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WHY SENATE DEMOCRATS PULLED THE RULE 21 STUNT
Sierra Times ^ | 11/03/2005 | Jim Kouri, CPP

Posted on 11/03/2005 1:40:26 PM PST by FerdieMurphy

On Tuesday, the Democrat Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid invoked the so-called Rule 21, which forced the US Senate to go into a closed, secret session. Reid's rationale for this rarely used tactic was that the Republicans were not seriously investigating the intelligence used in the run-up to the Iraq war.

Needless to say, Republican senators, especially Republican Majority Leader Bill Frist, were incensed over the shenanigans of people such as Senator Reid, Senator Dick "US Soldiers are Nazis" Durbin and others. The usual process for invoking Rule 21 entails the lead senator implement Rule 21 notifying the other political party's lead senator prior to demanding a secret senate session. This was not done and Senator Frist likened Reid's action to a "slap in the face."

The mainstream news media, of course, played the Democrat Party's actions straight, inferring that the Democrats sincerely wished an unbiased investigation into the intelligence failures that led to the US not finding weapons of mass destruction in Iraq after the US and coalition invasion. However, once again the news media are being deceptive with the American people as reporters perform their function as the propaganda arm of the Democrat Party.

For instance, the news contained no mention of the leaked November 2003 strategy memorandum which emanated from Democrat Senator Jay Rockefeller's office. Basically it was the strategy designed to hurt the Bush Administration no matter what a bipartisan investigation revealed. Part of that Rockefeller memo stated:

"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 [with the CIA leak investigation].

"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 of the administration's use of intelligence at any time. But we can only do so once."

It seems that on Tuesday, the Democrats pulled that trigger. There are several reasons why the Democrat senators implemented the Rockefeller strategy (Number Three being the most interesting and significant):

1) The liberals were angry over the fact that Patrick Fitzgerald's two-year investigation into the Valerie Plame-CIA leak case did not result in significant indictments of key Bush Administration staff. The only White House staff member indicted was Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, and that indictment was for allegedly lying during the investigation and grand jury. No one was indicted for outing a CIA covert agent because no one violated the law applicable to such an offense. More importantly, for the Democrats, Karl Rove was not indicted.

During the aftermath of the Libby indictment, the Democrats, their mouthpieces and the mainstream media noticeably exaggerated the seriousness of Libby's indictment. They went as far as insinuating Libby was indicted for revealing classified information, which he was not. By Monday, the Democrats realized their rhetoric was overreaching and having little affect on the Bush Administration. It was too easy for people to logon to the internet and discover that, for instance, Joe Wilson is a chronic liar.

2) The Democrats became unhinged when President Bush capitulated to the wishes of conservatives and nominated a staunch conservative to the US Supreme Court. Judge Sam Alito is a man who's a constitutional originalist in every sense of the word and he looks good on paper and in person. Judge Alito is equal to Chief Justice John Roberts and this infuriates the Dems. They know that Judge Alito is destined to sit on the Supreme Court. Unlike in the days of Judge Robert Bork's nomination, when Democrats lied and distorted with impunity and with the valuable help of the liberal media, they do not have the power any longer to distort and lie without a fight from the alternative media such as talk radio, internet news websites and bloggers. Also, their tactic of calling conservatives, even moderates, far-right extremists or out of the mainstream is not working because the majority of Americans realize these leftist senators are talking about them.

3) This is not known generally because the mainstream news media decided to stay mum about it: the Democrats don't want their statements to be included in the final senate report on pre-Iraq intelligence. According to senate staffers, the final report will contain statements made by Senators John Kerry, Hillary Clinton, Teddy Kennedy, Jay Rockefeller and many others who claimed Saddam had weapons of mass destruction. It will contain statements made by former President Bill Clinton, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and foreign intelligence leaders all of whom claimed they had evidence that Saddam had -- or was working on -- weapons of mass destruction including nuclear weapons. The final report will also contain material that refutes allegations leveled at President Bush by the left's pride and joy, Joe Wilson. The Democrats do not want this information disseminated to Americans.

In other words, the Democrats would appear complicit in moving the United States towards war in Iraq if a final senate reports contains their quotes. Their rhetoric would appear hypocritical if they continued their rants against the Bush Administration.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Editorial; Extended News; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: 109th; antiamerican; democrats; liberals; politicalscumbags; rule21; stunt
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The liberals were angry over the fact that Patrick Fitzgerald's two-year investigation into the Valerie Plame-CIA leak case did not result in significant indictments of key Bush Administration staff.

Tempest in a thimble!

1 posted on 11/03/2005 1:40:28 PM PST by FerdieMurphy
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To: FerdieMurphy
Sounds like Jim is right on the mark with this article.....
2 posted on 11/03/2005 1:44:53 PM PST by b4its2late (Suicidal Blond Twin Kills Sister By Mistake!)
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To: FerdieMurphy

This was not done and Senator Frist likened Reid's action to a "slap in the face."
-----
When are the naive Repubs going to learn that the Dems do NOT obey the laws, or play by the rules. Rules, laws and ethics are OBSTACLES to the criminal methodology of the libs...GROW UP FRIST AND LEARN HOW TO FIGHT!!!


3 posted on 11/03/2005 1:45:43 PM PST by EagleUSA
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To: FerdieMurphy

Democrat Senators are Al Quaida.....the fifth column.


4 posted on 11/03/2005 1:46:43 PM PST by CROSSHIGHWAYMAN
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To: FerdieMurphy

If the final Senate intelligence report includes all the Dems' statements supporting the Iraq war, that would be GREAT, and very surprising. Usually the Pubbies are much too soft on the Dems.


5 posted on 11/03/2005 1:47:02 PM PST by DeweyCA
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To: FerdieMurphy

Dems need a good butt kicking!


6 posted on 11/03/2005 1:47:13 PM PST by calrighty (C'mon troops, finish em off!!)
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To: FerdieMurphy

It was an attempt to rally their base (DU and MoveOn.org)


7 posted on 11/03/2005 1:47:27 PM PST by airborne (Al-Queda can recruit on college campuses but the US military can't!)
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To: EagleUSA
Reid is a runt
who pulled a stunt
'cause he is a ________ .
8 posted on 11/03/2005 1:47:52 PM PST by Enterprise (The modern Democrat Party - a toxic stew of mental illness, cultism, and organized crime.)
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To: FerdieMurphy

The Demogogue Party is completely out of ideas that might attract the mainstream voter. All they have is more and bigger government. That won't sell and they know it so they are gonna try and sell "corruption". There was a time they could have gotten away with it but that time has passed. Back in the day they only needed Cronkite, Huntley, and Brinkley; today the media world is much different. Thank God.


9 posted on 11/03/2005 1:48:24 PM PST by kjo
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To: EagleUSA

B T T T


10 posted on 11/03/2005 1:49:06 PM PST by calrighty (C'mon troops, finish em off!!)
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To: EagleUSA
When are the naive Repubs going to learn that the Dems do NOT obey the laws, or play by the rules. Rules, laws and ethics are OBSTACLES to the criminal methodology of the libs...GROW UP FRIST AND LEARN HOW TO FIGHT!!!

Communists, fascists and all other tyrants have something in common with the Democrats......

they will do whatever it takes to gain control.

I'm sure if they could get away with it....they would shoot all their opponents.

They are all anti-American scum and should be mistreated as such!!

11 posted on 11/03/2005 1:49:22 PM PST by CROSSHIGHWAYMAN
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To: FerdieMurphy

Is this "final report" the one that is written but not released? I forget.


12 posted on 11/03/2005 1:49:47 PM PST by js1138 (Great is the power of steady misrepresentation.)
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To: FerdieMurphy
"In other words, the Democrats would appear complicit in moving the United States towards war in Iraq if a final senate reports contains their quotes. Their rhetoric would appear hypocritical if they continued their rants against the Bush Administration."


They are hypocritical all the time about so many issues that I don't think that is what they fear...rather they fear their kook, Deaniac-loving, liberal base finding out about their compliance.

It will be interesting to see (over the next few years) how the elected left tries to bring down the "new media"....quick information is not their friend-the writing is on the wall..they will try to impede our speech.
13 posted on 11/03/2005 1:50:38 PM PST by socialismisinsidious (Liberals are all about choice UNTIL you choose differently than them.)
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To: FerdieMurphy

Why the Republicans did not investigate the Rockefeller memo is the result of incredible weakness or stupidity.


14 posted on 11/03/2005 1:51:20 PM PST by Rosemont
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To: FerdieMurphy

The Dems are trying to undermine the independence of Fitzgerald's investigation thru intimidation.


15 posted on 11/03/2005 1:53:07 PM PST by Brilliant
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To: FerdieMurphy
It's A Quagmire
16 posted on 11/03/2005 1:56:25 PM PST by sono (That was a metaphor. You DO know what a metaphor is? - Z Miller)
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To: b4its2late
Sounds like Jim is right on the mark with this article.....

I dunno...check out the following snippet.

The mainstream news media, of course, played the Democrat Party's actions straight, inferring that the Democrats sincerely wished an unbiased investigation into the intelligence failures that led to the US not finding weapons of mass destruction in Iraq after the US and coalition invasion.
Do you really think the media honestly inferred sincerity from their actions? I think the media didn't believe it for a minute, and were willing accomplices, just going along with it and implying to their viewers/readers that it was sincere while knowing it was not.

What I fear is that this stunt was also not just to stall Alito, but also to extract concessions. "We'll give you an easy road on Alito if you let us get our quotes out of the report" or whatever.

17 posted on 11/03/2005 1:57:35 PM PST by Gondring (I'll give up my right to die when hell freezes over my dead body!)
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To: EagleUSA

I didn't vote GOP to have them go and cooperate and compromise with the Democrats.

The Dems don't cooperate or compromise at all in reciprocal fashion. The only way to work with them is to defeat them.


18 posted on 11/03/2005 1:58:58 PM PST by 308MBR (The cornbread will be no better than the lard.)
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To: socialismisinsidious

Someone wrote a book about Hitlery targeting the internet. I forget what it's called. I'm sure you could find it on Stophillarypac.org.


19 posted on 11/03/2005 1:59:57 PM PST by CommieCutter
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To: FerdieMurphy
You have to remember the Wilson thing was supposed to be sucking up all the oxygen ONE YEAR AGO, when the rats were sure it would unseat the president.

Then, Judy Miller extended the investigation, bless her crooked little heart.

20 posted on 11/03/2005 2:00:34 PM PST by txhurl
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