Dems Send the Senate into Closed Session Over Plame Leak

CSPAN 2

[JFC]

Leave it to dims to let the market go down. They care nothing about our country, only about their need for power.

[Mo1]

the dems invoked the rule properly

I didn't mean to say he didn't

but they are stupid...

I agree .. this will back fire on this BIG TIME!

[newfrpr04]

Problem is that the GOP HAS ALLOWED THE DEMS to get away with all the whining. They are the ones that seem to be incontrol. They are underhanded and GOP SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT. They have been on the warpath since election and we continue to allow them to step all over us. So much for incent until proven guilty. GOP better get their heads out of the sand and seriously counter these on going attacks or they will be out of office the way they keep chipping at the base

[jayef]

Don't worry. They're watching!!!

[Pravious]

Did I just hear Lott right on Hannity - he was talking like the "Phase 2" investigation of the "lying" behind the Iraq war is a done-deal... someone please tell me we have the power to tell the RATS to take their "investigation" and stuff it.

[Cboldt]

Can you recess appoint a Justice of the SCOTUS?

Sure. But doing so has some political fallout. IIRC, Washington did so.

Supreme Court Nominations Not Confirmed, 1789-2004
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL31171.pdf

[stocksthatgoup]

Dems want to close down the government, throw Grandma out in the street, take food out of mouths of babies, no more social security checks, government employees out of work etc.

[marajade]

there is no intelligent way to link the invoking of the rule to libby

[Just mythoughts]

"BINGO

My jaw in on the ground that the Dems would pull this stunt"


Why are you surprised, we have their road map leaked in 2003, my question is which one of them set up Wilson to go gather supposed fraudulent documents, I mean "yellowcake" in Niger in the first place.




To: Just mythoughts
Thanks. Here's what it looks like, from Fox News:
Raw Data: Dem Memo on Iraq Intel
Thursday, November 06, 2003


Following is the text of a memo written by a Democrat on the staff of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence that suggests how to make the greatest gain off of intelligence data leading to the war against Iraq. The memo was obtained by Fox News.

Transcript of a memo written by a Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee staff suggesting how to make the greatest gain off of intelligence data leading to the war against Iraq.

We have carefully reviewed our options under the rules and believe we have identified the best approach. Our plan is as follows:

1) Pull the majority along as far as we can on issues that may lead to major new disclosures regarding improper or questionable conduct by administration officials. We are having some success in that regard. For example, in addition to the president's State of the Union speech, the chairman has agreed to look at the activities of the Office of the Secretary of Defense as well as Secretary Bolton's office at the State Department. The fact that the chairman supports our investigations into these offices and co-signs our requests for information is helpful and potentially crucial. We don't know what we will find but our prospects for getting the access we seek is far greater when we have the backing of the majority. (Note: we can verbally mention some of the intriguing leads we are pursuing.)

2) Assiduously prepare Democratic "additional views" to attach to any interim or final reports the committee may release. Committee rules provide this opportunity and we intend to take full advantage of it. In that regard, we have already compiled all the public statements on Iraq made by senior administration officials. We will identify the most exaggerated claims and contrast them with the intelligence estimates that have since been declassified. Our additional views will also, among other things, castigate the majority for seeking to limit the scope of the inquiry. The Democrats will then be in a strong position to reopen the question of establishing an independent commission (i.e. the Corzine amendment).

3) Prepare to launch an independent investigation when it becomes clear we have exhausted the opportunity to usefully collaborate with the majority. We can pull the trigger on an independent investigation at any time-- but we can only do so once. The best time to do so will probably be next year either:

A) After we have already released our additional views on an interim report -- thereby providing as many as three opportunities to make our case to the public: 1) additional views on the interim report; 2) announcement of our independent investigation; and 3) additional views on the final investigation; or

B) Once we identify solid leads the majority does not want to pursue. We could attract more coverage and have greater credibility in that context than one in which we simply launch an independent investigation based on principled but vague notions regarding the "use" of intelligence.

In the meantime, even without a specifically authorized independent investigation, we continue to act independently when we encounter foot-dragging on the part of the majority. For example, the FBI Niger investigation was done solely at the request of the vice chairman; we have independently submitted written questions to DoD; and we are preparing further independent requests for information.

Summary

Intelligence issues are clearly secondary to the public's concern regarding the insurgency in Iraq. Yet, we have an important role to play in the revealing the misleading -- if not flagrantly dishonest methods and motives -- of the senior administration officials who made the case for a unilateral, preemptive war. The approach outline above seems to offer the best prospect for exposing the administration's dubious motives and methods.


94 posted on 11/01/2005 9:04:32 AM PST by txflake
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[YaYa123]

Tom Delay asked for a new judge becasue Judge Perkins was a big contributer to democrats and moveon.org. Ronnie Earl didn't want Perkins taken off the case.

Too bad Ronnie Earl! Tom Delay wins a big one!

(With all the democrats attempts to have the winning headlines of the day, it's not happening for them.)

[firewalk]

so they secure the senate
a vote is taken to see if the closed session continues
it fails with the vote
the senate goes back to open session
the dems do it all over again soon...
right?

[Mo1]

Wait a minute! this Wilson /Pflame leak thing did not concern going to war

BINGO

[AliVeritas]

http://corner.nationalreview.com/05_10_30_corner-archive.asp#081516

[marajade]

they have a right to free speech and a right to invoke the rule

[b4its2late]

Didn't Clinton(s) get Indicted?

No. And it was because he was the "President".

[Bahbah]

Why don't the Republicans all walk out?

They want to get the deficit reduction bill passed, which would be a victory (of sorts, as is always the case with these things) for our side. Frist should say we will move ahead on the nation's business AFTER I kick Harry Reid's ass around the capitol.

[crosslink]

Here is the AP story

Removed From DeLay's Criminal Case
Nov 01 3:30 PM US/Eastern


AUSTIN, Texas


The judge in Rep. Tom DeLay's conspiracy case was removed at the congressman's request Tuesday because of his donations to Democratic candidates and causes.

A new judge will be appointed to preside over the case, a judge who came out of retirement to hear the dispute ruled.

Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

[capitoltex]

Here's the most recent CRS report on Secret Sessions in Congress:

http://www.johnston.senate.gov/reference/resources/pdf/RS20145.pdf

"Members and staff of both houses are prohibited from divulging information from secret sessions, and all staff are required to sign an oath of secrecy. Violations of secrecy are punishable by the disciplinary rules of a chamber. A Member may be subject to a variety of punishments, including loss of seniority, fine, reprimand, censure, or expulsion. An officer or employee may be fired or subject to other internal disciplinary actions."

"The proceedings of a secret session are not published unless the relevant chamber votes, during the meeting or at a later time, to release them. Then, those portions released are printed in the Congressional Record.

...

If the Senate does not approve release of a secret session transcript, the transcript is stored in the Office of Senate Security and ultimately sent to the National Archives and Records Administration. The proceedings remain sealed until the Senate votes to remove the injunction of secrecy.

[Cboldt]

I hope Frist did get warning they were going to do this and let them go ahead and bigger arses out themselves. I think this is hilarious.

He had no notice. That's why he is pissed. To him, this use of Rule XXI is a bigger deal than the DEMs abuse of cluture to deny the President's nominees votes.

[pabianice]

...(FRIST)... I am deeply upset about the lack of respect shown by Reid (yeah, sure; Frist still has no balls)... we finally got a bill to stop budget growth in 8 years and it's bothersome to have that bumped by a political stunt... Katrina, healthcare issues are important... to me it's very sad (sad?)... reporter: "is this related to court nominations and the budget""... Frist: "Our leadership wants to move ahead (I STILL DON'T THINK FRIST GETS IT)... this is a real affront...FOR THE NEXT YEAR AND A HALF i CANNOT TRUST SENATOR REID...