Posted on 03/26/2007 2:17:41 AM PDT by Laverne
When Valerie Plame Wilson testified recently before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, just two Republicans out of 17 on the committee bothered to show up. Ranking Republican Rep. Tom Davis asked few questions and seemed largely uninterested in the matter. The only other Republican to appear, Rep. Lynn Westmoreland of Georgia, showed more interest but appeared not to have mastered the details of the case.
Now, however, Westmoreland wants to know more. In a letter to committee chairman Rep. Henry Waxman Friday, he submitted more questions for Mrs. Wilson and requested that Waxman ask the Senate Intelligence Committee for information that could shed light on issues left unresolved after her testimony.
As part of its investigation into pre-war intelligence, the Senate committee interviewed Mrs. Wilson, as well as some of her colleagues at the CIA. The committee also reviewed CIA documents about the Niger uranium affair. In his letter, Westmoreland asked Waxman to ask the Senate committee for the full text of Mrs. Wilsons interview with Senate investigators. Westmoreland also asked for the full text of Ms. Plames February 12, 2002 email/memo to her boss regarding sending her husband, Joseph Wilson, to Niger.
Westmoreland is attempting to learn more about the origin of Joseph Wilsons trip a question that was perhaps less clear after Valerie Plame Wilsons testimony than before. Testifying before the House, Mrs. Wilson said the story began on February 12, 2002, when a young junior officer who worked for me came to me very concerned, very upset. She had just received a telephone call on her desk from someone, I dont know who, in the Office of the Vice President, asking about this report of this alleged sale of yellowcake uranium from Niger to Iraq.
As the young officer told her story, Mrs. Wilson continued, someone passed by, another officer heard this. He knew that Joe had already my husband had already gone on some CIA missions previously to deal with other nuclear matters. And he suggested, Well, why dont we send Joe?
As for questions about her own actions, Mrs. Wilson flatly denied that she had played a role in sending her husband to Africa. I did not recommend him, she testified. I did not suggest him. She testified that what she called a quick e-mail in which she described her husbands qualifications for the trip had been taken out of context by the Senate Intelligence Committee to make it seem as though I had suggested or recommended him.
Her testimony seemed to offer new insight into the beginnings of the Niger mission. But soon after Mrs. Wilsons appearance, Missouri Republican Sen. Christopher Bond, vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, told National Review Online that Mrs. Wilson, in her interview with Senate investigators, never mentioned the young junior officer, the call from the vice presidents office, or the passing CIA official who suggested Joseph Wilsons name.
Friday [March 16] was the first time we have ever heard that story, Sen. Bond said in a statement. Obviously if we had, we would have included it in the report. If Ms. Wilsons memory of events has improved and she would now like to change her testimony, Im sure the committee staff would be happy to re-interview her.
Sen. Bond also took issue with Mrs. Wilsons description of her quick e-mail touting her husbands qualifications. We have checked the memorandum written by Ms. Wilson suggesting her husband to look into the Niger reporting, Bond told NRO. I stand by the Committees finding that this memorandum indicates Ms. Wilson did suggest her husband for a Niger inquiry. Because the quote [the portion of the memo quoted in the Senate report] obviously does not represent the entirety of the memorandum, I suggest that the House Government Reform Committee request and examine this memorandum themselves. I am confident that they will come to the same conclusion as our bipartisan membership did.
Now, Rep. Westmoreland is trying to do just that. In addition to asking for the transcript of Mrs. Wilsons interview with Senate investigators, and the full text of her February 12, 2002, memo, Westmoreland submitted a question to Mrs. Wilson that could tell us more about that chance, why-dont-we-send-Joe meeting with unnamed CIA colleagues. List all the parties participating in the conversation you described in detail during the March 16, 2007 hearing, Westmoreland asked Mrs. Wilson, including, but not limited to, who told you there was a query from the Vice Presidents office and who suggested your husband for the trip to Niger because of his expertise in Africa?
The question now is whether chairman Waxman will be inclined to do anything about Westmorelands request. Other than place it into the official record of the hearing, he doesnt have to do anything. But Westmoreland is hoping otherwise. It is our understanding that no one is under any obligation to pass on our questions, and Mrs. Wilson is not obligated to answer them, says Brian Robinson, Westmorelands deputy chief of staff. That said, it is our hope and intent in doing this that she will be made aware of them, and that she will want to answer them.
Free Scooter Ping
ping
Plame's testimony was a wet firecracker for the Dems. Looks like the Republicans may be able to use it to our advantage--"us" being Americans who want to know the truth about this Plame BS, and who want to expose the Dems shameless political gameplaying over this issue.
If Val does time, will Joe be faithful?
She is a liar... Now why don't the GOP get a set and ask to have Joe Wilson brought up to the Senate for questioning... Why does he get a pass on all his lies.... First question...
Why did you wait until after the military found no traces of WMD in Iraq before you wrote about or even mentioned it?
They might as well bring her along and clear up all this made up B.S.
Too late, too little Congressman... they're pssing on your other leg now.
Its downright embarrassing that only two republicans bothered to show up at Waxmans head hunting expedition.
Plame came in and lied her butt off, and only one Republican cared enough to even bring it up.
Is it any wonder the Democrats are running things to suit themselves?
This whole thing is a travesty. How the jury found him guilty is beyond me. There must have been 12 Democrats on that jury.
I am not sure how long I am going to hold my breath on this one. I am trying to remember the las time the GOP used Dem wrong-doings to pin them to the wall. If Wax man chooses to ignore, I am sure the media will ignore as well.
I think you're right. I got caught up in the moment, imagining what *I* would do were I a congresscritter with this kind of info.
Geesh....WHY would ANY Republican NOT know ALL the details about PLAME/WILSON??? LAZY ASSES!! DUMB ASSES!! It was designed to bring down the administartion and yet only TWO Pubbies bother to show up, and Tom Davis is a USELESS, TOOTHLESS RINO! Westmoreland should be ASHAMED that he didn't know the details.....he could have asked ANY freeper!
Looks to me like the Republicans simply want to stay away from W.
The REPUBLICANS should have called for Val and Joe to come up before them when they were in charge...they are just so pathetic.
No......they are LAZY and STUPID and ELITE. They have brought themselves down, W hasn't brought them down.
The Republicans seem to have a different "rules of engagement" set, than do the Dems. This seems to be the case since the '94 election, when they found they could win if they clearly delineated the differences between the two parties. This has been the reason for the GOP losses, not any movement of the electorate towards the "center".
They aren't called the stupid party for no reason. On the other hand they know if they are more aggressive like Weldon, they will have their heads handed to them.
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