Telling the Truth, Oil Executive style

Democratic senators (last week): Um, so, we should really pull out that bible and swear in under oath these oil executives that we're investigating, right? You know, just like when we have the nice baseball players come in?

Republican senators: Naaah, there's really, um, no need for that. Don't bother. You guys are cool, right? Just, you know, tell us the truth, mmkay?

Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska: "There is nothing in the standing rules of our committee or the Senate which requires witnesses to be sworn. These witnesses … are aware that making false statements and testimony is a violation of federal law whether or not an oath has been administered."


NOW, after the releases of documents showing that these executives DID in fact participate in an "energy task force" with Dick "I Eat Babies" Cheney in 2001 to come up with ways to give back massages to the oil industry, the direct denials these executives gave, straight-faced but Not Under Oath, to Congress last week look a little stinky.

Space Captain Harry Reid's got an idea. "Hey, guys, what about that oath thing we were talking about the other day?"

From Reuters:

Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada said the
executives should return to Washington and set the record
straight.

They should 'be brought back to the Congress, sworn in, and forced to testify again about their involvement with Vice
President Cheney's secretive energy task force and all of the issues covered in the hearing,' Reid said."

Fuck yeah!

By the way. Lying to congress - even while not under oath - is apparently punishable by 5 years jailtime.