Posted on 11/04/2003 1:56:35 PM PST by Tumbleweed_Connection
Edited on 11/04/2003 2:47:08 PM PST by Admin Moderator. [history]
A memo circulated among Democrats on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence shows the committee's minority plotting to use classified information against the White House in next year's presidential campaign.
The document, obtained and disclosed by nationally syndicated radio host Sean Hannity Tuesday afternoon, suggests that the top priority among senior Democrats entrusted with guarding the nation's security is instead driving the Bush administration from power based on claims it exaggerated intelligence on the threat posed by Iraq.
The memo as reported by Hannity reads as follows:
"We have carefully reviewed our options under the rules and believe we have identified the best approach. Our plan is as follows:
"1) Pull the majority along as far as we can on issues that may lead to major new disclosures regarding improper or questionable conduct by administration officials. We are having some success in that regard.
"For example, in addition to the President's State of the Union speech, the chairman [Sen. Pat Roberts] has agreed to look at the activities of the office of the Secretary of Defense, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, as well as Secretary Bolton's office at the State Department.
"The fact that the chairman supports our investigations into these offices and cosigns our requests for information is helpful and potentially crucial. We don't know what we will find but our prospects for getting the access we seek is far greater when we have the backing of the majority. [We can verbally mention some of the intriguing leads we are pursuing.]
"2) Assiduously prepare Democratic 'additional views' to attach to any interim or final reports the committee may release. Committee rules provide this opportunity and we intend to take full advantage of it.
"In that regard we may have already compiled all the public statements on Iraq made by senior administration officials. We will identify the most exaggerated claims. We will contrast them with the intelligence estimates that have since been declassified. Our additional views will also, among other things, castigate the majority for seeking to limit the scope of the inquiry.
"The Democrats will then be in a strong position to reopen the question of establishing an Independent Commission [i.e., the Corzine Amendment.]
"3) Prepare to launch an independent investigation when it becomes clear we have exhausted the opportunity to usefully collaborate with the majority. We can pull the trigger on an independent investigation of the administration's use of intelligence at any time. But we can only do so once.
"The best time to do so will probably be next year, either:
"A) After we have already released our additional views on an interim report, thereby providing as many as three opportunities to make our case to the public. Additional views on the interim report (1). The announcement of our independent investigation (2). And (3) additional views on the final investigation. Or:
"B) Once we identify solid leads the majority does not want to pursue, we would attract more coverage and have greater credibility in that context than one in which we simply launch an independent investigation based on principled but vague notions regarding the use of intelligence.
"In the meantime, even without a specifically authorized independent investigation, we continue to act independently when we encounter footdragging on the part of the majority. For example, the FBI Niger investigation was done solely at the request of the vice chairman. We have independently submitted written requests to the DOD and we are preparing further independent requests for information.
"SUMMARY: Intelligence issues are clearly secondary to the public's concern regarding the insurgency in Iraq. Yet we have an important role to play in revealing the misleading, if not flagrantly dishonest, methods and motives of senior administration officials who made the case for unilateral preemptive war.
"The approach outlined above seems to offer the best prospect for exposing the administration's dubious motives." [End of Memo Excerpt.]
The revelation that Democrats are using the intelligence committee to conduct opposition research for the coming presidential campaign demands an investigation by the Senate Ethics Committee, Hannity said.
There is no integrity or honor within those that allowed Clinton to remain President after Impeachment.
Perhaps it will do some good, but I doubt it. As he represents the other half of our tv market here, I see a lot of him. He has the same disease that Hatch had during impeachment: Representation Interuptis.
He is representing his fellow senatora and the Washington staffers to the country and Kansas in turn. He is constantly worried about his bi-partisan approach and the proper decorum. The democrats have learned long ago how to utilize this sort of twit.
I'm afraid that he has no vestigal backbone to be steeled by your calls. He gave it up long ago for his aura.
I think that Brownback should be lambasted for allowing his colleague to serve as an emasculated media woooooooas. Roberts will respond to none but those he represents...the senators.
Yes, it does.
Are we awake yet Republicans?
The democrats can't be trusted with classified information. They can't be trusted with anything.(with the possible exception of the Dem who let the public know about this) The public needs to understand that this is not merely "politic games as usual" with a political party.
Start by explaining , what the Senate Intelligence Committee is, and what it is suppossed to do i.e.- that it deals with classifed information exc...Then show them the actual memo and explain how what the dems did borders on treason- puts troops/country in danger i.e.- from memo- dems say de-classifying info based on political gain exc... let America see just how irresponsible and dangerous the 'Rats have become. This requires a detailed, step-by-step explanation, so people understand.
"1) Pull the majority along as far as we can on issues that may lead to major new disclosures
--(snip)--
B) Once we identify solid leads the majority does not want to pursue, we would attract more coverage and have greater credibility in that context than one in which we simply launch an independent investigation based on principled but vague notions regarding the use of intelligence."
Translation: The democrat members of the Senate intelligence committee will coerce the Republican members into going along with them on as many 'inconsistencies' as possible. However, they will care less about the issues over which the Republicans cooperate than the items that the Republicans want to downplay. Once the Dems know which issues the Republican members will not readily pursue, those are the items they will pounce on.
BTW, they are using a criminal interrogation technique to ferret out the really "juicy" items.
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