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Reid cites FBI file on judicial pick [Big no-no]
WASH TIMES ^ | 5-13-05 | Charles Hurt

Posted on 05/13/2005 4:59:18 AM PDT by OXENinFLA

Minority Leader Harry Reid strayed from his prepared remarks on the Senate floor yesterday and promised to continue opposing one of President Bush's judicial nominees based on "a problem" he said is in the nominee's "confidential report from the FBI."

Those highly confidential reports are filed on all judicial nominees, and severe sanctions apply to anyone who discloses their contents. Less clear is whether a senator could face sanctions for characterizing the content of such files.

"Henry Saad would have been filibustered anyway," Mr. Reid said on the floor yesterday, about the Michigan Appeals Court judge who is nominated to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit.

"All you need to do is have a member go upstairs and look at his confidential report from the FBI, and I think we would all agree that there is a problem there," Mr. Reid continued.

Republican staff members and supporters of Mr. Bush's nominees were outraged.

"Can you think of a better way to trash someone's reputation?" Sean Rushton of the conservative Committee for Justice asked after seeing a transcript of the remarks. "Say that there is bad stuff from an FBI investigation in a file somewhere and leave that hanging. This is character assassination of the lowest order and completely improper."

(Excerpt) Read more at washtimes.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Front Page News; Government; Politics/Elections; US: District of Columbia; US: Nevada
KEYWORDS: 109th; appallingdems; fbifile; fbifiles; filibuster; henrysaad; judges; judicialnominees; judiciary; reid; saad; ussenate
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To: FROGTOWN CONSERVATIVE

ABSOLUTELY!El Rushbo will be all over this like"White On Rice"!!


161 posted on 05/13/2005 7:49:25 AM PDT by bandleader
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To: bandleader

yeah , me also , Cisneros will do the Webb , but good S**T will splash on Sir Edmund Hillary Clinton


162 posted on 05/13/2005 7:50:57 AM PDT by Dad yer funny
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To: conservativecorner

Reid's membership in the Mormon Church is in contradiction to his actions as a Senator. Both bodies deserve better than Reid delivers.


163 posted on 05/13/2005 7:52:48 AM PDT by Loud Mime (Liberals are all heart, they care for everybody they care for and hate the rest.)
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To: Carolinamom

Thanks!


164 posted on 05/13/2005 7:53:54 AM PDT by Just A Nobody
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To: BeforeISleep

I went to C-span2 & all I saw was Jeffords. Thanks for the help.


165 posted on 05/13/2005 7:55:23 AM PDT by Just A Nobody
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To: OXENinFLA

" Reid should be censured for doing this."

You've got to be kidding. The country club republicans won't do anything...perhaps buy their Senate buddies another round of drinks.


166 posted on 05/13/2005 7:55:24 AM PDT by politicalwit (USA...A Nation of Selective Law Enforcement.)
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To: moose2004
This is the text of an e-mail I just sent to Senator Reid:

Hon. Senator Reid,

I just heard moments ago that you indiscreetly spoke in a public statement that there were concerns in the confidential FBI files of one of the President's nominees for a federal judgeship.

I can't begin to say how appalled I am. I have been consistently disappointed in your changing of positions on "up or down" votes for judges which you previously supported. I have been concerned about your calling the President a "loser."

At the news of your public defamation of an individual in such manner that he cannot publicly defend himself and inviting media scrutiny of what must obviously be a private and embarrassing matter, I am simply livid.

I am not one of your constituents. However, I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I understand that you are a member of the church and that you have held positions of lay leadership and authority within the Church. Surely anyone with such a background should understand the sensitivity of confidential information and the harm it could do. Surely any Church member should understand their obligation to be honest, to respect authority, to sustain duly elected officers of civil government.

I would be embarrassed to admit to anyone that you are a member of the Church. Which is more important, your party or your covenants? Your political clout or your priesthood? It is apparent that you covet your leadership position sufficiently to lie, defame, and slander. Shame on you.

I would not mind that you would have different political opinions. That is understandable. I am ashamed that you would use dishonesty, deception, and calumny to political advantage. I pray that you might muster sufficient loyalty to your religion that you would refrain from such activity. Jesus asked, "what will a man give in exchange for his soul." What have you given for yours? What have you received in return? Is it worth it?

Sincerely,

Greg West
167 posted on 05/13/2005 7:56:44 AM PDT by gregwest
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To: MisterRepublican

"Dingy Harry"(whom El Rushbo has frequently said resembles an Undertaker),has dug a DOOZY for himself!It's time for The Majority to roll him in!!


168 posted on 05/13/2005 7:56:45 AM PDT by bandleader
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To: quantim

I'm certain that after El Rushbo puts the boots to "Dingy Harry",we'll hear The Rats caterwauling for the re-instatement of"The Fairness Doctrine"!!


169 posted on 05/13/2005 7:59:01 AM PDT by bandleader
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To: RinaseaofDs
You're correct in what you say regarding Reid's actions. However, my "tacky" comment was in reference to this statement by a former Republican staffer (obviously with a personal agenda):

"Harry Reid is a disgrace to the Senate and to [his] Church of Latter-day Saints," said Manuel Miranda, who was forced to resign as a Republican Senate staffer after downloading files on judicial nominees from Democratic computer servers.

170 posted on 05/13/2005 7:59:18 AM PDT by Tax-chick (Every day is Mother's Day when you have James the Wonder Baby!)
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To: Justanobody

you're welcome


171 posted on 05/13/2005 8:01:23 AM PDT by firewalk
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To: SoVaDPJ
Could they mean that Saad doesn't have access to the Congressional file? Would there be a reason that he was somehow exempted from seeing his own file? Something here isn't right.

As I recall back in the 90s when the Dems (either Kennedy or that old marxist from Ohio -- can't recall his name now) released Clarence Thomas' FBI file to Nina Totenburg of National Public Radio. The distinction is the so-called "raw file" and any files created as a result of a formal FBI investigation.

A raw file is background information gathered via interviews with people who have known or worked with an individual. It could be anyone from your boss, co-workers, neighbors, old lovers, a high school teacher to the guy you beat up in 3rd grade. None of the information contained in a raw file is varified or placed in context unless the FBI feels that some charge or information gained requires further investigation. The raw file is really nothing but hear-say and is never released. Any follow up investigation (if there is one) becomes an official file that the target does have a right to see.

At least that is my memory of the explanation when Clarence Thomas' raw file was flashed all over the news because dirty Rat tricks.

172 posted on 05/13/2005 8:01:59 AM PDT by Ditto ( No trees were killed in sending this message, but billions of electrons were inconvenienced.)
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To: Bahbah
Reid may have opened an interesting can of worms. Maybe this peeking in FBI files goes on a lot more than people know.

My guess is that the people who are entitled to see the confidential material are blabbing the nature of its contents. It is also possible that peeking beyond the authorized distribution is going on.

I wonder what the formal protocol is. Are the reports marked "Secret" and tracked as to delivery and who obtains them? If so, what exactly is the legal duty to maintain confidentiality? If some Senators are breaking the law, will there be a prosecution? If not, why not?

According to this report, in the past the remedy for breaching confidentiality was withholding of future information disclosures.

FBI background reports -- even descriptions of FBI background reports -- are supposed to be confidential. In the early 1990s, the Judiciary Committee agreed to severely limit access to FBI background checks after the first President Bush, angry at leaks during the Clarence Thomas confirmation fight, refused to give FBI information to the Senate. Since then, the reports have been made available only to members of the Judiciary Committee and a nominee's home-state senators, who in the case of Saad are Levin and Stabenow.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1402491/posts


173 posted on 05/13/2005 8:04:02 AM PDT by Cboldt
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To: OXENinFLA
Just heard on Laura Ingraham that the ONLY people that can view these files are those on the JUDICARY COMMITTEE.

Guess what.........REID is NOT on that committee!!!!

He had NO business even reading that file, much less commenting publicly on it.

174 posted on 05/13/2005 8:04:09 AM PDT by texasbluebell
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To: Bahbah

It was a presser, so I'm hoping that C-span will archive it so we can watch it later....


175 posted on 05/13/2005 8:06:07 AM PDT by OXENinFLA ("And that [Atomic] bomb is a filibuster" ~~~ Sen. Lieberman 1-4-95)
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To: Ditto

So Reid might have been looking at a raw file? That's even MORE horrifying to me. Maybe the FBI needs to look at old Harry?


176 posted on 05/13/2005 8:08:36 AM PDT by SoVaDPJ
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To: texasbluebell
He had NO business even reading that file, much less commenting publicly on it.

That's a fact. Last time the Judicary Committe breached its agreement to maintain confidentiality, President GH Bush refused to further confidential information. That seems to be the practical extent of the remedy/penalty.

Same stuff, different day. I expect nothing to come of this but minor embarassment to Reid.

177 posted on 05/13/2005 8:09:34 AM PDT by Cboldt
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To: Peach

No I missed that.

Is it just postponed due to her cancer?


178 posted on 05/13/2005 8:10:25 AM PDT by OXENinFLA ("And that [Atomic] bomb is a filibuster" ~~~ Sen. Lieberman 1-4-95)
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To: Cboldt; All

Whoa, whoa, wait a minute! Levin and Stabenow get to look at the files!?! They've been pitching a b*tch about this guy for awhile, haven't they? JMO, but there's the leak!


179 posted on 05/13/2005 8:11:23 AM PDT by SoVaDPJ
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To: Brilliant

Harry Reid is a morman? Hmm ...


180 posted on 05/13/2005 8:11:52 AM PDT by hawkaw
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