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.

[CWOJackson]

The reason I suggest Watergate is because I'm sure that is what some of the aging liberal twits are trying to imply. It's no different then some of them trying to insist Iraq is another Vietnam.

I think some of them do believe that if they wave around words like Watergate and Vietnam they're going to energize their old gang to get out in the streets and demonstrate.

[b4its2late]

Hannity said it was NOT our side that gave it to him but an alarmed one "from their side"

Hannity also said we would be shocked if we knew who gave him the memo......

[freedomcrusader]

LOL! What if it were Hitlery?

[alloysteel]

Sean Hannity is a little bit like the kid who was out there teasing the hornets' nest with a stick....

[cookcounty]

I still am not sure this story has legs. Assuming for the moment that the administration was involved in abuse by jazzing up and misrepresenting the intel, why wouldn't that be a legitimate thing for the committee to bring out?

Of course, it has political implications, but doesn't every investigation? I'm not sure this is totally out of the committees mandate. For now, I'd say there are bigger fishh to fry.

[kimosabe31]

"Yet, we have an important role to play in the revealing [of] misleading -- if not flagrantly dishonest methods and motives -- of the senior administration officials who made the case for a unilateral, preemptive war."

Where were these crusaders of truth when clintoon was inserting the US into the "war of islamic expansion" in Bosnia-Herzgovenia-Kosovo"?? I remember a clintoon prouncement that our troops would be home from Bosnia by Christmas of 1994 or there abouts. Another clintoon dishonesty of monumental proportions was the claim, approx March 1999, that the Serbs had massacred 200,000 albaniacs in Kosovo and buried them in mass graves. The lie, to justify his "humanitarian" intervention, has since been proved totally false. However no crusade for honesty undertaken by the senate intelligence committee or any other investigative body. To any unbiased outside observer I think the dumbocrat obsession for honesty would appear somewhat "selective" and directed at republicans only.

[suzyq5558]

Well then this won't be going anywhere fast if it was given to Hannity by a dem staffer.
the dem's wont EVEN want to go there,so no investigation will be forthcoming.

[millimah]

If these bozo's can't keep one of their own internal memo's secret, how can we expect them to keep national secrets and classified documents secret?

[petitfour]

Maybe it was the cutey, John Edwards. (I don't really think he's cute.) Or Diane Feinstein. Or Dick Durbin. Or Ron Wyden. And I forget the other RAT members of the intel committee. Or maybe it wasn't anyone on the intel committee. maybe maybe maybe

[Matchett-PI]

This is going to be the bottom line result:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1016092/posts?page=26#26

I love it! Hahahaha

[b4its2late]

Sean Hannity is a little bit like the kid who was out there teasing the hornets' nest with a stick....

Whatever works... and he's smart enough to get out of the hornets way when they emerge from their nest.

[NRA2BFree]

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.

This is what the RATS do best. If the Republicans don't stand their ground, the RATS will turn this whole thing around and use it against them.

[b4its2late]

I may be right or I may be wrong, but I think the only dem on that committee with any kind of "country before party" would be Evan Bayh.

[Donaeus]

I heard a similar snippet from ABC on the first news break after Sean read the memo on Tuesday. (I knew instantly it was spin, showing how desperate these 'RATS are.) They said it was information that had just been declassified by the Pentagon from the CIA. It is a lie--this was announced just before the beginning of hostilities and is a total non-story. It makes me sick that they're repeating it in the Dallas Morning News but sadly I'm not surprised. Looks like I need to send a letter to the editor.

[Coop]

Dear [Washington Post],

I just read today's (11/6, "Politicized Memo Incites Row") article, featured on page A27, about the Democrat attack plan regarding intelligence data. I did notice this article's interesting angle how both parties seem to be viewed with equal suspicion. All in the interest of objective journalism, I'm sure.

But compare this scandal to the Joe Wilson/CIA leak scandal. Both involve intelligence and both involve presumed political pressure to embarass an opponent. Yet this well balanced article is buried on page A27, while the latter scandal was featured - at a minimum - on pages:

A01, 1 Oct, "Man Behind the Furor" (Wilson...)
A01, 28 Sep, "Bush Administration is Focus of Inquiry"
A06, 25 Oct, "Democrats Seek Wider Inquiry"
A08, 24 Oct, "Bush's Press Aide, Rove Questioned in Leaks Probe"

While I already know the answer, I'm curious to hear the Post's explanation of the blatant double standard. Thank you for allowing me to express my opinion.

Coop
Note: I have had letters to the editor published in close to a dozen papers across the country over the years, yet despite having more submissions to the Wash ComPost than any other, they have yet to print one of my letters. I do not expect that streak to be broken here. :-)

[b4its2late]

Good job. But I also suspect your streak will remain intact.......

[Wondervixen]

Maybe there needs to be a few break-ins, and when such treason as this is found, follow it up with some broken legs, jaws, arms, etc...

[DarthVader]

I bet Evan Bayh gave it Shawn!

[Coop]

Good job. But I also suspect your streak will remain intact.......

And that's okay. Presuming I never hear from them, in a couple of days I'll send something similar to the Post's competitor, which does enjoy pointing out the ComPost's hypocrisy.

[BlueNgold]

Zell!