Posted on 03/03/2017 8:49:43 PM PST by Political Junkie Too
We have carefully reviewed our options under the rules and believe we have identified the best approach. Our plan is as follows:
1) 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. For example, in addition to the president's State of the Union speech, the chairman has agreed to look at the activities of the Office of the Secretary of Defense as well as Secretary Bolton's office at the State Department. The fact that the chairman supports our investigations into these offices and co-signs our requests for information is helpful and potentially crucial. We don't know what we will find but our prospects for getting the access we seek is far greater when we have the backing of the majority. (Note: we can verbally mention some of the intriguing leads we are pursuing.)
2) Assiduously prepare Democratic "additional views" to attach to any interim or final reports the committee may release. Committee rules provide this opportunity and we intend to take full advantage of it. In that regard, we have already compiled all the public statements on Iraq made by senior administration officials. We will identify the most exaggerated claims and contrast them with the intelligence estimates that have since been declassified. Our additional views will also, among other things, castigate the majority for seeking to limit the scope of the inquiry. The Democrats will then be in a strong position to reopen the question of establishing an independent commission (i.e. the Corzine amendment).
3) 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 at any time-- but we can only do so once. The best time to do so will probably be next year either:
A) After we have already released our additional views on an interim report -- thereby providing as many as three opportunities to make our case to the public: 1) additional views on the interim report; 2) announcement of our independent investigation; and 3) additional views on the final investigation; orB) Once we identify solid leads the majority does not want to pursue. We could attract more coverage and have greater credibility in that context than one in which we simply launch an independent investigation based on principled but vague notions regarding the "use" of intelligence.
In the meantime, even without a specifically authorized independent investigation, we continue to act independently when we encounter foot-dragging on the part of the majority. For example, the FBI Niger investigation was done solely at the request of the vice chairman; we have independently submitted written questions to DoD; and we are preparing further independent requests for information.
Summary
Intelligence issues are clearly secondary to the public's concern regarding the insurgency in Iraq. Yet, we have an important role to play in the revealing the misleading -- if not flagrantly dishonest methods and motives -- of the senior administration officials who made the case for a unilateral, preemptive war. The approach outline above seems to offer the best prospect for exposing the administration's dubious motives and methods.
Once this memo was discovered, the MSM circled the wagons around Jay Rockefeller, who was being accused of manipulating the Intelligence Committee for partisan purposes.
Orrin Hatch, who fell back on his habit of capitulating under pressure when given a strong hand, supported the firing of Miranda after Democrats claimed that Miranda had "hacked" into the computer to find the memo. The truth is that it was an open server, available to all committee members, and the Democrat memo was in plain sight.
Republicans let Democrats successfully change the story from the content of the memo to how the memo was discovered.
Democrats are again playing the "hacking" card and are again planning to follow this strategy to "pull the Republicans as far as we can on issues that may lead to major new disclosures regarding improper or questionable conduct by administration officials."
Watch for them to call for "an independent investigation when it becomes clear we have exhausted the opportunity to usefully collaborate with the majority."
History is repeating itself... again.
-PJ
Good point, thanks.
Stench of Soros and his Halfrican sock puppet.
Great post!
Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it. This happens way to often with the GOP.
Rules for dealing with Democrats:
1. Never trust a democrat.
2. If you find yourself trusting a Democrat, see Rule #1.
DJT came out of Tuesday’s address with *****76%***** approval.
That still holds, though the last couple days may have shaved a few points off.
Take the Bully Pulpit, with the people who are behind it, to the RATS now!
Yes, that's what I posted earlier today.
Here is what President Trump needs to do, and soon.Trump needs to start targeting 2018 Democrats now and organize rallies in their states. If the Democrats are targeting Trump's advisors and Cabinet Secretaries now, then Trump must target weakened Democrats now.
Use these rallies to introduce potential primary challengers. Use these rallies to make weekly policy statements to the people. Use these rallies to mock the week's Democrat hypocrisy. Use these rallies to put the fear of the people into the Democrats.
President Trump cannot wait while Democrats gloat over turning Tuesday night's victory into Thursday afternoon's defeat. Trump must punch back harder, and hurt them more.
Trump must threaten the Democrats' very own seats in Congress, they way that they're threatening to impeach and oust Trump from the White House.
-PJ
And, the Establishment GOPe has their nose rings being pulled by the DemocRATS!
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