Bitterness lingers after House pair sank intel bill

Sun Times ^ | November 23, 2004 | Jesse J. Holland

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

Defying President Bush, Representatives Duncan Hunter and James Sensenbrenner -- who led opposition dooming legislation based on the Sept. 11 commission's recommendations -- said they won't change their minds without Senate concessions.

''It'll be tougher now because the well got even more poisoned by the senators and their supporters thoroughly criticizing Duncan Hunter and myself by name on the talking head shows yesterday,'' Sensenbrenner said Monday.

The two men turned back a last-second deal Saturday to pass stalled legislation to create a new national intelligence director and national counterterrorism center. The overhaul was supposed to help the intelligence community track terrorist threats and was one of the biggest legislative priorities of this year.

There was nothing left but recriminations on Monday, with most of Congress heading home for Thanksgiving and Bush still on an overseas trip. No meetings of the bill's negotiators have been planned.

The House and Senate scheduled Dec. 6-7 meetings just in case a deal is reached.

Bush personally lobbied House Republicans and told reporters Sunday that ''it was clear I wanted the bill passed.'' But Sensenbrenner and Hunter spoke against the bill in a House GOP meeting Saturday afternoon, forcing Speaker Dennis Hastert to pull it.

Hunter (R-Calif.) echoed Pentagon concerns that the realignment of intelligence authority could interfere with the military chain of command and endanger troops in the field. Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) wanted the bill also to deal with anti-terrorism laws and illegal immigration.

[flashbunny]

Glad they are standing up for real, effective change and not just window dressing.

Not sure about hunter, but sensenbrenner pretty much has his seat for as long as he wants, so it's not like they can threaten to pull support for him.

[RockinRight]

Bush is a good man and has, overall been a great President. However, there are two areas that I have beefs in. The first is immigration. Most Republicans and even many Democrats feel that we need to do more to stop the ridiculous influx of illegals into the USA. The other is domestic spending and I think this term he may actually do something about that.

[AgThorn]

Lord, I hope you are right. And Sensenbrenner is the one making the most sense in this senate that is just too eager to go home for the holidays. Make this intelligence overhaul have some teeth in it!! Fix the drivers licenses OR give us a national ID - Do either, not neither.

[b4its2late]

James Sensenbrenner on now with Rush...

[possible]

Duncan Hunter and James Sensenbrenner are the best! Real men who care about the U.S.A.

Thank you, guys!

[Txsleuth]

Rush is taking the same position as I have-- who made the 9/11 commission the only ones that could possibly know how to make the country safer.

I too think Hunter and Sensenbrenner are the real heroes and that Bush would do good to listen to them and not put pressure on Congress to "fix" the bill. I really don't think Bush is all that convinced it is a good bill, he just acted that way for the election.

[pawdoggie]

I don't know about Sensenbrenner, but Hunter's major objection to this bill is apparently NOT immigration. He is concerned that if the uniformed military authorities lose control over their organic intelligence assets (which,as I understand it, would be directed by the civilian intelligence chief), those assets will not be as responsive to the immediate information requirements of commanders on the ground. I understand this concern because during the 70's I was an Army peon working for the National Security Agency, which had "tasking authority" over the the Signals Intelligence assets of the military services. This had the tendency to create a "behind the green door" syndrome by which tactical commanders were sometimes denied access to perishable intelligence information until it had passed through a civilian intelligence bureaucracy, by which time the information may have been rendered "for historical purposes only".

The other side of the argument is that unless one central authority oversees all civilian and military intelligence units and assets, there is a great possibility of duplicated effort, "turf wars", and "misapplied" effort (to targets not as worthy of coverage as others). I'm inclined to think that there's a middle ground here (e.g. a "Memorandum of Agreement" stipulating the responsibility of the central controlled intelligence organizations and assets to the information requirements of supported military commanders in the field.). Failing that, however, I think that Sensenbrenner and Hunter should give ground, and give the bill a chance to work (or to fail) on its own merits.

[possible]

Bush has a big coalition to hold together, including the likes of McCain, Specter, Snowe, Chafee, Hagel and Lugar.

What Bush needs - and has in Hunter and Sensenbrenner and some others - is folks in congress who will make the case, take the heat, and play hardball. Bush will (in most cases gladly) sign the bill if they get it to him. He'll explain that it's better than no bill. That's how politics works.

[Deaf Smith]

"and not just window dressing."

Even if a new Intelligence Director & Counterterrorism Center is created, the problems found by the 9/11 Commission will not be resolved.

The problem is Jamie Gorelick. Unless she is put out to pasture, she will continue with the "wall" that she invented and controls.

[littlelilac]

well Sensebrenner was on Lou Dobbs last night, as you know Lou Dobbs is another big critic of the lack of action on immigration and border security in the US and Sensebrenner indicated he is concerned with both the immigration aspect and the loss of control over battlefield intelligence.

Frankly I do not blame Sensebrenner - how long has it been since 9-11 and what has been done on the issue of immigration and border security?

If blackmail is the only way to get a key issue raised, so be it

Sensebrenner said Bush called him, Sensebrenner said he would move if Bush could get the Senate to agree on something very simple and Bush couldn't get the Senate to agree on even that, it was something about driver's licences, that Bush agreed was a reasonable request......

Sensebrenner was dissing John McCain especially.....

and as Sensebrenner said, he is tired of Senators caring more about where their campaign contributions are coming than the national security of the US, because he asserted that it was agribusiness that was pushing the government to keep cheap and illegal labour coming and that agribusiness is a big contributor to political campaigns......

then again if agribusiness really needs this labour, why not have a immigration procedure or program for agricultural workers, we have this in Canada, our farmers bring in workers from other countries in a special government program every summer legally, but they have to go back when they are finished though.....

As a Canadian I have to laugh, we have huge lineups at the border points since 9-11 which has affected commerce and yet how many thousands of Mexicans cross over the border to the US every day?

[BushisTheMan]

I think this intel bill is stupid and unnecessary. It's only a result of the 9/11 panel from the insipid New Jersey gals anyway. The Congress critters are only rushing to sign it to say they are agreeing with the 9/11 commission.

Most of the items suggested by the 9/11 panel are being done anyway. What they want added with just screw things that are working up. Any panel with Jamie Gorelick on it doesn't deserve to get their ideas approved.

Go Hunter and Sensenbrenner. You are my heroes!
The New Jersey gals suck.