Report: Jane Harman recorded vowing take action for AIPAC on wiretap

The Hill ^

[ExTxMarine]

You people are missing the story here: Alberto Gonzalez bribed a sitting Congress critter to keep her hands off the EEEEvil practices of the Bush administration! /sarc (I think)

Watch and see - THAT will be the point that the MSM try to cover IF they cover this at all!

[ScaniaBoy]

Thanks for the reply. That’s why I think this story is really weird.

Almost all bloggers I’ve read seem to believe that the story is at least partly true. This despite the fact that it is quoting anonymous sources describing a non-published recording.

OK, I understand that there was an investigation against the congresswoman in 2006, so she has been suspect.

However, why would the Israeli (American?) influence agent believe that she had power to influence the court case against the AIPAC employees?

And why would she believe that this man or the organization he represents (represented) had power to influence the Democrats to such an extent that she would be guaranteed a chairmanship in the intelligence Committee?

Sounds pretty far-fetched to me.

What is less far-fetched is that the case against the two AIPAC men is very weak and they may very likely end up acquitted. Is it just pure coincidence that this anonymous story appears just before the trial is about to start?

As always: Cui bono?

[rmlew]

Reread the story. It is about Steve Rosen and Keith Weissman, is the Lawrence Franklin case.

Pollard deserves to be in jail for life, but I don't understand how he could have passed intelligence to which he had no access. The FBI made dozens of claims. The claimed Pollard passed on information on US spies, allowing Aldrich Ames to continue his treason.

[SJackson]

ScaniaBoy: What is less far-fetched is that the case against the two AIPAC men is very weak and they may very likely end up acquitted. Is it just pure coincidence that this anonymous story appears just before the trial is about to start?

Rmlew: Was this aiding and abetting enemies in time of war? I think not. An "Israeli agent" asked a Congresswoman to take another look at the spy charges against 2 American citizens who were entrapped by the CIA and FBI. The Franklin case has Americans, who were leaked classified intel on an enemy of the United States (Iran), leaking part of it to the press.

Yes, the AIPAC case is very weak, I’m a bit surprised Justice followed through under GWB. In addition, it involves a “crime” that’s committed hundreds of times per year, but is being prosecuted for the first time under a near century old law. Now, of course it’s a potential embarrassment to the GOP and the evil Bush administration. Rosen claims to have made 3 calls, to the White House, the Israeli Embassy and the Washington Post, in that order. Obviously the conversation with the White House is highly relevant. In addition, nearly 2 dozen Bush officials, Condi the highest, have been subpoenaed, the questioning expected to revolve around their use of third parties, like Rosen, to leak classified information to the press. If true, needless to say those administration officials should be jailed. Unlike the AIPAC duo, they had a clear obligation not to disclose classified information. And if the Israeli “spy” is Haim Saban, this devolves into the GOP using the Justice Department for clear political purpose. So no, the timing might not be accidental.

Still, the accusation and the governments actions are extremely serious. The nature of the case against Harmon should be disclosed.

[SJackson]

The FBI made dozens of claims. The claimed Pollard passed on information on US spies, allowing Aldrich Ames to continue his treason.

Aldrich Ames couldn't have imagined a better assignment than conducting the investigation and damage assessment of Pollard.

[seatrout]

OK, I’ll give it to you. We’ll see how Reyes does. My first impressions were:

1. Since Pelosi disliked Harman immensely, it stood to reason there must be something good about Harman! By analogy, if Pelosi liked Reyes for the job, it was hard to imagine anything good about the man.

2. I’ve seen Harman on C-Span and Sunday chat-shows when she was ranking member of the Intel Committee. She said all the right things, at least.

3. Don’t be too impressed by a congrescritter’s national service record. George McGovern, John Murtha, Randy “Duke” Cunningham and John McCain all have admirable military records—but look at how they turned out as politicians!

[RightOnTheLeftCoast]

I've read this story on many sites now. Collectively, it sure has a lot of details. Too many details, IMHO. While stopping short of documenting the blouse she was wearing or the piece of spinach wedged by her left top incisor, it has so many details as to scream "fabrication". It's not just something like you'd read in a Tom Clancy novel, it reads like something you'd read in a Tom Clancy novel. It's got that Clancy-class verborrhea, basically. In a novel, that makes for realism. In journalism, it conjures up the ghost of Jayson Blair.

Even if there is truth to it, the report screams of agenda. I suspect this is more about bringing inconvenient "moderate" Democrats to heel by making an example of Harmon. What better way to throw Israel under the bus than by kicking the pins out from under its Congressional supporters? And here you'd get AIPAC together in the bargain.

I'm smelling a rat. A rat close to either Pelosi or the White House.

[RightOnTheLeftCoast]

" It contains enough detail of the conversation to make it very credible (she says "waddle in" to the situation, for example)."

See my post just ahead of this one.

[Valentine_W]

They maybe thought the ends justified the means...they needed support for the wiretapping bill in Congress, and they probably figured if they could keep in eye on Harman’s activities (someone else noted the surveillance may not have ever stopped, even though the investigation did), the problem was easily controlled. Harman never got an appointment at the CIA and never got the Chairmanship of the intel committee. They must not have counted on this eventually coming out...oops. In the end, no one got what they wanted. This is an interesting story; it will be interesting to see how it plays out.