N. Korea Issue Irks Congress

Washington Post ^ | 10/19/2002 | Mike Allen and Karen DeYoung

[Pokey78]

Key Democrats Kept in Dark Until After Vote on Iraq War

The White House withheld North Korea's admission about a nuclear weapons program from key Democrats until after Congress had passed its resolution authorizing war with Iraq, prompting complaints on Capitol Hill that the administration has let politics influence its conduct of foreign affairs.

Several senators said through their aides that Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld did not mention North Korea's covert nuclear weapons program during a classified briefing held in a secure chamber less than three hours before two senior administration officials revealed the news in a conference call with five or six reporters.

Senate Majority Leader Thomas A. Daschle (D-S.D.) said he learned about the weapons program from newspaper articles the next morning, and Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D-Del.) said he was told about two hours ahead of the press. At least two Republican senators said they had earlier received individual briefings from Assistant Secretary of State James A. Kelly.

[Pokey78]

STRATEGERY!

[goody2shooz]

Um, I think you may mean STRATEGY and not STRATEGERY?

[Mark Felton]

"prompting complaints on Capitol Hill that the administration has let politics influence its conduct of foreign affairs. "

uuummmmm.... politicians do play politics with, uuummm, political matters such as foreign policy...

[Democrap]

Senate Majority Leader Thomas A. Daschle (D-S.D.) said he learned about the weapons program from newspaper articles the next morning, and Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D-Del.) said he was told about two hours ahead of the press. At least two Republican senators said they had earlier received individual briefings from Assistant Secretary of State James A. Kelly.

That’s kind of strange being they were told back in 2000.

[Maximum Leader]

Yeah Pokey,

this is a vey series issue and you need to learn how to spell!

[ImphClinton]

Sorry Tommy Boy.

What a pain to be out of power huh.

At least he didn't lie to you and say one thing two hours before a press conference then a totally different thing at the conference. Thank God he is not a Clinton. Thank God your power is liumited.

[hedgetrimmer]

Rush Limbaugh spells it strategerey.

[Pokey78]

Nope, I mean STRATEGERY! I guess you don't remember.

[RJayneJ]

That word STRATEGERY is a Dubyaism.

[mfreddy]

It was stated last night on foxnews that there was an unclassified briefing given to congress over two months ago stating the US' belief that Nkorea was aggressively pursuing nukes and was in violation of the 1994 agreement. This doesn't even mention all the data from 1998 on. If Daschle didn't know this he had his head up his ass. Any janitor with a subscription to the Washington Post knew this. What came this week was an admission.

[Pokey78]

Maximum is demoted to Minimum. It is STRATEGERY.

[PFKEY]

This is a perfect example of one of the most irksome qualities our great public officials are always able get away with time and time again

Congress has oversight over nearly every entity.

It appropriates their budgets.

Do congressmen and senators ever take any responsibility for failure?

NO

They hide amonst the large number of members and blame the administration.

Why, lots of east answers to that question.

Is it effective? Sure is, lots easier to look upon on person and blame 'him'.

[Own Drummer]

You said it right: Daschle has his head up his ass.

[EGPWS]

Is it effective? Sure is, lots easier to look upon on person and blame 'him'.

Except for 8 years when THAT person was Bill Clinton.

[goody2shooz]

Really? Oh. Well, I stand corrected then. So sorry.

[PFKEY]

Except for 8 years when THAT person was Bill Clinton.

Notice I didn't make a distinction between Dems and Repubs. They all do the same thing.

[EGPWS]

Notice I didn't make a distinction between Dems and Repubs. They all do the same thing.

Yes there is some truth to that, but the label "Teflon Kid" didn't appear for no reason. The Shlickmeister didn't do any wrong for his crones and the press wouldn't react to it, as well as the 'Pub's. My point being that there always appears to be a lot of crying from the Dem's about Bush, silence about Clinton, and silence from the "Pub's always. (at least the 'Pub's are consistent) and in a quirky way it seems as though that consistency is politically beneficial to them right now.

[Maximum Leader]

Thats the last time I try to help you troll! :O)