js7a's Journal: Republicans Too Scared To Give Conyers a Room

Judiciary GOP pulls the plug on Conyers 'forums'
by Albert Eisele and Jeff Dufour
The Hill
June 14, 2005

If the Financial Services Committee is the best in the House when it comes to bipartisan comity, then the Judiciary Committee may well be the worst.

In December, ranking Democrat John Conyers (Mich.) began holding "forums" -- gatherings with all the trappings of official hearings -- after Chairman James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) refused to hold hearings on topics Conyers requested. The forums have been held in smaller committee rooms, often with C-SPAN coverage and formal witness lists.

In a sign of how far relationships on the committee have soured, majority staff recently announced a new policy to deny any request from a committee Democrat for the use of a committee hearing room.

Majority spokesman Jeff Lungren said the Republicans have given Democrats three opportunities to make clear that the forums are not official committee business. Nevertheless, Lungren said, in at least one case, members were addressing Conyers as "Mr. Chairman."

"They were unwilling or unable to make those changes," Lungren said. "At this point, if they want to hold these forums, they'll have to find some other place to do it."

Sean McLaughlin, deputy chief of staff for Sensenbrenner, recently wrote to a minority staffer in more pointed language.

"I'm sitting here watching your 'forum' on C-SPAN," McLaughlin wrote. "Just to let you know, it was your last. Don't bother asking [for a room] again."

A committee source said committee Democrats are still planning to hold the forums when they find other available space.

I believe a hearing on the steps of the Capitol would be in order under these circumstances. Lets see if they try to get the Park Police out!

Downing Street Memo Rally

[dave-tx]

Tomorrow's hearings will be in the Wasserman Room at 430 S Capitol St. SE, Washington, D.C. Hopefully CSPAN will cover.

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/modules.php?op= m odload&name=News&file=article&sid=155 [afterdowningstreet.org]

http://pdamerica.org/misc/downing-street-email.php [pdamerica.org]

"PDA is working with our allies to organize a hearing and rally in Washington, DC on June 16th to focus attention on the Minutes..."

Who knows if this will garner any media attention, but if I wasn't 1500 miles away, I'd probably

Re:Downing Street Memo Rally

[js7a]

I just got off the phone with CSPAN and they said they would cover it. It hasn't been raining in the past week, but Capitol steps hearings aren't likely until the temperature drops below the high 90s(!) that the CSPAN receptionist was describing.

Re:Downing Street Memo Rally

[dave-tx]

Thanks for the update - I'll be sure to set my tivo up to grab it.

I'm still wondering what it will take for the mainstream press to grab this story and run with it. I hope this will really get the ball rolling.

Re:Downing Street Memo Rally

[pocketfullofshells]

I just submitted a story about it. Hopefully it makes it, I tried to craft it well.