Reid's 'Secret Session' on Pre-War Intel Called 'Pure Stunt'

Cybercast News Service ^ | 11-01-05 | Melanie Hunter

[smoothsailing]

Reid's 'Secret' Session on Pre-War Intel Called 'Pure Stunt'

By Melanie Hunter

CNSNews.com Senior Editor

November 01, 2005

(1st Add: Includes comments from Sen. John Rockefeller.)

(CNSNews.com) - Senate Republican leaders were incensed Tuesday at Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid's (D-Nev.) decision to hold a "secret" closed session to discuss the pre-war intelligence in the lead-up to the war in Iraq and the indictment of Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff I. Lewis Libby.

GOP leaders said they were not informed about the closed door session ahead of time like in years past.

"Every time in recent history, it has been with mutual conversation with the majority leader, and the Democratic leader, between the majority leadership and the Democratic leadership," said Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), who called the closed session "a pure stunt" performed by Reid and the Democratic leadership.

Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) said on occasion, the use of Senate Rule 21 allowing closed secret sessions is necessary to discuss classified information, but the Democrats' use of it in this instance is "a totally inappropriate action."

Lott said the rule is usually invoked "by prearrangement and by agreement." It happened "at least two or three times" during Lott's tenure as majority leader, he said, and "once or twice in the 80s."

"Once again it shows the Democrats use scare tactics. They have no conviction. They have no principles. They have no ideas, but this is the ultimate," said Frist. He said not only was the Democrats' use of the closed session "an affront to me personally," it was also an "affront to our leadership" and America.

Democrats said the "extraordinary move" was needed because they have been trying for a year and a half "to get an investigation by the Senate intelligence committee into the use and misuse of" pre-war intelligence.

"At its core, this is about accountability -- Congressional accountability and White House accountability," said Sen. John Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) in a statement. "Congress has a fundamental, constitutional responsibility to conduct oversight - that's what checks and balances are all about - and we have utterly failed.

"My colleagues and I have tried for two years to do our oversight work, and for two years we have been undermined, avoided, put off, and vilified by the other side. Any line of questioning that has brought us too close to the White House has been thwarted," said Rockefeller.

"At some point the majority needs to understand that we are willing to bring the Senate to a halt until they will join us in conducting the kind of investigation this situation demands," added Rockefeller. "The American people still want to know - now more than ever - why the United States went to war, whether they were misled, and whether our intelligence was misused.

"Whether these actions amount to crimes is not the litmus test for congressional oversight. [Special Counsel] Mr. [Patrick] Fitzgerald is investigating possible criminal activity by senior White House officials, and we won't and shouldn't get in the way of his work," Rockefeller said.

The closed session was an effort to focus Frist's attention on the need to conduct an independent Senate investigation, Democrats said, and Libby's indictment on charges of perjury, making false statements and obstruction of justice made such an investigation all the more necessary.

Because the GOP did not conduct such a probe, the Democrats were forced to take more drastic measures, they concluded.

"But the American people deserve to know not just whether this Administration committed crimes, but whether this Administration told the truth - the full truth, the straight story," Rockefeller said.

"And if they didn't - if they misled about the war and if they misused intelligence, then the American people need to know that the Congress will do everything in its power the make sure that it never happens again," Rockefeller concluded.

"I hope it does bring the Senate together," said Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.). He said Democrats faced a procedural challenge because the motion could have been interrupted "before a second was recognized and to go into a quorum call that could have lasted 'til Thursday."

"That was the reality. That's the procedural reality, and so we notified the Republicans a few minutes before taking the floor as to what was going to happen and move forward with Senator Reid's statement, and I second the motion," said Durbin.

But Republican Conference Chair Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) said the move was no more than a political tactic to try to settle "an old political score."

"This is pre-2004 election politics" from which "for some reason they can't move on. They can't move on to the important business at hand. They have to continue to replay the 2004 election," said Santorum.

And by calling for the "secret session," Democrats sidetracked the Senate from finishing business prior the Thanksgiving break on a deficit reduction package to control federal government spending, GOP leaders said. The move illustrates the Democrats' hatred for cutting spending, Santorum said.

"They'll go to any extent to try to avoid ... any discussion about shrinking the size of government. Being more responsible with the taxpayers' dollars is just so painful that they had to go into private session to recoup and come out again hopefully soon so we can get back to the business at hand," said Santorum.

"We see it day in, day out around here. There is no agenda, there are no solutions to problems, there's no trying to get our fiscal house in order. Whatever it is, whatever the issue is, it just keeps snapping back. This, I understand, was particularly painful - talking about shrinking this government and doing ... less with more," Santorum added.

[R_Kangel]

"Stunt" or not, the Republicans caved in. After all, a "Bipartisan" investigation never hurt any one. Has it? (we need to think back to the results garnered from the times this administration has reached out with an olive branch to the Dems). So in the spirit of Bipartisanship lets just have a little investigation to get to the bottom of the "Plame" leak.

My gut feeling is that through dubious means the Democratic operatives have gotten their hands on a juicy little bit of information that the Dems know can't be release unless there is an "official" investigation into the matter. I believe that this "information" will create a large media frenzy that will put the administration on the defensive and in a bad light.

I think the GOP has just taken the bait.

[Cobra64]

I CALL FOR THE IMMEDIATE RESIGNATION OF OBSTRUCTIONIST HARRY REID, AND ANY OTHER DEMORAT INVOLVED IN TODAY'S CLOSED DOOR SESSION OF THE SENATE!!! HOW DARE THEY KEEP THE TRUTH BEHIND CLOSED DOORS!! HOW DARE THEY CONSPIRE BEHIND CLOSED DOORS!! THEY ARE COWARDS AND THEY MUST BE REMOVED NOW!!!

You may want to turn off the caps-lock key.

[smoothsailing]

What bait? I saw no cave-in on the part of the Republicans.

I saw desperate dems acting desperately, but that's nothing new.Just a unusual tactic.

[Cobra64]

The Republican Senate has been spineless for five years. I see no reason to vote for any of them. Let the Democrats take the Senate; they already control the Republican puppets; and, we have seen nothing that would change that perspective. Are we wasting our time supporting these guys, I will give then a few more weeks to grow some iron and prove their worth.

I agree. I used to contribute a $1k a year to the RNC. I stopped about 6 years ago. Conservative Republicans are spinleless. W is a RINO. He has NEVER vetoed any spending bill to my knowledge. I see no difference between the Republicans / Dems.

Republicans have the spine of a jellyfish.

[Cobra64]

I agree, but I live in Illinois. I wish I had a Republican senator I could even think about not voting for.

It no longer matters. In my mind's eye, there is no longer any difference between the two parties. The jerks inside the beltway are just sucking up $200k and W passes every flipping socialist SPENDING bill that crosses his desk.

I'm at the point that there is no point / objective in voting anymore. There are no Conservatives left in the Legislature. Certainly not in the White House. W approves bills like a drunken sailor. Refuses to ENFORCE THE LAW on illegal immigrants.

/rant and disgust

[scratcher]

"In my mind's eye, there is no longer any difference between the two parties"

There is a huge difference between the America hating left and the GOP.

[NormsRevenge]

Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) (R), speaks about a rare closed Senate session to protest what Democrats decried as the Republican-led body's inattention to intelligence failures on Iraq and the leak of a CIA operative's identity, as Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) listens on Capitol Hill in Washington November 1, 2005. Invoking a rarely-used rule, Democrats temporarily shut down television cameras in the chamber, cleared galleries of tourists and other onlookers, forced removal of staff members and recording devices and stopped work on legislation. REUTERS/Jim Young

---

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) (R) speaks about a rare closed Senate session as Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS) listens in on Capitol Hill in Washington, November 1, 2005. Invoking a rarely-used rule, Democrats temporarily shut down television cameras in the chamber, cleared galleries of tourists and other onlookers, forced removal of staff members and recording devices and stopped work on legislation. REUTERS/Jim Young

[smoothsailing]

Two captions, one relates Reids actions and reasons, the other Reids actions while omitting Frist's response.Nope, no bias there.

I give Reuters a little credit for publishing a really goofy picture of Reid. LOL!

[libill]

Classic Marxism.

National Socialism or Nazism is alive and well. The Nazi's in Ohio recently sure make for exciting TV, but the Nazis in Washington and teaching our children are far more dangerous.

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

"I hope it does bring the Senate together," said Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.).

There are times in the past when I truly believed Ol' Turban Durbin was delusional. Now I'm convinced!!!!!!!

[oh8eleven]

but I DO have Boxer and Feinstein. And Waters, Watson, Pelosi, Lee ...
Sorry, you win.

[murdoog]

This is about a couple of things:

Actually , you listed two couples of things.

[Aquinasfan]

Kos is reporting that the Republicans "caved" by agreeing to the Democrats' demand for an investigation. Is this true?

Doesn't matter. The MSM will make it true.