An Honest Assessment of Sentator Richard Durbin (Illinois)

July 17, 2003 | visitor

[visitor]

I have been working for some time on the conversion of a Democrat friend of mine. She naturally accepts as legitimate any criticism which she hears of President Bush, regardless of the source. Today she has sent me an e-mail concerning a supposed disclosure by Senator Richard Durbin of testimony of CIA Director George Tenet in a closed hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee. Senator Durbin stated that Tenet admitted that the White House had insisted upon the inclusion in the President's State of the Union speech of the sentence concerning uranium from Africa. Before replying, I would like some help in two areas. First, I would like to know about Senator Durbin's reputation for veracity. Second, I would like to know what the rules are which govern disclosure of information received in closed hearings of this committee. Any assistance will be greatly appreciated.

[newgeezer]

I can't help you but, I'll mention that every time I've seen Little Dick Durbin open his mouth, the words of a partisan hack always come out of it.

[Support Free Republic]

SHOW ME THE MONEY !!!

[alnick]

Durbin specifically said that President Bush claimed that there had been a uranium SHIPMENT from Africa.

Ask your friend why Durbin needed to lie about that, and since he lied about that, how can she believe any of the rest of what he said.

There was NO claim about any uranium SHIPMENT in the SOTU speech.

[Clemenza]

When I lived in Chicago, me an my friends would refer to him as "Dickl-ss."

The soccer moms who chose this Commie over Al Salvi should have their Oprah and Today Show taken away from them for life!

[randita]

Durbin voted against the authorization of military force in Iraq. He will do anything to justify that vote because the next time he faces re-election, he's going to be called to account for it.

Tenet was appointed by Clinton, so Durbin wants to make sure the blame lies squarely with Bush and not at all with Tenet.

[brbethke]

One slight correction, if you please:

...testimony of Clinton-appointed CIA Director George Tenet...

[DuncanWaring]

There was NO claim about any uranium SHIPMENT in the SOTU speech.

On the other hand, theInternational Atomic Energy Agency says there WERE SHIPMENTS of nearly 1000 tons from Africa, among other places, dating back twenty years.

[brbethke]

Glad to see other people are paying attention to this.

It now appears that this was W.'s greatest mistake: trying to play it nice and bi-partisan in 2001 and not simply cleaning house and firing every last Democrat and Clinton-appointed bureaucrat he could lay his mitts on.

In Off With Their Heads Dick Morris makes a pretty compelling case that the Clintonistas left behind a sizable number of diplomatic time bombs and bureaucratic saboteurs to foul up W. With each day that passes, Tenet sounds more like one of 'em.

[Dolphy]

I watched some of Durbin's rant in the Senate this morning. He is a partisan fool, trying to catch the Bush administration in a lie about the genesis of the line in the speech. He was quoting Rice, Powell, Bush and Tenet to make his point. I don't know if he is right or wrong, but I do know this:

1. The NIE (National Intelligence Estimate) issued in October, 2002, which according to the WSJ today is meant to be the best summary source of intelligence, said Iraq was vigorously trying to procure uranium. It referred to the Niger connection, but also Somalia and possibly the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

2. If Iraq was found to have a nuclear weapon or its fingerprints were on some nuclear event and Bush had ignored the information from Britain and the NEI report, Durbin would be the first person up in the Senate to call for Bush's impeachment for not acting on this information.

[randita]

Ask your friend to watch the Bush-Blair news conference. Blair just stated that he stands by the British Intel about the uranium.

[randita]

In Off With Their Heads Dick Morris makes a pretty compelling case that the Clintonistas left behind a sizable number of diplomatic time bombs and bureaucratic saboteurs to foul up W. With each day that passes, Tenet sounds more like one of 'em.

Perhaps so, but to be fair to Tenet, we haven't heard his side of the story. All we know is what Durbin SAID Tenet said. I wouldn't be surprised if Tenet doesn't refute what Durbin's saying, but by then, Durbin's lies would have gotten big play.

[IncPen]

Durbin is a mealy mouthed dyed in the wool liberal who wouldn't know a principled position if it landed on him from above

He voted against impeachment

'Nuff said

[what's up]

Dick Durbin was one of the worst spinners and obstructors during Fred Thompson's campaign finance hearings.

He is one of the worst on their side of the aisle.

[visitor]

bttt...rto

[Bob J]

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[syriacus]

Alnick is right. Durbin is lying when he says the president claimed there was a (recent) shipment.

(Or perhaps Durbin made a "slip of the tongue" because Durbin KNOWS there WAS a recent shipment...we shall see.)

The President said this in his State of the Union Speech

The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed in the 1990s that Saddam Hussein had an advanced nuclear weapons development program, had a design for a nuclear weapon and was working on five different methods of enriching uranium for a bomb. The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa. Our intelligence sources tell us that he has attempted to purchase high-strength aluminum tubes suitable for nuclear weapons production. Saddam Hussein has not credibly explained these activities. He clearly has much to hide.

Durbin gets away with lying because he has such a wide-eyed, innocent look. His demeanor is eerily similar to that of some sociopaths.

[syriacus]

I'm Dick Durbin.

You know you can trust me, because I have that innocent puppy-dog gaze.

[DrNo]

Dick Dustbin

Dick Dirtbag

Aka Janet Reno's lapdog

[syriacus]

.

"[Durbin's] smiling, very nice, very personable. But he's really pretty sharp. He cuts people, and they don't know 'til they look down that their stomach's bleeding."

by James Carville, as quoted in the Chicago Tribune