We learned yesterday that the CEOs of the nation’s leading oil companies weren’t entirely honest with the Senate when they were asked about their role in Dick Cheney’s secretive energy task force. Not surprisingly, after learning of the discrepancies, Senate Dems pulled no punches.
Senate Democrats on Wednesday urged that oil company executives be summoned back to Capitol Hill to testify — this time under oath — about whether they participated in Vice President Dick Cheney’s energy policy task force.
Democrats also said they wanted to ask more questions about the industry’s record profits at a time of high energy prices.
Actually, that’s just the beginning. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), who posed the task-force question in the first place, pressed the Justice Department to launch an “immediate criminal investigation” into whether the executives lied to Congress
As a political matter, this seems more like a controversy for the oil companies than the White House. It was, after all, the CEOs who apparently avoided the truth during the hearing, not Cheney. On the other hand, Lautenberg raised a good question yesterday that shifts the focus a bit: “What went on at these secret White House meetings that may be motivating oil company executives to deny their participation?” Hmm.
To be sure, Dems aren’t going to let this slide. Sens. Pete V. Domenici (R-N.M.) and Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) sent a joint letter to each of the five CEOs yesterday asking them to “clarify” their Senate testimony.
I can’t wait to see their responses.