This is Why We Put People Under Oath

I commented last week about how useless it was for the Republicans to bring the Oil Company CEO's in to appear before congress and then refuse to swear them in.

It is precisely because of this - Document Says Oil Chiefs Met With Cheney Task Force

The document, obtained this week by The Washington Post, shows that officials from Exxon Mobil Corp., Conoco (before its merger with Phillips), Shell Oil Co. and BP America Inc. met in the White House complex with the Cheney aides who were developing a national energy policy, parts of which became law and parts of which are still being debated.

It is no surprise that Cheney would lie. That is what he does. It is like asking a dog not to bark. He has always claimed that oil companies were not involved or consulted in his energy plan. But, it also appears that Republicans gave the oil execs a chance to lie also before congress, also. When the CEO's were specifically asked bout the issue, they all said either "no" or "I don't know."

Why would Cheney lie about this? Because the law states that when non-governmental persons participate in a government task force, the notes of that task force must be made public. The intent is to stop under the table or closed door deals because we get to see what private citizens are advising the government on. But then again, transparency in government has never been a big concern to the Bush administration.