Activist Group Wants Ethics Probe of Rockefeller (FRN + MemoGate Alert)

GOPUSA/Talon News ^ | 12-15-03 | Jeff Gannon

[jmstein7]

The Free Republic Network (FRN), a conservative activist group, is asking for a Senate investigation into the conduct of staffers who drafted a memo outlining a plan for Democrats to use intelligence information against President Bush in the 2004 election.

In a letter to Sen. George Voinovich (R-OH), chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Ethics, FRN called for "a full and thorough investigation" into the memo prepared for Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), ranking member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI).

The group's complaint alleges that a memo written by committee staff and provided to Democrat members of the committee documents efforts by Democrat committee members to abuse their positions on the historically non-partisan Intelligence Committee. The complaint accuses them of planning to obtain privileged intelligence information and misuse it to help elect the 2004 Democrat presidential nominee.

FRN has created a website at www.intelmemo.com to document the progress of the scandal referred to as "Memogate." The full text of the memo originally leaked to Fox News is posted there along with news articles, analysis and commentary.

Citing the role of the SSCI to oversee the comprehensive National Security program of the United States, the group charges that any action that compromises the ability of the committee to effectively execute its duties puts America unduly at risk. It suggested the memo's authors may have "conspired to misuse SSCI membership and resources to obtain and disseminate confidential and privileged intelligence information to gain partisan political advantage."

FRN denounced the course of action proposed in the memo as "both frightening and disturbing." It pointed out the legal and ethical issues and calls into question whether those involved can be trusted to act in America's best interests.

SSCI Chairman Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS) has threatened to shut the committee down or to significantly limit its activities. FRN believes the ability of intelligence organizations to confidently share information with the committee having been compromised puts the war on terrorism is at risk.

The group wants an ethics probe to determine whether Sen. Rockefeller, Democrat staffers, or Democrat Senate members of the SSCI used or conspired to use the resources of the SSCI to engage in political activities in violation of the Senate Rules of Ethics. Additionally it seeks to discover whether those same individuals impermissibly used official resources to engage in what is effectively campaign work or violated Rule 9.6 of the SSCI by disclosing the contents of any papers or materials or other information received by the committee.

Senate Democrats on the committee or their leadership have thus far refused to disavow the memo or discipline its authors, despite criticism of their Republican colleagues.

Roberts said, "I was stunned by this memo, shocked by this memo. We have a 30-year history in the Intelligence Committee of nonpartisan activity, dating clear back from the Frank Church days. And what this memo has done is really poisoned the well."

Sen. Zell Miller (D-GA) expressed his outrage, saying, "If what has happened here is not treason, it is its first cousin. The ones responsible -- be they staff or elected or both -- should be dealt with quickly and severely sending a lesson to all that this kind of action will not be tolerated, ignored or excused. Heads should roll!"

Copyright © 2003 Talon News -- All rights reserved.

[MeekOneGOP]

Heads should roll ! ...

Activist Group Wants Ethics Probe of Rockefeller
(FRN + MemoGate Alert)

Excerpt:

The Free Republic Network (FRN), a conservative activist group, is asking for a Senate investigation into the conduct of staffers who drafted a memo outlining a plan for Democrats to use intelligence information against President Bush in the 2004 election.

In a letter to Sen. George Voinovich (R-OH), chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Ethics, FRN called for "a full and thorough investigation" into the memo prepared for Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), ranking member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI).

The group's complaint alleges that a memo written by committee staff and provided to Democrat members of the committee documents efforts by Democrat committee members to abuse their positions on the historically non-partisan Intelligence Committee. The complaint accuses them of planning to obtain privileged intelligence information and misuse it to help elect the 2004 Democrat presidential nominee.

Please let me know if you want ON or OFF my General Interest ping list!. . .don't be shy.

[upchuck]

First, we have this:
[SSCI Chairman Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS)] said, "I was stunned by this memo, shocked by this memo. We have a 30-year history in the Intelligence Committee of nonpartisan activity, dating clear back from the Frank Church days. And what this memo has done is really poisoned the well."

Then, we have this:
Sen. Zell Miller (D-GA) expressed his outrage, saying, "If what has happened here is not treason, it is its first cousin. The ones responsible -- be they staff or elected or both -- should be dealt with quickly and severely sending a lesson to all that this kind of action will not be tolerated, ignored or excused. Heads should roll!"

Now, how ironic is it that a RAT is actually more militant about this than the Pubbie?

Zell's right, HEADS SHOULD ROLL, and quickly!

Roberts is obviously a wuss.

[Interesting Times]

(paraphrased from IntelMemo.com)

The memos obtained by Senator Hatch's staffer describe plans by Democrats on the Judiciary Committee to subvert our legal system in order to mandate racial quotas. This effort is about the memo that describes plans by Democrats on the Intelligence Committee to undermine our national security in order to attack the Bush Administration.

[Chad Fairbanks]

Bump!

[uglybiker]

PING!

[countrydummy]

Thanks for the Ping! Head should Roll!

[uglybiker]

The Rocketfellator's goin' down!

:-P

[sauropod]

The door shouldn't hit him in the butt on the way out.

[cake_crumb]

Wait a minute. I agree that Rockefeller MUST face an Ethics Comitte investigation. I would believe that whether Free Republic existed or not. What he may have ordered his aides to do, as Zell Miller said, is if not treason then treason's first cousin. If he made the order, he's guilty of the crime and needs to be punished.

We're not an "activist group". Some of us happen to BE activists, others are not. The FR chapters aren't affiliated with Free Republic: they just sometimes set up activites, from rallies to Christmas parties here. There's a difference.

[cake_crumb]

Honestly, I don't buy into this "It doesn't matter what it says, all that matters is that someone leaked it" line.

Agreed. The focus of this is no more about who did the leaking than the impeachment was about Clinton's sex life. The content of the memo and the intent behind it are what's important.

[talleyman]

Memogate bump!

[Bob J]

This is being done by the Free Republic Network, not the Free Republic Forum.

[joyce11111]

bump

[Seeking the truth]

Thanks for explaining the two differnent memo issues.

I was also confused.

[cake_crumb]

"This is being done by the Free Republic Network, not the Free Republic Forum."

Ah. Thank you for the clarification. In fact, it was your worry about lawsuits I was worried about. If you're confortable with it, I am too.

[Bullish]

These traitors should be stopped at all cost!

[carlo3b]

Great Job.. Wow, it took FRN to get the fire started, I am so proud. "We have the finest food and equipment, the best spirit and the best men (and women..sigh) in the world. You know, by God I actually pity those poor bastards we’re going up against. By God, I do. We’re not just going to shoot the bastards, we’re going to cut out their living guts and use them to grease the treads of our tanks.".. Get'em Dio.. :)

[syriacus]

Dick Durbin:

confidential information on every Bush nominee for the federal bench is stored in the Judiciary Committee's files..[snip] All that information is just as vulnerable to theft and abuse

---

Let's get real, Dick.
There's no need to worry about theft and abuse.
The information on the judicial candidates would be leaked by the Democrats, if any of them felt there was something that was worth leaking.

Durbin's face has a permanent "Who me? I'm innocent" expression. He reminds me of an altar boy who likes to sneak a sip of the unconsecrated wine.
I hope, someday, Durbin begins to "sing."

[freeangel]

Keep it up, FRN. Never, never let treason go unnoticed like the dems would prefer.

[syriacus]

It's great to hear that FRN is keeping up the fight to make Rockefeller account for his disgusting and dangerous partisan plotting.