Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Calls Get Louder For Kerry’s Intel Committee Records
mensnewsdaily.com ^ | August 18, 2004 | Jeff Gannon, Talon News

Posted on 08/18/2004 7:11:16 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife

Republicans continue to press Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry to release his attendance records from his tenure on the Senate Intelligence Committee. Television ads that began airing Monday call into question the Massachusetts Democrat's commitment to reforming America's intelligence community.

Kerry served on the panel from 1993 to 2000 and according to official records missed 76 percent of the public committee hearings during that time. During his eight years of service on the committee there were 49 open, public hearings. Of these 49, Kerry attended just 11. Among the most notable of those he missed is the June 8, 2000, hearing on the report of the National Commission on Terrorism, which warned about the terrorist threat faced by the United States and recommended numerous steps to address that threat.

In 1994, the year following the first terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, Kerry missed every committee hearing, including a hearing on the report of the Joint Security Commission.

The report warned in part, "The bombing of the World Trade Center and the assassination of two CIA employees in Virginia heightened our sensitivity to the fact that terrorist activities against Americans can occur domestically as well as abroad."

Not included in the attendance figures is Kerry's presence at closed-door meetings. Those records could only be released to the public with the senator's permission. Republicans in Congress are challenging Kerry to make a full disclosure of his attendance records for his tenure on the committee.

On Sunday's "Meet The Press," Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS), Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee said that both Kerry and Sen. John Edwards (D-NC) should allow the release of their attendance records.

He said, "The easiest way out of this is for John Kerry and John Edwards to request of Senator Rockefeller and myself to release the attendance hearings -- not only the public hearings, which they have rebutted, but the closed hearings."

Sen. John Warner (R-VA), another member of the committee, said that Kerry should simply release the attendance records if he disputes the Bush-Cheney ad.

"So I would go to what is solid, incontrovertible fact, and that is the records that each committee keeps with regard to the attendance at every hearing of all the members, whether they're there or not," Warner told CNN. "Now, those records are available. John Kerry, if he questions the authenticity of this ad that's out there now, should simply get those records and put them into the public domain."

Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) added his voice to the controversy when he issued a similar challenge.

"So I would like to call on Senator Edwards and Senator Kerry today to publicly release their attendance records at the private, or classified, hearing on the intelligence committee so the American people can really know the truth," Cornyn said.

Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), also a member of the committee, said, "The fact of the matter is, even though he claims to have gained a lot of that expertise by serving on the senate intelligence committee, during his eight years of service on the intelligence committee there were forty-nine public hearings held by the intelligence committee, and John Kerry was absent from thirty-eight of those forty-nine hearings."

He added, "That does not include the classified hearings. ... And I would hope that he would agree to release to you the record of his attendance at meetings and hearings of the Senate Intelligence committee over the last year and a half, or his total service on that committee."

Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) also called on his Senate colleague to disclose his attendance records.

"The other illustration of lack of leadership with regard to this issue is the question of the intelligence," Kyl said. "And since I served on the Intelligence Committee with Senator Kerry for eight years I believe, I call for him to disclose his attendance at the briefings and hearings of the Intelligence Committee. The classified briefings and hearings of course are not on our public record, but he could make his attendance public."

Kyl continued, "John Edwards was on the committee and came on later, and he missed half of the public hearings as well. But I think that they should both disclose their record of attendance in the Intelligence Committee."

House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL) also weighed in.

He said, "This is something that needs to be done, and I join Senator Roberts, Senator Chambliss, Senator Cornyn and others in calling on him to do so, so that the American people can judge the whole picture for themselves."


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Front Page News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2004; committee; intelcommittee; johnkerry; kerry; kerryrecord; kerrysecrets; senateintelligence
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-78 last
To: Voltage

I am sure he had a good excuse for not showing up for work...he had to perfect his skiing and wind surfing.""

NNAAAAAA- You got it all wrong.

It takes alot of time in every 24 hour day to find just the right mega rich / mega zoned out widow, dontcha know??? The honing of skills at wind surfing, etc, are just window dressing.

But then his biggest skill is flip-flopping and telling fairy tales (like the Grimm Brothers) both of which if they were Olympic sports, he would sweep the Gold medals.


61 posted on 08/18/2004 8:50:08 AM PDT by ridesthemiles (ridesthemiles)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Mamzelle

If they assume office, they'll kick out any government conservative and refill every nook and crany with LIBERALS. We still haven't cleaned up from the Clintons. We can't take any steps backwards.


62 posted on 08/18/2004 8:56:46 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 59 | View Replies]

To: Cincinatus' Wife

Please, shouldn't we correct the terminology.
Attendance - to be present at
vs Absence - not to be present

The subject should be Kerry's absenteeism or non-attendance. A leech on the taxpayer is what he is.


63 posted on 08/18/2004 9:17:03 AM PDT by Prost1 (Why isn't Berger in jail?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Prost1

The Absent Senator. Works for me.


64 posted on 08/18/2004 9:21:11 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 63 | View Replies]

To: Cincinatus' Wife
Calling Senator John Kerry! Why all the secrets!?

He doesn't want folk to find out the truth if he can help it .....


"Senator" Kerry ? I think he's AWOL !! :^D


65 posted on 08/18/2004 9:23:32 AM PDT by MeekOneGOP (There is only one GOOD 'RAT: one that has been voted OUT of POWER !! Straight ticket GOP!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 58 | View Replies]

To: MeekOneGOP

It's hard to take your eyes off of that pic.

Yikes!


66 posted on 08/18/2004 9:24:33 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 65 | View Replies]

To: Cincinatus' Wife
Furthering the subject...

Since Kerry hasn't done anything in 20 years as jr. Senator, shouldn't he identify all attendance/absenteeism for the various committees to which he assigned?

If he can't show up for work as a Senator, how can he run the Executivie Branch? (Bush had to show his attendance records in the Nat'l Guard!) Why shouldn't the honorable senator disclose all?

Senator No-Show!

67 posted on 08/18/2004 9:29:14 AM PDT by Prost1 (Why isn't Berger in jail?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 64 | View Replies]

To: Cincinatus' Wife
LOL! :^D

68 posted on 08/18/2004 9:32:47 AM PDT by MeekOneGOP (There is only one GOOD 'RAT: one that has been voted OUT of POWER !! Straight ticket GOP!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 66 | View Replies]

To: MeekOneGOP

He he.


69 posted on 08/18/2004 9:34:42 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 68 | View Replies]

To: Cincinatus' Wife

CW..I have an idea for a research project..though not sure how best to proceed, but is seems the kind of thing that we could all do here..we have to post the list of the dastes of all the PUBLIC meetings that kerry missed..that's no problem..it's a matter of record...but thenwe have to try and find out where Kerry actually was at thoses times..was he in DC.. or perhaps, windsurfing off Nantucket on a few instances..? suggestions/comments?


70 posted on 08/18/2004 9:45:30 AM PDT by ken5050 (We've looked for WMD in Iraq for LESS time than Hillary looked for the Rose Law firm billing records)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ken5050
? suggestions/comments?

A good investigative reporter with contacts.

71 posted on 08/18/2004 9:47:31 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 70 | View Replies]

To: Cincinatus' Wife

*


72 posted on 08/18/2004 9:48:47 AM PDT by BunnySlippers (Must get moose and squirrel ... B. Badanov)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Voltage
Yeah, I've just been too dang busy to attend intelligence committee meetings...


73 posted on 08/18/2004 10:27:17 AM PDT by flashbunny (Kerry helped move jobs to china - http://www.flashbunny.org/commentary/kerryoutsourced.html)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Guillermo

Ah Ha... "vice chairman"

That reminds me of something I need to do... BRB with a link...
.


74 posted on 08/18/2004 2:56:28 PM PDT by AFPhys ((.Praying for President Bush, our troops, their families, and all my American neighbors..))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: Taliesan

Very, very Damning indeed; thats why he won't ask for them to be released...


75 posted on 08/18/2004 3:01:23 PM PDT by gatorgriz ("The world is full of bastards - the number ever increasing the further one gets from Missoula, MT")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: jackbill

I would assume that NO democrat on the committee has urged Kerry to release the records?

That says just as much doesn't it?


76 posted on 08/18/2004 5:39:51 PM PDT by texasflower (in the event of the Rapture, the Bush White House will be unmanned.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Guillermo

That was John-Bob Kerry that was the vice chair. (Going for the Bubba votes)


77 posted on 08/18/2004 5:41:56 PM PDT by texasflower (in the event of the Rapture, the Bush White House will be unmanned.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: texasflower

I wouldn't put it past them...


78 posted on 08/18/2004 5:54:56 PM PDT by Guillermo (It's the 99% of Mohammedans that make the other 1% look bad.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 77 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-78 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson