Posted on 12/20/2005 10:58:25 AM PST by slowhand520
Roberts Rakes Rockefeller - Tuesday, December 20, 2005 @ 12:53:30 PM
Yesterday, Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), co-chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee (and probable source of many leaks of secret information) released a hand-scrawled letter he had written to VP Cheney two years ago after being briefed on the NSA domestic intel effort. Rockefeller, trying to score political points, raised the letter as proof of his doubts about the NSA program, and that his hands were tied, unable to do anything about it. This morning, Intel Committee Chair Pat Roberts (R-KS) released this statement which blows Rockefeller out of the water:
"I am puzzled by the release yesterday of a July 2003 letter from Senator Rockefeller to the Vice President regarding the recently exposed intelligence collection program, which was authorized by the President shortly after September 11, 2001.
“In his letter and accompanying press statement, Senator Rockefeller asserts that he had lingering concerns about the program designed to protect the American people from another attack, but was prohibited from doing anything about it.
“A United States Senator has significant tools with which to wield power and influence over the executive branch. Feigning helplessness is not one of those tools.
“If Senator Rockefeller truly had the concerns he claimed to have had in his two and a half year old letter, he could have pursued a number of options to have those concerns addressed:
1. First, he could have discussed his concerns with me or other Members of Congress who had been briefed on the program. He never asked me or the Committee to take any action consistent with the “concerns” raised in his letter.
2. Second, he could have raised objections with the Vice President during one of the many briefings we received. I have no recollection of Senator Rockefeller objecting to the program at the many briefings he and I attended together. In fact, it is my recollection that on many occasions Senator Rockefeller expressed to the Vice President his vocal support for the program. His most recent expression of support was only two weeks ago.
3. Finally, he could have pursued any number of legislative remedies. He chose to pursue none.
“Senator Rockefeller could have taken any of these approaches to adress his “lingering concerns.” He did not. He chose instead to write a letter to the Vice President and for two and a half years, keep a copy of the letter in the Intelligence Committee vault and say nothing to anyone.
“For the nearly three years Senator Rockefeller has served as Vice Chairman, I have heard no objection from him about this valuable program. Now, when it appears to be politically advantageous, Senator Rockefeller has chosen to release his two and a half year old letter. Forgive me if I find this to be inconsistent and a bit disingenuous.”
So do we, Sen. Roberts. So do we.
Posted By: Jed Babbin
And ... wouldn't it be a hoot if he didn't write it
Letter is 2 years old. NYTimes sat on the story for a year. Smells more like a coordinated plan to me.
Ping to this thread on Sen. Roberts response to Sen. Rockefellers letter.
I think that statement is what you call, hitting the nail on the head.
Rockerfeller gave Saddam a "heads up".
Or maybe Rockefeller was in the same reading classes as Little Harry. You know, the ones in Searchlight, NV. that weren't very good. They do come from similar backgrounds, you know.
I am asking myself who Rockefeller really represents...have partisan politics really come to this in our country?
Good news.
ALL the Rockefellers are a bunch of elitist, left-wing socialists.
Sen Roberts is from Dodge City....I think he still believes in the code of the West!!!!
LOL!!!
Coordinated plan, just as Bush's numbers are going up. They can't let that happen.
The existence of the letter makes me think that this entire thing was a set-up.
Rockefeller had to know that eventually the existence of the NSA spying program would be revealed. Thus the need for the letter.
Using a computer was probably beyond his level of competence. The guy is really qualified to be a US Senator.
I love Sen Roberts!
Will this be all over the DNC news tonight??
NOT.
If Rockefeller is the leak, he needs to be plugged just like Joe Pesci and his brother were in the movie "Casino".
I agree
GREAT STATEMENT!!!
Wanna bet that a hundred Demwit congressmen have nasty letters tucked away in vaults on one topic or another? Playing CYA with a just-in-case written objection to everything seems part of the pathetic strategy of their failed party.
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