The major weak point was the review of Long Beach. . . . delinquencies are up 140% and foreclosures close to 70%. . . . First payment defaults are way up and the 2005 vintage is way up relative to previous years. It is ugly.

The reforms that were enacted 10 years ago made improvements in both lobbying disclosure and Congressional gift requirements.

Thank you for holding these hearings so promptly, as Senator Lieberman has pointed out.

I think it is our highest duty to state what we believe will contribute to the security of the United States. And if we think the president's proposals and his approach does not contribute to our security, I believe it is our…

I think his political organization clearly profited from those oil sales which violated the U.N. program.

Well, I think he acknowledged that his political organization got significant contributions from his Jordanian partner and agent, a man named Zureikat.

The next step here is to look at what is the U.S. failure in terms of enforcing that U.N. program.

Not really, because the case against Galloway is the -- basically the case against him for his political organization receiving significant contributions from that Jordanian, who obtained a lot of money as a result of those oil allocations.

Can you tell us approximately how many of those NSLs have been issued? Is it in the hundreds a year?

I think we've fallen short in Congress of carrying out those responsibilities and I very much welcome your statement of support.

The morning paper tells us that the State Department has decided to drop from its annual report the number of serious international terrorist incidents that occurred during the previous year.

We ought to go after any acts of terrorism or support of acts of terrorism with all of our might.

So, you cannot be investigated as an American citizen under either 214 or 215 solely on that basis.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I'm wondering whether--and I'll ask each of you--whether or not you were consulted by the State Department prior to this important information being dropped.

I do think we want somebody who will call them as he or she sees them in terms of intelligence.

Yes, I do. I think we might as well get this behind us and not just have this leak out two or three pictures at a time.

The pictures convinced me there was a concerted organized effort to extract information from Iraqi prisoners and the abuses were not individual acts.

Well, they were even another level of horror above the previous ones.

American lives are going to be in danger unless we clean house and hold people accountable at whatever levels for what happened here.

The despicable actions described in General Taguba's report not only reek of abuse, they reek of an organized effort and methodical preparation for interrogation.

The collars used on prisoners, the dogs and the cameras did not suddenly appear out of thin air. These acts of abuse were not the spontaneous actions of lower ranking enlisted personnel who lacked the proper supervision.

Actions must follow. Accountability must follow.

the case raises serious questions about military justice.

two Democratic Senators want an investigation into the Pentagon's treatment of Army Captain James Yee.