Leaked memo sparks rancor in Senate - Rockefeller suggests Republican break-in

Boston Globe ^ | November 6, 2003 | Robert Schlesinger

[Cincinatus' Wife]

WASHINGTON -- The festering quarrel over the Senate investigation into pre-war US intelligence on Iraq flared up yesterday as Republicans and Democrats traded charges of politicizing the probe and engaging in office espionage.

At issue was a draft strategy memorandum written by a Democratic staff member of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Leaked to the media Tuesday night, it laid out how the party could steer the probe in an effort to produce the information most damaging to the Bush administration.

[ntnychik]

Where do the Cubans fit in?

[Grit]

The Democrats would LOVE to turn this into something resembling the Watergate breakin, and tie it to some sinister plot by the Bush Administration and John Ashcroft.

It worked for Street in Philly.

[ntnychik]

I thought Hannity said he'd go to jail before he'd reveal his source. He broadcast to any staffers who could help with further information that they could trust him to protect their confidence.

[Arrowhead1952]

Senator Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., speaks on NBC's 'Meet the Press' Sunday, Oct. 26, 2003 in Washington. Rockefeller talked about the intelligence concerns and the Bush Administration's policies on the current situation in Iraq.

I was not at home to see the Sunday shows. If he was talking about intelligence concerns on Sunday, and the memo was "leaked" on Tuesday leads me to believe this was one of the RAT staffers.

Worried about intelligence on Sunday?
Memo leaked on Tuesday?

Coincidence?

I think not.

[Grit]

How much you want to bet this [Republican break-in] is the lead story on all the network news programs tonight?

That's what they all have been waiting for. :(

[Judith Anne]

Rockefeller needs to resign or be yanked from the committee.

I couldn't agree more. Well said. Email the senator and let HIM know: senator@rockefeller.senate.gov

[ZULU]

The Republicans are fighting a war against an enemy whose goal is to destroy America and western civilization.

Rockefeller and the left-wing hacks in the Democratic Party are fighting a war against the Bush Administration in an attempt to frustrate the American War effort and get themselves back in power.

People like that would have been called "traitors" in WW2 or during the American Revolution.

Retiring Senator Miller is correct in his assessment of the Democratic Party, but he doesn't go far enough. They are obstructionist, evil, and anti-American. They support a world-state agenda, eroding our defenses, and destroying our lifestyle. Their solution to poverty is to make everybody poor - except themselves, instead of trying to elevate the lifestyles of all Americans.

Rockefeller is a perfect clone of his equally liberal and equally evil relative, Nelson ROckefeller, ex governor of New York State and one-time Vice-President.

[ZULU]

The Republicans are fighting a war against an enemy whose goal is to destroy America and western civilization.

Rockefeller and the left-wing hacks in the Democratic Party are fighting a war against the Bush Administration in an attempt to frustrate the American War effort and get themselves back in power.

People like that would have been called "traitors" in WW2 or during the American Revolution.

Retiring Senator Miller is correct in his assessment of the Democratic Party, but he doesn't go far enough. They are obstructionist, evil, and anti-American. They support a world-state agenda, eroding our defenses, and destroying our lifestyle. Their solution to poverty is to make everybody poor - except themselves, instead of trying to elevate the lifestyles of all Americans.

Rockefeller is a perfect clone of his equally liberal and equally evil relative, Nelson ROckefeller, ex governor of New York State and one-time Vice-President.

[q_an_a]

black helicopters fly in the nightmares of RATS.

[Steve_Seattle]

"How much you want to bet this [Republican break-in] is the lead story on all the network news programs tonight?"

I can hear Dan already: "Echoes of Watergate reverberated through the streets of Washington today as Democrats suggested Republicans may have illegally obtained a confidential internal memo from the offices of Democratic Senator Jay Rockefeller."

[cwb]

There is actually a story on my radio news that is saying a Lebanonese man tried to broker a peace deal to avoid war and the administration rejected it. So what! Saddam knew what he had to do and didn't do it...period! He had over a decade and continued to ignore resolution after resolution. They are playing this story every hour.

[alloysteel]

The Democrat campaign for mayor of Philadelphia was a practice run for how the Democrats plan to build their Presidential campaign in 2004. They have discovered what key phrases and tactics work, and polished them to a high degree. Republicans should be studying this methodology intensively, because the Democrats may be counted to be refighting their last successful engagement all over again.

Now take this and tie it in with the memo that was "stolen" from the Senate Democrat's Intelligence Committee wastebasket. The memo itself stated they could use this tactic only on a one-time basis, and timing would be everything. The Democrats may still use this strategy, but it can be defanged at practically the instant it is deployed.

[CWOJackson]

Watergate?

[Judith Anne]

I urge you to send your excellent and eloquent post directly to Rockefeller at

senator@rockefeller.senate.gov

and copy Sean Hannity at FoxNews on it.

[COBOL2Java]

No doubt that tonight Petah will lead in with "Serious allegations brought to light today about a possible Watergate-style break-in of the Democratic Leadership! This break-in could possibly have been masterminded at the highest levels of the Republican leadership! George W. Bush's office has not yet weighed in on these startling revelations!"

[Littlejon]

Ummm.... NO! It was Sean Hannity that recieved the memo that has sparked this whole mess. Hannity stated that the memo came from someone who "no one would suspect would.." send it to him. He also reitterated yesterday that this person who sent him the memo was on the committe or close to someone on the committee, I can't remember which. Either way, I took it to mean that it was 1) a democrat and 2) someone BIG in the party. Probably someone with credibility.

Again, the dems are spinning this by ignoring the content and intent of the memo and shifting focus to how the thing got out. No doubt this will be the focus of the lamestream media once they pull their heads from their collective arses and run a story on it. Frankly, Hannity is being too smug on this for it to be some junior level staffer who gave it to him. My feeling is that IF this person is ever revealed, it will throw a LOT of egg on the rat's faces.

We can only hope!

[Eva]

Yes, let's have a public, televised hearing, maybe Trent Lott would like to preside. I'm sure that he would be most interested in exposing the bottom of the Democrat bag of dirty tricks.

[BJungNan]

Did anybody see ANYTHING on the lamestream news yesterday about this memo?

The first stories coming out of much of the mainstream media will be about Republicans defending charges they are using leaked memo to make political hay against democrats. Buried far down in the story will be details of what the democrats have done.

[b4its2late]

By that picture and its' caption, Rockefeller was already putting the memo into motion on the Russert Show on October 26th, huh?

[expatpat]

LOL! Actually, he was on the air when he announced that the memo was on its way to him.