Schumer Wants to Know Motivation Behind NSA Leak

FOXNews.com ^ | 2 January 2006

[Aussie Dasher]

WASHINGTON — The investigation into who leaked information about a National Security Agency secret wiretapping program on potential terror suspects needs to focus on the motivation behind the leak, a Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee said Sunday.

"There are differences between felons and whistleblowers, and we ought to wait 'til the investigation occurs to decide what happened," Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., told "FOX News Sunday."

The Justice Department on Friday opened an investigation into who leaked the information about the program, sparking debate over its threat to national security and presidential powers versus civil liberties.

The program, first revealed Dec. 16 by The New York Times, has used surveillance to review phone conversations and e-mails inside the United States without court warrants since after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

President Bush defended the program on Sunday, saying it is necessary and legal to prevent future terrorist attacks.

[ThreePuttinDude]

A long list of celebraty tokers. "W"s look is pretty funny.

[muawiyah]

Again, you and many others are assuming this was an inside job at NSA or that some Senator or Representative in the know told the NYT.

What's wrong with thinking that it could be a case of old fashioned espionage, conducted by a foreign nation, or possibly even the NYT?

[Mike Darancette]

Schumer's whistle blower better surface soon, If the FBI gets hold of the leaker first the leaker will go to jail and Schumer won't be able to save him.

[ThreePuttinDude]

celebraty = celebrity

DOH

[Lancey Howard]

Translation: "If, and I mean if, the leak originated with a Democrat Senator, Representative, or staffer, then it was a whistleblow, not a felony."

[KC_for_Freedom]

Listening to Chuck, it crossed my mind that he and a lot of others already know the leak source, and are concerned now with the fate of the leaker. If the Americans did not agree with the president on this issue (on the need for the surveilance), the democrats would likely be much more smug. But Chuck appeared ready to acknowledge that the leak investigation would find the perp, and it sounded a lot to me that we will find it is someone in the NSA at a lower level who decided on their own that this was more privacy invasion than they could handle, and sought to find a friendly ear. None inside, so they went outside. Just a guess, but time will tell.

[A.A. Cunningham]

Pin the tail on the leaker(s).

[victim soul]

Motivation:

If Sandy Berger can get away with it, why not try leaking classified info?

[WilliamofCarmichael]

There are differences between felons and whistleblowers

I robbed the bank to blow the whistle on the lack of security at that bank, that's all. Now can I go home?

Rat agitators at work.

[MarkL]

Sort of like the headline, "Fox shocked that the hen-house was broken into!"

Mark

[river rat]

I don't give a damn what the "motivation" was!
Just like I didn't give a damn WHY the Islamic lunatics attacked us on 9/11.....

The current "leak" scandal CLEARLY represents A CRIME...
The CRIME may rise to the level of TREASON..
TREASON in time of WAR can result in DEATH....

Screw Schumer and all the "apologist" .....
I simply want to see the LAW applied....
ESPECIALLY if the "leaker" was a "Politician" or "Civil Servant".

These are precisely the same bastards that snatched defeat from the jaws of victory in Vietnam....

Time for them to step up to the gallows....

Semper Fi

[FreedomCalls]

I thought it was already pretty much decided that Senator Rockefeller leaked it?

“According to those officials and others, reservations about aspects of the program have also been expressed by Senator John D. Rockefeller IV, the West Virginia Democrat who is the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, and a judge presiding over a secret court that oversees intelligence matters. Some of the questions about the agency’s new powers led the administration to temporarily suspend the operation last year and impose more restrictions, the officials said.”

It does seem to suggest that Senator Rockefeller and “a judge presiding over a secret court that oversees intelligence matters” were sources for this leak, Strata hints. In fact, if Strata is right, Gonzales may already know that, for Strata adds that press reports to the contrary notwithstanding, Judge Robertson, an activist liberal judge, probably didn’t “resign,” but rather was suspended for that very reason.

[Jet Jaguar]

Get him.

[Logical me]

The JD should investigate Schumer since he seems to be up to speed on the leaker/leaker's identy. My suggestion to the RATS is to shut up or your a@@ will be sitting in a chair opposite an investigator. On second thought, keep talking.

[muawiyah]

The more confident Chucky seems the less likely he is to know anything about the topic.

He's just that way. Plus, he lies a lot.

[Loud Mime]

In other words, if a democrat leaked it its whistleblowing; if a republican leaked it its felonious. Chucky is such a dweeb. I wonder if he is the leaker himself???

You know something? You have it so right!

[Loud Mime]

If his hands were together and a little lower, he would qualify as a leaker....

ewww...

[LexBaird]

Hey, Chucky! If you bothered to read the Dem Strategy memos put out by Jay Rockefeller, you'd already know the motivation.

[oldenuff2no]

"If Sandy Berger can get away with it, why not try leaking classified info?"

You got that right.

I don't care who leaked this, they should be prosecuted.It's the same if they are off or Bush's staff, or a Democratic house member, they should hang them out to dry.