Posted on 12/05/2007 9:30:07 AM PST by COUNTrecount
WASHINGTON — Florida Democratic Rep. Alcee L. Hastings resigned from the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence on Tuesday.
Hastings submitted his resignation to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi after seven years on the panel.
"The work that we do on this Committee is often difficult and usually thankless. But it is absolutely critical to the safety and protection of the American people," Hastings said in a statement. "Today, more than ever in the history of this nation, congressional oversight of America’s intelligence community is needed. We can not continue to allow this president, or any president, to operate unchecked and with open-ended authority to disregard the protections afforded to all of us in the Constitution."
Hasting aides told FOX News that Hastings was not stepping down as a protest vote over the recently revised National Intelligence Estimate on Iran's nuclear weapons, but possibly to preserve his ability to be reappointed to the committee, whose members are term-limited.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
In 1988, the Democratic-controlled U.S. House of Representatives took up the case, and Hastings was impeached for bribery and perjury by a vote of 413-3. Voters to impeach included Democratic Representatives Nancy Pelosi, Steny Hoyer, John Conyers and Charles Rangel. He was then convicted in 1989 by the United States Senate, becoming the sixth federal judge in the history of the United States to be removed from office by the Senate. The vote on the first article was 69 for and 26 opposed, providing five votes more than the two-thirds of those present that were needed to convict. The first article accused the judge of conspiracy. Conviction on any single article was enough to remove the judge from office. The Senate vote cut across party lines, with Senator Patrick J. Leahy, Democrat of Vermont voting to convict his fellow party member, and Arlen Specter voting to acquit.[1]
The Senate had the option to forbid Hastings from ever seeking federal office again, but did not do so. Alleged co-conspirator, attorney William Borders went to jail again for refusing to testify in the impeachment proceedings, but was later given a full pardon by Bill Clinton on his last day in office.[2]
Don’t let the door hit you in the a$$ on the way out you schmuck...
The best the Democrats have got is scraped from the bottom of the barrel.
I’m sure William Jefferson (D-LA) would be happy to replace Alcee. That must be the black crook’s seat on the Intelligence (LOL)Committee, and it should always have someone ready to step in.
Why now? I wonder if something BIG is about to hit...
Something is going on here. There is no way Hastings would give up this post as quickly as he did after the NIE coming out. This story is going to open up soon.
Fixed that for you.
Hastings is my p.o.s. congress critter.
Due to a gerrymandered district this disgrace serves even though he was impeached by the same body for accepting bribes as a federal judge.
Nice huh?
Ya get a pattern of illegal behavior all over when ya look at congress.
Have I missed anything being reported about this guy on FR? An investigation by the feds maybe?
The name “Hastings” and the word “intelligence” don’t go together. If this is the best this country can offer, we are in deep crap.
Someone must have put a horse's head on his bed last week.
Note the irony? Alcee Hastings on the “Intelligence” Committee?
My first thought too, but after reading the unhelpful article, I gather he probably has to resign this year so he can be off the committee next year and then he can be not only appointed to it again by the Democrats when they win the House in the '08 election, but can be made Chairman as well.
The Democrats were on the timid side when they first took the House back in '06 and caved on a lot of outrageous moves like appointing him Chairman, but they have regained their footing of late and appear to think they are entitled to their "birthright," perpetual control of the House, and running it in any manner they see fit just as they did for 40 yrs. pre-'94.
He is an IMPEACHED federal judge that is now a democrat congresscritter, but then I repeat myself.
I wonder if Hastings will retire from Congress? He’s gettin up there in years and has said in the past he didn’t want to be in politics for the remainder of his life.
It only makes sense. Why would you have a Democrat on any panel that has the word “Intelligence” in its title.
Someone must have put a horse’s head on his bed last week.
Apparently the Israelis wouldn’t pony up. I was surprised that Jonathan Pollard didn’t have his sentence reduced to “time served”.
The Democrats were on the timid side when they first took the House back in '06 and caved on a lot of outrageous moves like appointing him Chairman, but they have regained their footing of late and appear to think they are entitled to their "birthright," perpetual control of the House, and running it in any manner they see fit just as they did for 40 yrs. pre-'94.
You're probably exactly right. Just for my own temporary pleasure, though, I choose to imagine it had more to do with the once-every-four-years security clearance process required of each committee member.
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