SECOND THREAD of CLOSED SENATE ACTION TODAY


The statement of Sen. Jay Rockefeller, ranking minority member of the Senate intelligence committee, on Oct. 28, following the indictments of Scooter Libby:

… “To date, Congress has completely failed to answer these critical questions. The fact is that at any time the Senate Intelligence Committee pursued a line of questioning that brought us close to the White House, our efforts were thwarted. If my Republican colleagues are not prepared to undertake a full and serious congressional investigation into the potential misuse of intelligence, then I regretfully conclude that we have no choice but to pursue an outside independent investigation. The American people deserve answers and they want the truth.”


“We must send a strong message to all the patriotic Americans in our intelligence agencies who continue to serve their country at great personal risk. Our government and our judicial system will not tolerate those who leak classified information and put the lives of others at risk.”


Update [2005-11-1 17:18:11 by susanhu]: Below the fold, Sen. Rockefeller’s statement on October 5, 2005, titled, “Rockefeller expresses outrage that majority leader frist cancels intelligence briefing on Iraq.”


Sen. Pat Roberts just asked “What’s Phase Two?” (re the intelligence report), and I instantly thought of South Park:

Underpants gnomes build a business based on “Phase One: Collect underpants. Phase Three: Profit.” [The missing critical element: Phase Two]. […]


Kyle: So what are you gonna do with all these underpants you steal?
Gnome 1: Collecting underpants is just phase one. … Hey, what’s phase two?!
Gnome 2: Phase one: we collect underpants. … [P]hase three is profit. Get it?
Stan: I don’t get it.
Gnome 2: (Goes over to a chart on the wall) You see, Phase one: collect underpants, phase two-
     [Silence]
Gnome 2: Phase three: profit.


Here, PHASE ONE is GATHER (and make up) INTELLIGENCE … PHASE THREE is GO TO WAR and REWARD Corporations! (Where’s Phase Two?) Watch a MOV clip, and you’ll see just how Bush and the Neocon cabal planned their war, and why Sen. Roberts is dragging his feet on holding hearings. (Thanks for the link, Maynard.)

Sen. Rockefeller’s statement on October 5, 2005, titled, “Rockefeller expresses outrage that majority leader frist cancels intelligence briefing on Iraq”:

— Senators were expecting detailed classified briefing today from the National Intelligence Council –


Washington, DC — Today, all Senators were invited to attend a classified briefing organized by the Director of National Intelligence that would have included the latest intelligence assessments on Iraq by the National Intelligence Council. The request for the briefing was made in a letter last week to the DNI from Minority Leader Harry Reid, as well as the top Democrats on the Intelligence, Foreign Relations, and Armed Services Committees.


“Senator Frist’s action today to unilaterally cancel a briefing that would have provided all Senators, Republicans and Democrats, with a better understanding of the problems we face in Iraq is indefensible,” Rockefeller said.


“The National Intelligence Council was fully prepared to brief Senators on the latest Intelligence Community assessments on the insurgency, the reconstruction efforts, the status of Iraqi security forces, and the affects of destabilization on neighboring countries.


“My colleagues and I requested this briefing from the intelligence community because, to date, administration policy makers have not been completely forthcoming about the situation in Iraq. They have been unwilling or unable to articulate what the strategy is for success in Iraq. And, I’m concerned that this administration continues to paint an overly optimistic picture of events on the ground.


“Democrats and Republicans alike want unvarnished information and we want answers. The American people deserve answers.


“To suggest that this briefing cannot and should not happen because it was initiated by Democrats is politicizing our national security.”

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