I just wanted to note that some bloggers are acting upset that the NSA would wiretap a congressperson. I don’t think the wire was on Harman. She was talking to a person that was suspected of being an agent of Israel and the NSA had a warrant. That tells me Harman just got unlucky.
But here’s the deal. No congressperson should take it upon themselves to tell the Justice Department to go lightly on people that steal our secrets and give them to Israel. Period. That she accepted something of value in return for doing it is almost beside the point. And the idea Alberto Gonzales had that Harman shouldn’t be prosecuted because she was such a useful idiot to the administration tells us all we need to know about her suitability to represent our party. She’s out there justifying the complete nullification of the 4th-Amendment and lobbying on behalf of Israeli spies. She needs to be defeated.
Couldn’t agree more.
Just setting us up for the NEXT war.
Meanwhile, no shame:
Lieberman Recruits Diplomat in Franklin Leak Case
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is slated to be Netanyahu’s national security adviser. Arad was denied entry to the United States two years ago, based on a 2004 meeting he held with a Pentagon official who has since been sentenced to 12 years in prison for passing classified information to Israel; that status was removed in recent weeks when it became clear Netanyahu would hire him for a top job.
Naor Gilon was Mossad staion chief in Washington
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."Is defeat enough? Prosecution seems warranted. Being kicked out of the party seems required. This is one of those times when basic morality has to trump political calculation.
This is one of the reasons I’m not outraged over this:
Chris Dodd’s father did worse, and was censured for it in the Senate.
The wiretapping is also such a yawn – this has been going on since the 1940s. People SHOULD be outraged that people we didn’t elect have secret info they can use as blackmail over people we DID elect.
And whatever else her faults, the people keep electing Jane Harman. I’m not fond of her. She’s on my list of Democratics too far to the right for my tastes.
But going after her and only her would be a huge mistake. We need to take this on in a much broader way. Really go after everyone who has ever accepted a bribe from a foreign government.
As I said elsewhere, we’d have few left standing. And what a message to the next generation, eh?
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you may have spoken too soon, it appears very likely that the case is going to quietly be swept under the rug:
Feds may drop classified leak case
oops, nevermind.
“…upset that the NSA would wiretap a congressperson.”
naivete in extremis, imo. it has long been my belief that members of congress are watched very carefully by the, so called, permagov …especially the covert services.
given the tendencies of the previous administration, it’s not beyond the realm of possibility that she was a target of surveillance, legal or not. in fact, as a D, and given her committee assignment, l’d be very hesitant to give the nsa the benefit of the doubt on this one.
that said, any congressperson who corresponds regarding any serious matter and doesn’t use the best encryption systems available deserves to get caught up in a potentially damaging scandal.
this certainly should cost her her seat as well as open her up to federal prosecution.
sadly, it’s also my long held belief that it’ll never happen.
she needs to be more than just defeated.
I am reading the article right now and my blood is boiling.
I hope harman enjoyed her thirty pieces of silver, or whatever she got to play Judas.