The Lang Report is proud and honored to publish this exclusive and very candid interview with my Congressman, the honorable Robert Wexler (D-Fl).

Robert Wexler has been representing Florida’s 19th congressional district, first in the Florida Senate from 1990 to 1996 and then as a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from1997 to the present.

I am proud to say that I live in Congressman Wexler’s district because he is one of the few politicians that has not forgotten who he works for and what an honor it is to do so. He is a tireless advocate for doing and not just saying the right thing in an environment where the spewing of repetitive sound bites is the standard operating procedure.

 

More recently Congressman Wexler, along with Rep. Dennis Kucinich, has been playing “David” to the Bush Administration’s “Goliath” by seeking justice through the impeachment process. These actions have been met with tremendous opposition from all sides and have required the kind of fortitude that President Kennedy described best in his book, “Profiles of Courage”

 

In mid December of 2007, Congressman Wexler launched a website (Wexlerwantshearings.com) to promote his effort for impeachment hearings. I just received a letter promising to schedule impeachment hearings immediately and not let the issue languish as it has over the last six months, He wrote that, “only through hearings can we bring begin to correct the abuses of Dick Cheney and the Bush Administration; and, if it is determined in these hearings that Vice President Cheney has committed High Crimes and Misdemeanors, he should be impeached and removed from office.”

 

Referring to the Congressional Oath of Office Rep. Wexler said it was the Duty of Congress to act. He is co-sponsoring and signed on June 10, 2008, Dennis Kucinich’s Articles of impeachment for George W. Bush, and stated: "President Bush deliberately created a massive propaganda campaign to sell the war in Iraq to the American people and the charges detailed in this impeachment resolution indicate an unprecedented abuse of executive power.

 

It is my admiration for those kinds of statements, followed by congruent and principled action that motivated me to write this article and publish these questions and Congressman Wexler’s written response to them.

 

TLR: In 2006, the Democrats told Americans that they had an opportunity to end the war in Iraq and reverse many of the errors of the Bush Administration if they would only cast their votes for any Democrat seeking a seat in Congress. They said "give us a mandate" so that we will have the power to affect real change. The public responded and overwhelmingly voted Democrat and nothing happened! They made fools out of themselves and the voters. What happened?

WEXLER: The American people voted Democrats into the majority because they wanted to end the war in Iraq and to bring real change to Washington. For years, Republicans controlled Congress and put special interests ahead of the needs of the American people.  The Republican majority’s priorities included an energy policy that widened profits for Big Oil, a prescription drug plan that catered to drug companies instead of senior citizens, and unwavering support for President Bush’s misguided and mismanaged war in Iraq. It is unfortunate that since winning the majority, Democrats have not ended this disastrous war.  However, it is also true that we do not have a veto proof majority, and many of Democratic initiatives – from cutting off funds to Iraq to passing a health care plan for millions of children – have been vetoed by a President who is unwilling to cooperate in a bipartisan way.  The American people need a President who will put them ahead of special interests and who is willing to work with both parties in Congress in order to get real things done. That is why I am such a vehement supporter of Barack Obama.

TLR:  How can Karl Rove continue to ignore a Congressional subpoena? Do you agree that by allowing him to do so destroys the credibility of the House Judiciary Committee which you are a member of?

WEXLER: It is unacceptable that Karl Rove has blatantly ignored efforts by the House Judiciary Committee to conduct oversight on the Bush Administration.  I was pleased that in the Miers-Bolten case, the courts clearly stated that former White House officials cannot choose to ignore congressional subpoenas. This was an important reaffirmation of the Judiciary Committee’s right to investigate, and I am hopeful that come September we will see the Judiciary Committee further its efforts to pursue accountability for the Bush Administration.

TLR:  It is the belief of many of our readers that aggressive campaign finance reform would open the door for significant change and give legislators, like yourself, who are serious about real change a chance to turn things around and truly represent their constituents. What is you position on campaign finance reform and would you be willing to rid government of lobbyists and special interest groups?

WEXLER: I was one of the earliest supporters of the seminal McCain-Feingold campaign finance law. However, I agree that there are still significant problems when it comes to how campaigns are funded. We need to be careful when we put good people in a bad system, and it is no surprise that some people end up taking advantage of that system. I am excited about the potential of the Internet and the so-called netroots to revolutionize the way campaigns are funded. You can already see this happening with people like Barack Obama who has relied more on the donations of regular people through the Internet. When more people are elected through the help of everyday Americans and not to special interests, the influence of those interests will slowly fade.

TLR: You have been extremely outspoken on many issues especially when it comes to holding George Bush and his administration accountable for it actions. We have heard Senator [SPEAKER] Pelosi and others give us an array of lame reasons why impeachment should not even be explored. How candid can you or will you be about why you are not getting full support from the Democrats in Congress?

WEXLER: Well, there are genuine differences of opinion about whether to pursue impeachment of this Administration. I respect my colleagues immensely, but I could not disagree more with the assessment that impeachment is unpopular, distracting, polarizing or somehow too politically dangerous to pursue.

TLR:  As you probably know, former Los Angeles Assistant D.A.Vincent Bugliosi has pledged to try Bush for murder and spend his retirement to that end. Time is running out on bringing the Bush administration to justice. In all honesty, what do you think can be accomplished in the remaining months and would you support some sort of investigation after he has left office?

WEXLER: I firmly believe that impeachment is not a matter of politics but a matter of protecting our Constitution. I do not consider timing a factor worthy of halting our efforts to preserve our nation’s precious system of checks and balances.  I have repeatedly said that impeachment does not end at the election of a new president. The abuses of the Bush Administration must not be allowed to become precedent for future presidents. Whether it takes place tomorrow or next year, it is important to investigate and document what has been done.

TLR:  As a taxpayer, I am always outraged whenever I read about what is ironically labeled as "pork", that is the billions of dollars requested by your peers for many times ridiculous projects that are buried into legitimate legislation. Unfortunately this is now consider "business as usual" when it should be outlawed as those funds could be spent for Universal Healthcare, Education and other citizens needs. When I was little I thought my family was rich because my father had one of those big check books in a 3-ring binder. It appears that that thinking is prevalent in Congress where they feel there is no limit to their ability to spend other people’s money. What can we do to reign in this kind attitude and action in Congress?

WEXLER: Under the Republican majority, earmark spending grew outrageously out of control. Republicans expressed no qualms with earmark spending when they were in power, but they have decided that it is now politically expedient for them to do so. When it comes to earmarks, Democrats have made good on their commitment to reducing them. I am proud that the Democratic majority has cut earmarks in half this Congress.  I completely support that effort and the equally important move to transparency throughout the earmarking process; however, it is important to remember that mixed in with the so-called "pork" projects and waste, there are many good projects like putting new cops on the streets in communities that desperately need them, reconstruction of bridges and infrastructure, new resources for our public schools, and other local projects that have the potential to better our communities.

TLR:  I have used the adage that "behavior does not lie" in measuring and judging myself and others. I mentioned in my introduction that my respect for you stems from you doing what you promise and practice what you preach. How can we hold more public servants accountable to their campaign promises and the responsibilities of their office?

WEXLER: As I said earlier, I think that the Internet and particularly the netroots activist community have a huge role to play here, and as more elected officials increase their own presence on the Internet, the power of Bloggers and activists to frame issues and shape policy will only increase. A big part of this will be holding government officials accountable to what they say and do.

TLR:  A current AP-Ipsos poll found that 82 percent of the American public said they were unhappy with Congress’ work. What, in your opinion are the reasons why that is so and what must be done to restore confidence in our system and its leaders?

WEXLER: I am not surprised that Americans are not satisfied with Washington’s performance.  It is obvious that they voted to see an end to the war in Iraq and accountability brought to the Bush Administration.  These poll numbers reflect their disappointment that without a veto proof majority, Democrats have been unable to force President Bush to begin a withdrawal of our troops. Many other crucial initiatives, such as putting an end to tax-payer subsidies to oil companies, or creating a new G.I. bill that truly puts our veterans on a path to economic success, have been met with vetoes or threats of vetoes.  President Bush is not running for reelection and has not displayed any desire to cooperate with Congress. His Administration has also showed blatant disregard for Congress by refusing to allow White House officials to appear before congressional committees. The truth is, we need transformational change in Washington in order to end this stalemate. Americans will not approve of Congress, or the President, until we have leadership in Washington that works together and finally accomplishes universal health care, energy independence, and a more responsible foreign policy