Rep. Waxman: resident pit bull and muckraker

Republicans have been wondering how long it would take Henry Waxman (pictured), Democrat chairman of the oversight committee, to begin mucking about trying to dig up dirt on the Bush administration.

When Waxman finally got around to doing something, it was of little substance.

Waxman's oversight committee spent the week delving into government waste that ranged from spending in Iraq to federal drug program pricing -- inquests Republicans say mainly provided entertainment but no legislative action.

Some of the hearings of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform were strictly "a show," said Rep. Darrell Issa, a California Republican on the panel.

It would be more productive if Waxman would investigate some of the Democrat culture of corruption in the House of Representatives.

A good place to start would be Rep. William Jefferson from Louisiana. He is the congressman who tried to hide $85,000 bribe money in his home freezer. The bills had been marked by the FBI. So far the Democrats have been able to keep Jefferson’s bribery problems under the carpet. More on that story here.

Waxman should also check out Alcee Hastings the Democrat who was a judge in Florida until he was impeached in 1988 by the House and was removed from the bench by the Senate. He is now a member of the House of Representatives, taking his place among other corrupt Democrat members of congress. More on Alcee Hastings here.

Waxman’s “entertainment” story is here.