What would happen if Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) let his talented investigative team loose on the DoD?
As part of our continuing series of guest posts from muckrakers, here’s Laura Rozen of the muckraking blog War & Piece on what we might have to look forward to:
The Democrats may not pick up the House or the Senate come November, but thereâs likely to be some penetrating investigations emanating from the Hill come January anyway. Thatâs when Sen. John McCain is scheduled to assume the chair of the Senate Armed Services committee â and heâs bringing his chief Indian Affairs Committee investigator Pablo Carrillo with him; Carillo, you will remember, led the investigation that helped methodically take down the house built by Jack Abramoff (See their final report here).
Over at Armed Services, whatâs there that McCain might want to investigate? Not clear, but the committee oversees the Department of Defense, the organization with the single largest budget in the world. McCainâs Senate website publicizes his recent support for an independent review of Army Corps projects, and for more transparency in federal funding, including a searchable database that would list each entity receiving federal funding.
And the former POW in Vietnam and prospective 2008 GOP presidential candidate has led Senate opposition to fuzzy Bush administration guidelines on detainee treatment issues, and in that regard, has held his ground pushing back against the Vice President officeâs expansive view of executive power. Interesting revelations may await, and more healthy tensions between the executive and the Congress.