressed to see how a Congressional Committee was abusing its power. And although the frightened Hollywood and network executive executives were intimidated into blacklisting Lawson and others, more and more Americans were lining up against this committee and Senator McCarthy’s committee in the Senate. This culminated in the Senate sanction of McCarthy and the discrediting of HUAC which never again had the influence that they had before this hearing.
This is an interesting historical quotation in that the same political environment existed in the first two decades of the 21st century. She was in particular referring to the slander that was commonly used by her fellow Republican, Senator Joseph P. McCarthy in his demagoguery. She was the first member of the Senate to Condemn McCarthy for his abuse and lies. Led by her example, the other senators got over their fear of McCarthy attacking them and the Senate Censured the Demagogue.
Galloway, a witness before the committee who had always criticized the American and British Policy of Iraq invasion to eliminate weapons of mass destruction, had also predicted the insurrection and resistance to the American and British occupation had been attacked by Coleman for taking campaign contributions from British Islamic terrorists—see {616260}. Coleman expected the typical American hearing behavior where Senators can berate witnesses who generally behave docilely in defending themselves. He was not used to the English style of political debate which is much more aggressive and Colemen was nonplussed when Galloway came up with this put down.
This was written when Wilson was a Professor. When he became President, his view of the importance of Congress and Congressional oversight diminished.
He was subpoenaed by the House Un-American Activities Committee where he was accused of being a Communist which he eloquently denied starting with this statement. He died of a heart attack 3 days later. However, most historians agree that White passed classified information to the Russians. He was accused of being a Communist, but there was never any evidence of that. Some people believe that he was a spy for the Russians and committed espionage, but others disagree observing that White was very much his own man and felt that much information that was classified never should have been. White substituted his own judgment, it is believed, about what could be given to the Russians for the security system. He was an admirer of what Russian socialism had accomplished economically, educationally and medically since the 1917 revolution deposing the Czar. Russia had been a valuable military ally, which had taken the brunt of both military and civilian casualties in WWII. White’s economics were certainly not Marxist but very much Keynesian.
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See {632333} for the offensive McCarthy attack on Zwicker.
