This is certainly interesting:
Sources tell Drudge that early this afternoon House Speaker Hastert and Senate Majority Leader Frist will announce a bicameral investigation into the leak of classified information to the WASHINGTON POST regarding the “black sites” where high value al Qaeda terrorists are being held and interrogated.
Said one Hill source: “Talk about a leak that damaged national security! How will we ever get our allies to cooperate if they fear that their people will be targeted by al Qaeda.”
According to sources, the WASHINGTON POST story by Dana Priest (Wednesday November 2), revealed highly classified information that has already done significant damage to US efforts in the War on Terror.
While on one hand, this is a deeply cynical maneuver to quell reports of CIA perfidy both past and present, it does illustrate one of the problems created by the Plame investigation- will leakers feel safe to leak the classified information the press and public needs.
And before you lefties go apocalyptic on me, I am in no way condoning the intentional or unintentional outing of a covert agent, were that the case. Just pointing out that this is tricky new territory, and that the press clamor for the Plame investigation may have long-term and unexpected repercussions.
Steve S
Not really. Leakers have never felt safe leaking classified information. However, sometimes they leak because the interests of the country need to be protected. That’s called Whistle-Blowing.
This is more projection on the Republicans part. That is, they accused the Democrats of playing politics with Plame.
But this action is purely, unequivocally, nothing but pure politics. Glad you called it a cynical move, at least you haven’t lost your sense of perspective.
Krista
If the bombings in Madrid and London hadn’t already scared the bejeezus out of U.S. allies, then I don’t think this will…
Steve S
BTW…
That Hill source wouldn’t happen to be Scooter Libby, would it? After all, we know he was going around asking reporters to tag his lines as a former Hill staffer, rather than a Whitehouse source.
DougJ
Speaking of Plame, did you hear that the Swift Boating of Joe Wilson has begun in earnest
Link
It will be interesting to see which responsible Republicans repeat these lies. My guess is John doesn’t but Tom Maguire does. Could be wrong on Maguire.
festus
Too clever by half, I think. I can’t imagine how the public won’t see this as “me too”-ism. I love how the investigation is announced as “bi-cameral.” OOH! If it can’t be bi-partisan, at least it’s bi-something! Though, on the broader issue, I do agree that Plame opens things to just this sort of gamesmanship.
DougJ
No, Steve S, it was a former hill staffer.
Otto Man
It’s nice to know that congressional Republicans are able to mobilize swiftly for an investigation. Sure, they won’t investigate the lies surrounding the case for the war, but they will aggressively pursue anyone seeking to investigate those lies. So that’s a start.
DougJ
Hey, I was right — Maguire is already repeating the lies. I should win something.
It’s amazing seeing the smear machine in action. Presumably this will be all over Fox by tomorrow. Let’s see if MSNBC picks it up too. Will Brooks touch it? How about Goldberg? This is exciting stuff!
Gratefulcub
2 completely different cases.
Plame – A government official leaks information for political purposes, to advance their own agenda
Black sites – someone in government reports government abuses that the voters should know about
One is an abuse of power, the other is why we have whistleblower protection (though, it probably wouldn’t help this leaker since they divulged classified information)
Krista
That’s depressing, is what that is.
Otto Man
Good Lord, that’s stupid. Does anyone seriously believe that Wilson would blow his wife’s cover to total strangers in the green room at Fox News? I hope he sues their asses off.
The Swift-Boating of Joe Wilson will continue on multiple fronts, of course. They can say whatever they want about the messenger, but it still doesn’t change the fact that he was right and the administration was wrong.
DougJ
Mark my words, Otto Man, this will be all over Fox News by this weekend. I’m waiting for the Regency Press book “Unfit To Be An Ambassador: The Lies of Joe Wilson” to hit the bookshelves.
KC
Wow, Republicans, other than McCain, are investigating stuff! Whew. Maybe now we can do what ought to have been done long ago, rollback the Freedom of Information Act and other sunshine laws. There is just some stuff people don’t need to know.
DougJ
Freedom is on the march, my friends.
Gratefulcub
Blowback is coming, isn’t it? The american people now don’t trust W. 2 years after an agent was outed, the senate is not investigating, still. But, two days after illegal activity is reported, the Senate starts an investigation. How can they look into the camera and say that we don’t need an investigation into plame?
DougJ
Because all the information about Plame was in Who’s Who, you america-hating, treasonous jack ass.
Gratefulcub
hope it gets here soon
DougJ,
For some reason, i read your last post and thought that i saw Darrell’s name. I got all huffy and started typing. Luckily i reread;) Who’s Who. HA!
Steve
Unbelievable how fast they can mobilize to investigate a leak when it’s not the White House behind it. If the Democrats can’t make hay out of this deeply cynical maneuver, they are truly hopeless.
Add me to the list of people who believes it should not be “safe” to leak classified information, which is different from believing it is always wrong. Whistleblowers who expose genuine violations of law should always be protected, but otherwise, you take your chances with the consequences.
Our press corps may depend on leakers, but the vast majority of leaks do not involve classified information.
Marcus Wellby
Did Hastert and Frist come up with this bonehead idea themselves? The whole story was already headed to the usual MSM memory hole. This action is sure to keep it alive. Who the hell is running damage control for these maroons?
DougJ
When does the investigation of Aaron Broussard begin? It would have been easier if it had started earlier — the flooding would have made water boarding easy.
Otto Man
Oh, I have no doubt you’re right. The mouthbreathing empty suits on “Fox and Friends” will lead the way, followed closely by GOP shills like Gibson, Snow and Hume, and then blown wide open by those tough-minded independents like Hannity and O’Reilly.
By this time next week, it will come full circle as “Fox and Friends” delves into the pressing question of just how exactly Joe Wilson killed Natalee Holloway.
Is it irresponsible to speculate? It would be irresponsible not to speculate.
p.lukasiak
“Does anyone seriously believe that Wilson would blow his wife’s cover to total strangers in the green room at Fox News?”
Yes. But no one who can be considered serious believes it.
*********************
as to the subject of this thread…. this is just a stunt — and one that will backfire on the Bushies if it goes too far.
For a reporter to be jailed for contempt in this case, there would have to be a criminal referral under the Espionage Act. But were that to happen, just about every Bush administration official would be criminally liable for the leaking of classified information in the run-up to the Iraq War.
So, don’t expect a criminal referral anytime soon….
Mike S
The worlds just not black and white. It’s one of the reasons I was uncomfortable with the Miller affair. On the one hand it appeared to me that she was just a tool of the admin used to discredit an admin critic. On the other was the argument that she had granted confidenciality to her source. It was one of those things I had a hard time with.
Leaks and clasified information have the same effect on me. My father took the classified work he did in Vietnam to the grave with him. For him it was easy, it was classified so even over 30 years later he couldnt tell me what he did.
A few months back I asked my mother what his thoughts were on the Pentagon Papers. She said he was somewhat torn on that. Our government was lying to us on one side and the need to keep things classified on the other.
People need to stop looking at everything in black and white. Leaks perform an important function by letting us know when our government is doing something illegal or against what the people would approve. But at the same time they can hurt our national security.
Paul L.
Left and Right agree about Joe Wilson
I Want To See Joe Wilson Sue Somebody
BTW, When is John Kerry going to sue the Swiftvets?
Memo to Sen. Kerry
Bob In Pacifica
Doug J, that’s Regnery Press. Notorious nest of fascists, racists, etc.
richard
This has all the indications of being a colossal mistake by the Congressional GOP leadership. The whole ‘secret prisons’ issue is going to come under the spotlight. Do you think that the Dems are going to work to ensure that the investigation focuses only on the leaking of the information? they are going to try to get into every detail of the operations of secret detentions and rendition. They have wanted to for a good while, and Frist and Hastert just gave them a great big public forum to publicize all of the allegations and demand accountability. It’s no secret that the CIA is a leaky sieve of discontent- one commentator with the ‘American Conservative’, and ex-counterterrorism analyst, suggested on NPR today that the organization is frankly waiting for a new administration, or at least the effective sidelining of Cheney into traditional VP ‘warm spittle’ activities. Maybe there is some hyper-elaborate double bluff black-ops sting against the MSM and Dems going on, but I really don’t believe that Hastert and Frist are capable of such Rove-ian strategy. They are more likely having a knee-jerk response to the Fitzgerald investigation and the deepening moral miasma that Cheney et al are in, and are going to end up mucking it up even worse.
Bob In Pacifica
DougJ, as I commented over at Maguire earlier, General Vallely, the guy to whom Wilson allegedly gushed to a stranger, has an interesting resume:
I’m sure the next thing that the General and any other witnesses will do is to get their decorated butts down to Fitzgerald’s office to be sworn in to testify as to their recovered memories.
This sudden recollection, two years too late, suggests that Vallely has either not paid any attention to the Fitzgerald grand jury goings-on, is lying, or has a memory problem of his own, which would all suggest that he has a future in the current administration.
As for Vallely the man, his own bio says:
“Paul E. Vallely retired in 1991… was commissioned in the Army in 1961 serving a distinguishing career of 32 years in the Army… He has served on US security assistance missions on civilian-military relations to Europe, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Indonesia and Central America with in-country experience in Indonesia, Columbia, El Salvador, Panama, Honduras and Guatemala.”
Let us reflect on “in-country experience” of the “civilian-military” kind in Indonesia (the murder of 250,000 to a million during the Suharto coup), El Salvador (brutal murderous civil war with death squads), Panama (cooptation of Torrijos, Noriega, drug-smuggling, then the coup), Honduras (more death squads), Guatemala (death squads).
Before he shares with us his secret conversations with Joseph Wilson, perhaps he could tell us what he did during his tours overseas.
Sorry, I don’t know how to make those little boxes where you put in the long quotes.
Defense Guy
There have been investigations, I believe 3 so far. All saying the same thing. The only reason to call for yet another one is that the left/democrats didn’t like the outcome of the first 3.
p.lukasiak
Sorry, I don’t know how to make those little boxes where you put in the long quotes.
see all that stuff above the box where you write your comments? Its there for a reason.
you can also get italics by highlighting the text and clicking on “em”, and bold by clicking on “strong”…
ppGaz
Noone who knows the history of World Net Daily is going to take it seriously.
Pimping a Phony Conspiracy Theory
WND is trash. Right up there with STAR, the tabloid you see at your grocery store, with its biannual sightings of Bigfoot, and faces of Jesus in mayonnaise jars.
Steve
Funny how Pat Roberts and the other Republicans promised to do a phase II investigation when “there already were 3 investigations” of the same thing. Funny how it wasn’t until after the election when they suddenly realized that it was all old news and there was no need to do “another” investigation.
You don’t have to take my word for it. It’s all right there in the phase I report where it says certain issues are being saved for phase II.
Krista
p.lukasiak – that was sweet of you to help out. I still don’t know what all of those buttons are for. :)
p.lukasiak
There have been investigations, I believe 3 so far. All saying the same thing.
funny how these guys forget that there is a fourth report — the CIA’s own internal investigation popularly known as the “Kerr Report” — and Kerr is on record as stating that there was considerable political interference in the whole thing.
….and considering what happened to Valerie Plame, its readily understandable why CIA analysts would not tell investigators that were part of “bi-partisan” investigations about the pressure they had been placed under — because half of any staff is composed of partisan republicans, and no analyst in their right minds would tell them anything.
Mike S
Do you mean Robert’s phase 1 where he promiced to check on the admin’s use of the intel in phase 2?
Or was it the Silberman-Robb Commission Report, Which said:
I’m not sure which whitewash report you are referring to as the third.
Don Surber
Wilson is a braggart, a liar and a phony. The only logical explanation is he outed her long before Bob Novak wrote a thing
And you know what? It was pertinent to the story. Why is the CIA investigating a duly elected president? Why have lefties suddenly embraced a secretive agency? What the hell was this clown doing in Niger? The report came from Brit intel; how about having the CIA spy on them not us?
I voted against Nixon over Watergate and the war (the rest of the nation overlooked both). It bothers the heck outa me to learn that J. Edgar’s righthand man was Deep Throat
Some things should rise above politics.
andrew
Contrary to the Republican’s I think the danger is not so much that we expose our allies to AQ anger, but that the already skeptical populations of “new Europe” will move further from their admiration of us. It will hurt their governments for being involved in this.
Krista
I think you’re talking more about World Weekly News…proud purveyor of Bat Boy, Nostradamus’ warnings, and The World’s Fattest Woman giving birth to Elvis’ reincarnation. I kept a clipping once about a donkey named Senor Pickles giving CPR to the mayor in a small South American town. The picture and caption were just too good to throw out.
John S.
So you’ve gone the way of Darrell now, have you? I guess we can pre-suppose that everyone left of center will act the same way because we all think with a hive mind.
I would offer analysis of your comments, but I have to check with Howard Dean first to see what the official talking points will be to use against you.
Mike S
heh.
DougJ
Before we scream too loudly at John, let’s remember that this *is* a flame thread, by default, right? You know, he’s sitting there waiting to be abused so he can come out and say “it’s a flame thread, you idiots.”
DougJ
I’ve got to wonder if Don Surber’s blog is for real. I think we may be looking at someone whose mania for spoofing surpasses my own admittedly unhealthy one.
a guy called larry
Yes, they’re four days ahead of the time it took them to get the CEO of Viacom to take a beating over Janet Jackson’s nipple. I seem to recall a Rep. pointing finger, saying “you knew, you knew what MTV was like”.
First things first, ya know.
Krista
I think you just nailed it. Why do you think he never, ever chastises Darrell for some of his comments? It’s because Darrell, God love him, provokes a lot of responses, and the post numbers tend to skyrocket as soon as he says something offensive. My cynical side can’t help but wonder if Darrell is either an incarnation of John, or someone that John knows well enough that he can contact him and say, “Hey…thread’s getting boring. Hop in, wouldja?”
DougJ
Darrell is an enigma to me. He seems shockingly well-informed for such a wing nut. It does make you wonder.
Krista
He is very well-informed. And I’ve seen many a thread where he’s had very reasonable, intelligent, but spirited debates with people, without once resorting to name-calling. And then, on another thread, the second he sees something he doesn’t like, out come the “leftist kooks” remarks. Puzzling…
Krista
LOL. Oh shit, I’d forgotten about all that. That was just so incredibly silly. Did anybody see Family Guy on Sunday, and their take on the FCC?
Sherard
I’m sorry, but this statement is an oxymoron at best and abhorrent at worst:
Being classified, by definition makes it information that neither the press, nor the public should ever have. I can certainly understand that in extenuating circumstances a leak of this kind of information might be in the country’s best interests. But to just casually toss off classified information in the context of being somehow a privilege of the press or the public is just wrong. As cynical as anyone might be, it is the government’s charge to establish what information is important enough to be “classified” and to safeguard that information as such. I’m sorry, but they get the benefit of the doubt on that one. Release of classified information is and should be a crime. End of discussion.
Otto Man
I was starting to wonder the same thing.
DougJ
Did you see that stupid Arnold cartoon, Otto Man? Could that be real? It really looks like something someone like me made-up to make fun of Arnold supporters.
Defense Guy
p.lukasiak
Here is a link to the 3rd Kerr report, which summarizes the first 2. I don’t see any mention of pressure in it, so where are you getting that from?
Report
DougJ
Defense Guy — you’re the only conservative here that I’m sure is on the up and up. I rarely read your comments — since I am only interested in snark — but they seem to be quite reasonable. Keep up the good work.
Otto Man
It’s real. The strip is called “Day by Day” and it’s apparently for people who find Mallard Fillmore too witty and insightful.
p.lukasiak
A translation from the original wingnutese
Translation: Wilson tells truths we don’t want to hear. By parsing his statements, extrapolating from them, and ignoring certain critical facts, you can raise questions about his credibility.
Although there is no direct translation for this clause into standard English, the phrase “Put on your hip-waders, causes its gonna get deep” comes closest.
Translation: Even we can’t deny that Lewis Libby lied to the FBI, perjured himself, and obstructed justice — so lets change the subject.
p.lukasiak
Defense guy:
source
jcricket
I agree that the casualness with which information is leaked (classified, confidential, etc.) has increased and that’s a bad thing. I think it’s primarily due to the increased use of the media as a PR machine for political spin by the interested parties. Too many sources demanding anonymity so they can spread stories that benefit them without fear of being questioned. The media should carefully more consider the motivations of the leaker before running with the story, especially if it requires the disclosure of classified intel. (see: Libby, Rove, the CIA vs. WH fued that never ends, etc.),
But what about if the information that is classified covers up a crime? Or a violation of treaties we’ve signed? Or would strike all of us as immoral? Or appears to contradict everything we claim about people we’re holding indefinitely?
Just hypothetically speaking, shouldn’t the administrations legitimate need for secrecy be balanced against the public’s right to know that their government is/is not doing what we (the voters) and the law authorize it to do?
The Republican response to this smacks of the whole “How dare you question any actions that we say are legitimate parts of the GWOT. Your questioning is treasonous.” Rather than respond substantively, I see nothing but another attempt to stifle debate about any Republican actions under the guise of the GWOT being unassailably right in all ways.
The American public has a right to know if the government is torturing people (despite its denials) as part of the GWOT. The American public has a right to know if its military is using weaponry on non-combatants. The American public has a right to know if the intelligence that was used to justify the war was presented honestly, in both letter and spirit.
Ideally this would come from the government being more open and honest about what it’s doing. From the government laying out the facts and counter-arguments in the light of day. This white house refuses to do that.
If not openness up-front, ideally Congress would act as a counter-weight to the WH and investigate WH actions.
Given that the Republicans in charge believe neither are necessary, all that’s left for the American public to rely on are media reports of illegal and/or immoral actions may require the leaking of classified information.
I sincerely fear that what the Republicans actually believe is the “right thing to do” ™ is for us to never question them once they’ve made up their mind. If that’s the theory under which they believe America will flourish, I cannot agree.
Reid
Sorry to intrude on the partisan bickering with an update on the story that this post is about … but …
CNN is reporting that Trent Lott claims Cheney spoke about these “secret sites” at a private lunch with Republican Senators last week. Lott claims the leak went from one of those Republican Senators to one of his staffers to the Washington Post.
Sorry to interrupt. Back to your bickering.
Geek, Esq.
Republicans PWN3d by other Republicans.
LOL!
BJ God Warrior
Thank God that Don Surber is here to remind those in God’s Own Party to continue to drink the Grape Kool Aid spiked with KCN. After drinking the Kool Aid Mr. Surber will then handle wild rattlesnakes all for the glory of Karl Rove.
Perry Como
Wow. Lott is pissed…
Geek, Esq.
Lott just took Bill Frist down. This is payback, folks.
Steve
Wasn’t it Lott calling for Karl Rove’s ouster last week? That man is on fire, and I don’t mean it in the traditional Mississippi sense.
Mike S
Any money on how much longer Denny and Billy will call for an investigation? After all this does seem to go to the highest levels of the………….Republican party.
RonB
Defense Guy, there are many mentions of pressure from policymakers in the report…however, the report does not answer the question of whether or not intel was affected by that pressure in producing proper information. Kerr leaves the question open.
However,the report plainly states in no uncertain terms that the policymakers accepted the intelligence about the WMD(which was wrong), and largely ignored the postwar assessments of what Iraq was going to look like afterward(which was right according to Kerr and Co), and it is this that I find inexcusable.
Reading it, one definitely comes away with the distinct impression that policymakers chose the intel that supported their predisposed views about Iraq, and did not bother with the ‘untidy’ details about the aftermath.
DougJ
I can’t find any info on Lott saying this. I’m not surprised that he would say this if it is true, though. He actually has a lot of integrity. He always has, even when he was majority leader. They never should have gotten rid of him.
BJ God Warrior
Can we get back to how outraged we all continue to be regarding Janet Jackson’s nipple? That is far more important than these so called “black sites”.
WON’T SOMEONE THINK OF THE CHILDREN!
Gratefulcub
It’s time for harry reid to call for investigations, or at least second the motion. It sounds like Trent Lott is saying that the Vice President, already in trouble for leaks in his office, told the GOP Senate classified information.
Is it true that Lott is quoted as saying “We have seen the enemy, and the enemy is us.”? It is quoted on Hullabaloo, and there is no indication that it is a joke. Just wondering. If it is, that looks ominous.
Defense Guy
I can see how it can be read that way, and don’t necessarily disagree. This is, of course, a far ways away from the claims that ‘the administration lied to get us to go to war’.
You will notice that Kerr says there is always great pressure on the intelligence community on the ‘big ticket items’. The proof needed to make the ‘lie’ claim sitkc, is that the admin pressured the CIA to lie, and that is something nobody has.
So we have an intelligence agency admitting that they have not been very successful in making the transition from the cold war, and a claim that the admin accepted the bad intel and ignored the good. Neither of these things is a crime.
a guy called larry
You owe me the proverbial keyboard…
Mike S
Which is why I always cringe when I hear people make the lie claim. I think we were misled which is different from lying. Information that was positive for the admins case was pushed while the info that was disputing those claims was pushed to the side.
Calling it a lie is sloppy in my view.
a guy called larry
When an administration takes every worst case piece of intel before the war, and every best case hope for the aftermath, never mind the caveats for each, goes to war, and was wrong all the way around, it starts looking like the dereliction of duty realm, no? Lying isn’t the only impeachable offense.
Slide
Lol…. you gotta love the nitwit Frist. He thought he was pulling a fast one, getting some congressional hearing to see who leaked the secret CIA prison info. But guess what? lol…. it seems it may have been a REPUBLICAN SENATOR that leaked the info. So says Senator Lott. Wonder if we will still go ahead with the hearings. LOL.. you gotta just love. So the republicans are guilty of leaking all over the place. Damn, what great patriotice Americans they all are. Oh, and Frist how is that insider trading investigation going?
Steve
The point is, taking the country to war is about the most serious decision you can make, and the people are entitled to know how the decision was made, one way or the other. Whether it rises to the level of a “crime” or “impeachable offense” is beside the point. Whether the voters end up feeling they were “lied to” is for them to decide, one way or the other.
Tim F.
Bill Frist – officially the worst majority leader ever.
Gratefulcub
It’s unravelling fast. Rats are jumping ship, and telling tales. When everyone starts running away from the administration, who is left to cover for them?
The best part of this, is that I am being forced to go with the Mrs. to Thanksgiving in Mississippi. The last time I was there was for a wedding in the same family. The father (completely unrellated to our family) of the groom, toasted to a civil war general that is credited with starting the KKK. This isn’t white trash mississippi folk, these are the country club bigots. (I am not smearing Mississippians, just the ones I am going to have to see) My original plan was to keep my mouth shut no matter what, and get out alive.
BUT NOW, I have cover from Trent Lott. I can just quote their conservative senator. “I have met the enemy, and it is you!” Good times.
robert lewis
Before you neocon boobs all cream your jeans, be advised Trent Lott just told the media that the black prisons classified information was leaked by a GOP Senator, after a discussion the other evening in a GOP only meeting. Before getting your panties all bunched, keep in mind that unlike the Valerie Plame leak, this leak was an attempt at whistle-blowing and to prevent the Bush Administration from keeping secrets from the American people that htey have every right to know. Torture endangers our troops – ask John McCain – he knows.
Defense Guy
So then another re-election bid is probably out of the question then eh?
Gratefulcub
Aren’t we missing the big target?
How classified were the secret prisons? Big Time was the one telling the Senators. Should he have been?
Screw legal ramifications. How many chances with the puclic does Richard Bruce Cheney get? His idea of classified is, “If we don’t want you to know it, it is classified (energy policy participants?), if I want to use it for political purposes, it isn’t.”
I know we love to say, Worst.President.Ever. But, I thought we were talking about Bush.
CaseyL
Oh? Has Frist decided to retire?
RonB
Agreed, I have never said “Bush Lied”. But it sure was a insidious, stupid way to use intel. But I suppose “Bush Hyped” doesn’t have that ring to it…and not too many words rhyme with “hyped”.
Re Lott:Wow, what a reversal of fortune…I remember having some hearty laughs watching Democrats eat their own…we are now watching the Republicans schism as they scurry for cover.
KC
Whoa. From dkos:
Defense Guy
Frist will be the next president. I’ll send you a box of tissue to wipe the tears away.
\untruthful snark
KC
If you read Atrios, you’ll see that he says McCain just said the WaPo story was the first time he’d heard of the CIA’s black sites. However, add it to what Lott is saying and there are some interesting possibilities. Assuming McCain was at the GOP Senators’ meeting did he 1) not pay attention, or 2) pay attention, get angry, and leak stuff to the press himself. Man, what would happen to McCain if he did it?
Pure speculation, that’s all.
BJ God Warrior
Cue Defense Guy drinking KCN laced grape Kool-Aid. Another God Warrior from God’s Own Party (GOP)!
The Demoncrats are DARK SIDED!!!!
http://media.putfile.com/trading_spouses_crazy_religious_woman
Otto Man
Right. As Al Gore discovered, voters will never hold one politician responsible for the ethical lapses of his predecessor from the same party.
DougJ
Wow! I feel vindicated. I’ve been telling my liberal friends about how Trent Lott was a good majority leader and essentially decent guy for months. They never believe me…
Slide
More from Trent Lott:
Now that Trent Lott is acting a lot like a scorned woman. Rove last week got a little come upence from the Senator that he helped have removed from a leadership position and today the guy that took his job just got slapped AGAIN this time from Trent Lott.
I think Senator Lott is having a lot of fun lately.
I think Senator Frist is not having a lot of fun lately.
I’m with Lott.
Gratefulcub
here’s another option. It wasn’t the full senate.
The purpose of the meeting was for the VP to convince Senators to stop supporting the anti-torture legislation. One guess which senator would not get an invitation to that meeting. Personally, I am going with McCain.
Slide
More from Lott:
Damn, we can’t trust Republicans with our national security can we?
Rick
It’s as good a time as any…well, actually years overdue…to get the chaff out of the CIA. I’m getting tired of them always trying to overthrow governments. The good ones, that is.
Cordially…
a guy called larry
Agreed. Not all leaks are created equal. With any information transfer, be it a leak, or whatever, there are two components to be assessed: first, the sourcing and dissemination of the content, and second, the content itself.
The leaky Post article includes
and
The part about congressional oversight is what bothers me. How much of their job should be delegated (or usurped) to the executive branch,anyway? If the scope of the investigation includes this aspect, fine. Bring it on, as they say.
If the second b/q here is all the specific info about our allies and their complicity, why the hell does Drudge’s source worry about their exposure to AQ attacks? Eastern Europe, man, that’s precise.
robert lewis
To the untruthful snark:
First will be the next president?
Of the investment club at the minimum security pen after he goes down for insider trading?
Tell you what – if Bill Frist is the next president – I’ll kiss your ass at high noon on the Mall – and give you $1,000.00.
Presidente Allende
It’s as good a time as any…well, actually years overdue…to get the chaff out of the CIA. I’m getting tired of them always trying to overthrow governments. The good ones, that is.
As in “Don’t cry for me Chile”?
:-)
a guy called larry
Bush misled, didn’t get head!
DougJ
Rick, did you get the news: the leak most likely came from a Republican Senator’s staffer. I guess it is time to get the chaff out of the Senate.
Cordially…
Gratefulcub
Ding ding ding. You are the big winner. Isn’t that THE question that needs to be asked of congress? Checks and balances don’t work when the congress forgets to oversee the executive. Instead, the legislative and executive ganged up and took on the judicial.
Bush Mislead, Didn’t Get Head
Where do I order my bumper sticker
KC
What worries me is that this whole thing could become provocation for those who believe in unchecked executive branch wartime powers to rollback freedom of information legislation, etc. Conservative or liberal, we’re all served when, at least at some point, we can find out what we’re spending our money on and why.
a guy called larry
I’d kinda been waiting around for one of the “constitutionally minded” folks around here say something, but maybe libertarianism ain’t what it used to be…
Otto Man
Sounds pretty likely to me. Not only would Big Time know that McCain wouldn’t come around to his side, he had to know he’d have an easier time of twisting arms without McCain there.
Vlad
“here’s another option. It wasn’t the full senate.”
According to news reports, it wasn’t. Of course, since the same reports list it as a briefing of Republican senators, that doesn’t necessarily let McCain off the hook.
Birkel
Love the echo chamber.
Now leaking is fine whether lives are place in danger or not.
Got it.
In the future, would you please let me know when the rules change? Thanks in advance.
Birkel
place –> placed
whoops
Steve S
LOL!
Well that’s the end of that investigation.
IOKIYAR
StupidityRules
Perhaps this story should be refiled under Republican Stupidity?
Rick
Put the twist on the Senator(s), and the WaPo reporter. Frog March time cannot be postponed.
And while we’re at it, we can reckon with some egregious leaks in the CV’s of all Senators. I think Leahy’s some 10-15 years ago pulled a serious boner. He’s likely recovered from his wrist slap.
Air out the Langley and Capitol Hill stables. I want the CIA trying to overthrow the Syrian government, not the U.S.’s.
Cordially…
Anderson
Does no one think that this “investigation” is a threat against McCain?
Oppose the VP on torture, and look what happens to you?
DougJ
When was the the last time you pulled a serious boner, Rick?
DougJ
I was wondering that, too. If so, he was an idiot to spill to the press like that so soon after the meeting with Cheney.
Anderson
I can’t judge the timing–maybe it was necessary to up the pressure against Cheney in view of the behind-the-scenes scrap over the anti-torture amendment.
What’s curious is Lott’s role on my theory; presumably he’s working against Frist/Cheney, so how does his announcement do that? Or does he hate McCain even worse?
Perry Como
November 5th, 2004?
Geek, Esq.
It seems that Frist is now pointing out that he hasn’t signed that letter yet.
Point his ass backwards, and he could backpedal faster than Lance Armstrong.
Anderson
Reuters suggests my theory is bogus:
And Laura Rozen hears it was one of the Pro-Torture 9 who blabbed.
Rick
When was the the last time you pulled a serious boner, Rick?
About 8 p.m. today, when I thought I might find intelligent life in the Balloon-Juice commentariat. Imagine my chagrin at finding that fond hope had been smashed to flinders NLT 6:12 p.m.
Cordially…
Steve S
That would make sense. Someone who thought Torture was a good wholesome family activity, would probably become delusional enough to think leaking this information would help his cause.
Still funny, the Lott thing. ;-)
Tractarian
Huh? Where is the approval of leaking?
And if you think BJ is an “echo chamber” you should try any 1 of the 999 others on Don Surber’s blogroll.
Better stick to b-ball, Birkel.
The Cavalry
The truth about Joe Wilson
Mike S
Yeah, that was pretty funny. If the idiots on the right can’t blame it on the French they aren’t worth the price of their GOP message machine decoder rings.
Pits Burg
Speaking of Plame, did you hear that the Swift Boating of Joe Wilson has begun in earnest
Link
It will be interesting to see which responsible Republicans repeat these lies. My guess is John doesn’t but Tom Maguire does. Could be wrong on Maguire
Wilson is’
nt running for the three States the Republicans just lost. Plame still wants to be President. Check NPR’s headlines, just like Clinton and his peoples clearances. I think Dems may have planned all this…………..
As far as the French, they chose not to go along with Plame when everybody made Directorship decisions.
scs
By the way, did anybody comment on here that the Wilson’s and Karl Rove and his wife go to the same church in D.C.? I heard Wilson talk about that in an interview, maybe Larry King. I believe he said his wife and Rove’s wife were friends. Could this top secret info have been divulged at a bake sale?
Shygetz
I have super-insider info that the French secretly surrendered to Joe Wilson back in ’99, so he is actually the secret dictator of Wilsonstan. He has been using his position as secret dictator of Wilsonstan to funnel white wine to the eco-terrorists at below cost, lowering the price that American white wines can get on the global market while simultaneously making it more difficult to club baby seals for their soft, soft pelts.
Oh yeah, he also makes extra-flammable, self-lighting American flags in Wilsonstan, which he sells to the Middle East for a profit to fund a communist uprising in Covington, Kentucky.
Can I write for the American Thinker now?
John Gillnitz
Shorter World News Daily: “Real news is great, but I’m getting a thousand hits an hour with Grade-A bullplop.”
Pete
It’s pretty funny that Drudge seems to have pulled all links to this leak story after Trent Lott made his statement. I guess it’s just not news anymore now that it doesn’t look like the Democrats were involved.
MRYuill
That show just ended and a guy has a book out. Everybody seems to skip the outing(s)…………
Toensinger
Wilson blew his wife’s cover at every opportunity and explained he is her husband and the victim is’nt.
Go figure.