In a wide-ranging interview, Congressman Peter DeFazio (D-Oregon) discussed the Democratic presidential primary contest, the ongoing occupation of Iraq, the sudden resignation of Adm. William Fallon and the recent revelations about the Bush administration's surveillance programs.

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    Serving in his eleventh term, DeFazio is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and has been a leading critic of Bush administration policy. DeFazio serves on three committees in the House: Homeland Security, Natural Resources and Transportation and Infrastructure.

    As we discussed in our interview, DeFazio is concerned about the infighting between Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton in their contest to become the Democratic Party's nominee for president. He wrote a letter to both senators urging them to compete with each other to prove who can better take on the Republicans in the general election by targeting Republican nominee Sen. John McCain with their attacks.

    DeFazio is in a powerful position as a "Super Delegate," one of almost 800, who could ultimately decide the outcome of the nomination contest. "In the end, it is the candidate who can take the fight to McCain and win that deserves my support and, most importantly, the support of the Democratic Party," DeFazio said in his letter.

    Our interview also addressed the abrupt resignation of Adm. William Fallon, who, until March 11, served as the head of US Central Command and oversaw the ongoing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. A strongly worded feature story in Esquire magazine painted Fallon as the main roadblock to war with Iran.

    DeFazio said military action against Iran would be "the ultimate disaster."

    We also discussed the Wall Street Journal report that revealed a massive hidden spy apparatus similar to the Total Information Awareness program. DeFazio said it is up to members of the House Intelligence Committee to investigate the legality of the program.

    The Bush administration has been working on a Status of Forces Agreement with the government of Iraq in an attempt to "tie the hands of the next president," according to DeFazio. A previous report on the subject by Truthout's Maya Schenwar can be viewed here.

    More information about DeFazio's work in Congress can be found at his web site.

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