When Democrats gained majorities in both houses of congress in 2006, their was much cause for rejoice, not just because the conservative party could no longer set the agenda in Washington, but because congressional bulldogs such as California's Henry Waxman became chairs of powerful investigative committees.

We knew Waxman would open the investigations and he is turning all of our assumptions and instincts into statement of facts. Take George W. Bush's Iraq war for example. Waxman has begun to connect the dots on the "war for oil" assumption.

Check out this CBS News report about President Bush's denial of knowledge about an Iraqi oil deal with a U.S. contractor although his administration was apparently busy at work on behalf of the oil industrial complex.

• In September 2007, the Kurdish Regional Government, which runs the semi-autonomous region of Northern Iraq, announced that it had entered into an oil contract with U.S.-based Hunt Oil. The deal complicated negotiations over a revenue-sharing agreement and the Bush administration declared itself shocked at the news. "I know nothing about the deal," said President Bush.
  
  Documents uncovered by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform indicate that the White House probably shouldn't have been so surprised. Among the many pieces of evidence that the administration knew and approved of the deal:
  
  -- A Commerce Department official wished Hunt Oil officials "a fruitful visit to Kurdistan."
  
  -- A Hunt Oil general manager said he met with nine State Department officials and none expressed opposition.
  
  -- Five days after the announcement of the deal, a State Department official told Hunt officials about another "good opportunity in Iraq."

As Waxman displays real courage and leadership, I wonder how many more times can Waxman prove the president lies to the public?