This Roberts guy looks like a straight shooter, and I think he just hit Rockefeller right between the eyes.
Posted on 12/20/2005 10:58:25 AM PST by slowhand520
Roberts Rakes Rockefeller - Tuesday, December 20, 2005 @ 12:53:30 PM
Yesterday, Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), co-chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee (and probable source of many leaks of secret information) released a hand-scrawled letter he had written to VP Cheney two years ago after being briefed on the NSA domestic intel effort. Rockefeller, trying to score political points, raised the letter as proof of his doubts about the NSA program, and that his hands were tied, unable to do anything about it. This morning, Intel Committee Chair Pat Roberts (R-KS) released this statement which blows Rockefeller out of the water:
"I am puzzled by the release yesterday of a July 2003 letter from Senator Rockefeller to the Vice President regarding the recently exposed intelligence collection program, which was authorized by the President shortly after September 11, 2001.
“In his letter and accompanying press statement, Senator Rockefeller asserts that he had lingering concerns about the program designed to protect the American people from another attack, but was prohibited from doing anything about it.
“A United States Senator has significant tools with which to wield power and influence over the executive branch. Feigning helplessness is not one of those tools.
“If Senator Rockefeller truly had the concerns he claimed to have had in his two and a half year old letter, he could have pursued a number of options to have those concerns addressed:
1. First, he could have discussed his concerns with me or other Members of Congress who had been briefed on the program. He never asked me or the Committee to take any action consistent with the “concerns” raised in his letter.
2. Second, he could have raised objections with the Vice President during one of the many briefings we received. I have no recollection of Senator Rockefeller objecting to the program at the many briefings he and I attended together. In fact, it is my recollection that on many occasions Senator Rockefeller expressed to the Vice President his vocal support for the program. His most recent expression of support was only two weeks ago.
3. Finally, he could have pursued any number of legislative remedies. He chose to pursue none.
“Senator Rockefeller could have taken any of these approaches to adress his “lingering concerns.” He did not. He chose instead to write a letter to the Vice President and for two and a half years, keep a copy of the letter in the Intelligence Committee vault and say nothing to anyone.
“For the nearly three years Senator Rockefeller has served as Vice Chairman, I have heard no objection from him about this valuable program. Now, when it appears to be politically advantageous, Senator Rockefeller has chosen to release his two and a half year old letter. Forgive me if I find this to be inconsistent and a bit disingenuous.”
So do we, Sen. Roberts. So do we.
Posted By: Jed Babbin
And more is incoming....when all is said and done...the rat party will have to announce when their funeral will be held.
Jay Rockefeller is not the sharpest tack in the box. His money bought him a safe seat in the Senate so he could position himself for President, but to know him is to discount him. The Rockefeller strain has pretty much gone to seed. As more and more millionaires fill the Senate, it becomes more and more like a House of Lords, full of men with more money than talent.
Years of in-breeding will do that to a family.
McCain was on that Stephanopolis show on Sunday and said he supports drilling in ANWR but didn't like it being tacked on to a defense appropriation bill, which as you point out is rather hypocritical.
Maybe I heard him wrong on the Stephanopolis show then.
Regression to the mean. The same thing happened to the Medici family.
Thanks
Before suggesting someone is "f'ing stupid", suggest you look up the correct usage of "too".
;^)
Carry on!
This Roberts guy looks like a straight shooter, and I think he just hit Rockefeller right between the eyes.
Justice Dept., drag these men from the Senate floor in cuffs!
Thank you, I'll make sure I run my posts by the grammar and spelling police before posting again.....let me know where to send them....
Yup!
Additionally....I'm not a F'ing SENATOR, I'm TOO F'ing stupid to represent commies and pork barrel politics....much to my checkbook's demise....
I'm feeling your pain.
You got it in before me but it is so apt. Rarely does a senator use another's name so many times in such a release, and more rarely is such damage done.
" The Bush administration found a key ally on Capitol Hill Monday .."
And predictably, CNN is crowing about the fact that two " Maverick " Republicans have joined with the Democrats demanding an investigation into why the special rights of Al Queda have been violated.
According to their patrons, Al Queda has a special right to plot to kill Americans with impunity.
The two Mavs who have joined the AlQuedacrats are Snowe and drum roll please... Chuck Hagel.
OK...when is this jerkoff up for re-election?
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