Political Skullduggery

Congress's return tomorrow from its August recess marks the end of summer and the beginning of the "season of reports," as outgoing White House spokesman Tony Snow jokingly dubbed it.

On Wednesday, the House Armed Services Committee holds a hearing on the Government Accountability Office's Iraqi Government Assessment. That document concludes, according to reports on a draft last week, that Iraq has failed to meet 15 of 18 congressionally mandated benchmarks for political and military progress. Comptroller General David Walker will testify.

The following day, Armed Services holds a joint hearing with the House Foreign Affairs Committee, looking forward to the upcoming report on Iraq from the top American commander in Iraq, Gen. David H. Petraeus, and U.S. ambassador to Iraq Ryan C. Crocker. Set as witnesses at the Thursday hearing are former defense secretary William Perry, retired Army Maj. Gen. John Batiste and retired Army Gen. John M. Keane.

Later Thursday, the House Armed Services Committee will hold a hearing on the report on Iraqi security forces, written by a commission chaired by retired Marine Gen. James L. Jones. ...

The House takes up the Bush administration's warrantless surveillance program in two separate committee hearings. The Judiciary Committee will address civil rights and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act on Wednesday. A day later, the Homeland Security Committee will consider domestic use of spy technology.