Posted on 11/01/2005 4:59:00 PM PST by wagglebee
Accusing Republicans of ignoring questions about pre-war intelligence, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid forced the Republican-controlled Senate into an unusual closed session today, igniting anger from GOP leaders.
Before calling for the rare motion, which was seconded by his assistant minority leader, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Reid said his colleagues across the aisle "have repeatedly chosen to protect the Republican administration rather than get to the bottom of what happened and why."
Speaking to reporters in the hall outside the Senate chamber, Majority Leader Bill Frist shot back, charging the Senate "has been hijacked by the Democratic leadership."
"They have no convictions, they have no principles, they have no ideas," he said.
Frist said the Democratic Party leadership did not warn him in advance of the move, which Republicans called a "political stunt."
"It means from now on, for the next year and half, I can't trust Senator Reid," the Tennessee lawmaker said.
Durbin told reporters the Democratic Senate staff notified Republican staff as the session began.
Frist explained that the closed session meant all electronic devices had to be removed and staff and media were barred from the room.
Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss., a former majority leader, said Reid's move violated the Senate's tradition of courtesy and consent.
But the rules, he said, provided no way for Republicans to stop Reid.
In his speech before issuing the motion, Reid said that in the wake of the indictment Friday of Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, the American people and U.S. troops deserved to know details of how the U.S. got into the Iraq war.
Reid said Libby was the highest level official to be indicted in some 130 years, then asked: "Is it any wonder, Mr. President, I am worried about my grandchildren?"
Reid previously spoke of concern about his family's future welfare as he ticked off a list of familiar Democratic complaints about the performance of the Bush administration on issues ranging from the war to the economy.
The minority leader said the Libby indictment "provides a window into what this is really all about, how this administration manufactured and manipulated intelligence in order to sell the war in Iraq and attempted to destroy those who dared to challenge its actions."
Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., told reporters the reason for the closed door session was to ask the chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., why, "despite repeated promises," the panel has not complied with Democrats requests to conduct an investigation into problems with pre-war intelligence.
About two hours after the closing, the Senate returned to an open session in which Roberts defiantly insisted his panel is addressing the issue, on schedule, and called the Democrats' move a "political stunt," noting he had a stronger term for it, but "would leave it at that."
Prior to the open session, the senators agreed to appoint a six-member task force with three members from each party, to review the Intelligence Committee's progress on "Phase 2" of its work and report back to their respective caucuses by Nov. 14.
The first phase resulted in a 511-page report submitted last summer that addressed flaws of an Iraq intelligence estimate assembled by the country's top analysts in October 2002.
Roberts said the panel had started the second phase of the review but not completed it. He had intended all along, he said, to continue the work next week.
Exactly. While the Dems are playing hard ball, for keeps, the Republicans are enjoying the country club setting.
That's like saying a child molester won't be allowed to babysit your kids after groping them.
When Lott got into trouble and quit his post, I was one of the suckers who felt Frist would be a capable majority leader. There mustn't be a spine or working brain among the whole GOP caucus!
"They have no convictions, they have no principles, they have no ideas," he said. <<
Never forget the difference between a conservative and a liberal
A conservative bases his politics on his morals...
A liberal bases his morals on his politics...
If the Rats were smart they wouldn't make Frist look so feckless. They could use a easily manipulated loser like him in the next prez race.
Why not. What are they going to do, play with themselves?
If this statement is just political posturing, for the benefit of the press, that's OK.
But, if Frist is simply making a true statement, I gotta wonder who helps him tie his shoes and cut up his meat. Is he allowed to use anything sharper than crayons?
I agree. Is there a democRAT (other than Zell Miller) who is capable of telling the truth??
They are truly a party of disgusting, vulgar, vile people.
This quote from Frist is from the "Well, duh...." School of Rhetoric. He's rather late to the party on this one. And while he's at it, he better add Kennedy, Schumer, and Durbin just in case he missed anything they've ever said.
I have heard many things about this low life, but he keeps his seat.
Take no prisoner's = Extremism.
There's no way Bush would have EVER had a landslide except in fantasy land!
Bravo. Well said!!
recall Reid, Durbin and Chucky????
I know, and I find it hard to believe.
The greatest, nicest, most conservative people I've ever met live in Nevada. I find it hard to believe they keep electing him.
There must be a reason. I just don't know what it is.
Impressive list!!....Keep up the good work!
Hey, thanks!
Great work, and a VERY impressive list of the truth!!
Keep posting it until EVERY American knows what a bunch of sleazy scumbags the democRATS are!!!
Keep sharing with your e-mail friends and before you know it, tons of people will know what we on FR know.
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