Posted on 11/12/2006 9:31:47 AM PST by grayhog
It would be a mistake for incoming Speaker Nancy Pelosi to set aside fellow Californian Jane Harmon and give the House Intelligence Committee chairmanship to Florida Rep. Alcee Hastings.
Harmon has been the ranking Democrat on the committee and an effective spokeswoman for her party's interests. But Pelosi believes she has been insufficiently partisan and has made it clear Harmon won't be chairman.
Instead, Pelosi is considering appointing Hastings, who as a federal judge in 1989 was impeached by the House and convicted by the Senate after Congress concluded he conspired to solicit a $150,000 bribe, lied under oath and manufactured evidence during a criminal trial. To give him the chairman's gavel would be untenable
It's true that Hastings was acquitted by a jury, but that doesn't mean he was innocent of the crime. Indeed, members of Congress thought otherwise.
Unfortunately, Hastings has the support of the Congressional Black Caucus, which is pressuring Pelosi to elevate him to the chairmanship.
Pelosi has promised under her leadership the most ethical, honest Congress ever. She would send a signal she means it by appointing Harmon and forgetting Hastings.
The Democrats haven't been in this position in decades. There's no guarantees they'll get reelected in 2008, and they've been out of power on the Hill for over a decade. If people think the Democrats put partisan spoils ahead of the security of the US, they will be out of power in two years. The Bluedogs know this.
Alcee Hastings is the poorest member of Congress with a debt of $7.3 million he owes. As chairman of the intelligence committee, and a former federal judge impeached and convicted for bribery, he has both the lack of ethics and need for money that could lead him to betray our country. Unlike Jonathon Pollard, he would sell intelligence to our enemies.
Pelosi voted to impeach Hastings. If she appoints him Chair of the Committee, it's like pouring gas a smoldering embers...
I don't remember what the guy's name is, but it's her legislative aide, that leaked to the NYT. It was all over FreeRepublic last week. Harmon made a big deal of opposing the leak, when it was really coming from her office. Harmon isn't any better than Alccee Hastings, maybe worse.
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