Democrat seeks to end standoff

THE WASHINGTON TIMES ^ | 14 Nov 03 | By Brian DeBose

[.cnI redruM]

The ranking Democrat on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence demanded that the Republican chairman let go of any sore feelings about a leaked memo politicizing prewar Iraqi intelligence and let the committee get back to work.

Intelligence committee business has been stalled for two weeks since the internal memo was leaked to Fox News, Sen. John D. Rockefeller IV of West Virginia said in a letter to committee Chairman Pat Roberts of Kansas. Mr. Rockefeller asked Mr. Roberts to begin conducting joint hearings on committee business next week.

[Sal]

Right! An apology does NOT get him off the hook for treason. Especially when they show all signs of continuing their treason.

It would be wrong--and a danger to our country--to allow these traitors ANY further access to our national security intelligence IMO.

[.cnI redruM]

Basically, the GOP needs to do the following.

1) Every time a Senate Dem grows obnoxious, reread the memo in a well-publicized forum.

2) Counter-filibuster every time they hold up a judicial nominee. A prominent feature of every one of these filibusters should be a rereading of the memo.

3) Start running adds in West Virginia where the memo is read in it's entirenty. Repeatedly tell the people of WVA exactly what their junior senator is doing.

4) Repeat items 1-3 until Senator Rockefeller resigns and becomes citizen Rockefeller instead. That would help move things along a bit.

[Monti Cello]

The Republicans had better develop a strategy to cut the Dems off at the knees on these issues.

They have tried to alert the public on the gravity of the issue, but the press easily plays it off and changes the subject. The strategy of pointing at the Dems and hollering 'where's the outrage?' is a proven loser. It is not for the general populace to rise up and defend Republican committee members when they get snookered.

It is up to the Republicans to simply screw certain Dems as hard as they can and force the Dems to raise the issue to the public when the pain gets too much. The Dems have no problem upsetting the 'gentleman's club' atmosphere when it gets them mileage. The Dems will be begging for gentlemanly rules when this is dealt with properly.

[Judith Anne]

I have to agree with you.

But I still want those emails, faxes, and phone calls to the Senators to demand Rockefeller's resignation.

In wartime, declassifying intelligence to use in leaks for political gain is, in my opinion, clearly TREASON, and that is exactly what the memo called for.

[expatpat]

I have a simpler strategy:

1. Suspend all committee operations until after next November's elections. All they are doing is making mischief, anyway.

[SolidSupplySide]

He [Senator Roberts] said the memo prejudges the committee's inquiry into President Bush's statement in his State of the Union Address indicating Saddam Hussein was seeking uranium from Niger to pursue a nuclear weapons program in Iraq.

I find it surprising that Senator Roberts would mention President Bush's reference to 'uranium from Niger' in his State of the Union address. After all, President Bush never mentioned Niger in the SOTU.

[.cnI redruM]

Sen. Roberts may or may not be to the right of John McPain. I'm not quite sure.

[MamaLucci]

you just watch. Roberts will cowtow to him and agree to continue without any corrective - or punishment measures - being taken.

THAT had better not happen, or this lifelong Republican will become an Independent.
I'm tired of being "represented" by wussies.

[MamaLucci]

DeKnees Rich is back in the news, as well....

[G.Mason]

I sent the following snail mail earlier this week.

Perhaps there are those here who will do the same?

Office of Senator Bill Frist
10/10/03 461 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Senator Frist:

I, as a citizen of these great United States, write to advise you of my concern about the “memo” from the Senate Intelligence Committee.

From all indications it seems this is being swept under the rug. It would seem we are not only at war with terrorists, we have them in our government.

Don’t you believe it's past time to shut down the "Senate Intelligence Committee", realign and get some Americans in there?

When elected officials place their individual ideology ahead of the security of our nation, especially in a time of war, it is time they are removed.

Thank you,

[MinuteGal]

How so? Do you have a link?

Bad pennies all show up again, don't they?

Thanks,

Leni

[Zack Nguyen]

Mr. Bush was quoting from a British intelligence report, which later was found to be erroneous.

No true. The British, as far as I know, have continually insisted that the report is true.

[mo]

look for the cash to DNC ? Soros re payment for this kind of attempts at unseating Dubya?

[MamaLucci]

Here ya go, Leni

[.cnI redruM]

Once again, the inconvenient details go burning down the memory hole.

[MinuteGal]

Thanks, Mama. I'm not optimistic the feds will go after her again. I'll stay tuned.

Leni

[SolidSupplySide]

I intended to criticize Reuters, not Senator Roberts. I'm sure Reuters inserted the claim about Niger on their own and Senator Roberts, like President Bush, never uttered the word 'Niger'.

[MamaLucci]

I'm not optimistic the feds will go after her again.

I'm not either, but some of the Clinton "loose ends" sure are
coming out of the woodwork lately, and perhaps one of them will unravel.
Hope springs eternal. :)

[thoughtomator]

Don't get your hopes up!

"They want to pretend like it didn't happen and they don't want to acknowledge the sentiments in the memo and the chairman is not willing to accept that yet."

Emphasis added. Translation: "We're just stringing along the party faithful, but when push comes to shove, we're not only fully prepared to cave, but eager to."

[talleyman]

Good idea - I just emailed him this:

Dear Senator Roberts,
As a patriotic American, I demand that Rockefeller be expelled from the Committee. He is clearly interested only in injuring our President, and doesn't give a damn about our country.
As to his letter claiming "There are pressing matters before our committee that need immediate attention. Not just the investigation into prewar intelligence on [weapons of mass destruction] but also the nuclear threat from North Korea and Iran, the insurgency in Iraq and the growing threat of al Qaeda around the world," NONE of those issues was as important, apparently as his political scheming and back-stabbing. Since, to this day, he refuses to acknowledge that his memo and strategy were wrong, he cannot be trusted with sensitive information. It is time he went the way of "Leaky Leahy". Don't back down! Our security depends on this!