Anti-war senator to run Iraq-war subcommittee? (Dangerous RINO Alert)

WorldNetDaily ^ | Jan. 28, 2003 | Kenneth R. Timmerman

[FairOpinion]

As Senate committee assignments were being handed out last week, Kansas Republican Sam Brownback thought he was well placed to win the chairmanship of the Foreign Relations subcommittee on Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs.

Last Thursday, Brownback thought the deal was in the bag when Rhode Island Republican Lincoln Chaffee stepped forward and asked Committee Chairman Dick Lugar, R-Ind., for the job.

Chaffee never had expressed an interest in the Middle East except once last October, when he was the only Republican to vote against the War Powers Resolution authorizing the president to use military force against Iraq. (Just 22 Democrats agreed with Chaffee.)

So what would an antiwar Republican be doing at the head of the Senate subcommittee that would be in charge of overseeing the war and the State Department's handling (or mishandling) of opponents of Saddam Hussein?

What is Chaffee's agenda?

Senate insiders believe he intends to prevent oversight hearings of the State Department's Near East/South Asia bureau, which was accused in two Office of Inspector General reports this fall of grossly mismanaging grants to the Iraqi opposition.

Insight has learned that President Bush personally has expressed anger at the State Department's refusal to fund the Iraqi opposition.

"This is a time for common sense, not seniority," a senior Republican Senate aide told Insight. "We shouldn't have a chairman who voted against the use of force running the Senate subcommittee that oversees Iraq."

Committee Chairman Lugar has scheduled an organizational meeting to finalize subcommittee assignments.

[FairOpinion]

"Committee Chairman Lugar has scheduled an organizational meeting to finalize subcommittee assignments."

I also added this to the "activism" topic, because perhaps a flood of Freep letters may have some impact on Chairman Luger's decision, encouraging him to use common sense in subcomittee assignments and not Chaffee in a position to obstruct the War on Iraq. (Naturally, if it is inappropriate for that category, please remove it from there)

[nocommies]

screw chafee, he thinks hes going to extort power from the republicans because he can be a child and a traitor and threaten to "pull a jeffords" if he doesnt get what he wants. he can screw himself for all i care.

[Humidston]

It's so late at night.... Not too many will be seeing this. Hopefully you can repost it tomorrow when it'll get maximum exposure.

And I'll email, btw.

[El Gato]

Insight has learned that President Bush personally has expressed anger at the State Department's refusal to fund the Iraqi opposition.

All he need do is vent that anger at the appropriate appointed official, tell him "my way or the highway", and the $$ should start flowing. If it's lower level SES and/or civil service types causing the problem, then they need to be given a direct order, then be fired if they fail to carry it out. During the months to years that firing them might take, they should be transferred to the West African desk. I would say Outer Mongolia, but that's controled by the ChiComs, and this sort would probalby like a posting there, and cause all sorts of mischief if they were assigned there.

[HAL9000]

Not too many will be seeing this. Hopefully you can repost it tomorrow when it'll get maximum exposure.

It was posted earlier today.

[FairOpinion]

It was posted earlier today.

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Sorry, for some reason it didn't come up when I did a search.

[AFPhys]

At least this move by Chaffee has come to light. This type of thing often gets slipped in without scrutiny.