Harry Reid Kicks Ass, Extracts Agreement on Phase 2 of Senate Intel Committee Report
Hm. Maybe that title is a tad subjective.
Anyway, Senator Harry Reid (D-NV), the Senate minority leader, invoked seldom-used Rule 21 in the Senate yesterday, placing the body in closed session to discuss intelligence committee chairman Pat Roberts’ (R-KS) failure so far to complete the promised “phase two” of the committee’s investigation into the Iraqi intelligence failures. From the WaPo: GOP angered by closed Senate session.
The usually unflappable majority leader, Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), was searching for words to express his outrage to reporters a few minutes later. The Senate “has been hijacked by the Democratic leadership,” he said. “They have no convictions, they have no principles, they have no ideas.” Never before had he been “slapped in the face with such an affront,” he said, adding: “For the next year and a half, I can’t trust Senator Reid.”
Frist seemed much calmer when the closed session ended. He agreed to a six-senator bipartisan task force that will report by Nov. 14 on “the intelligence committee’s progress of the phase two review of the prewar intelligence and its schedule for completion.”
Committee Chairman Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) said the report was nearing completion anyway, but Democrats disputed that.
So, given Roberts’ history, I’m sure the information will only come out with him kicking and screaming, or with any criticism of the Bush administration’s role watered way down, or both. But it’s better than meekly going along with the ongoing whitewash.
November 2nd, 2005 at 11:13 am
I must say I’m incredibly impressed by Reid on this. I had thought he was just going to let this drop. However, he’s perfectly timed this for maximum effectiveness. It seems Reid has both conviction and savvy.
November 2nd, 2005 at 5:35 pm
I’m all for it! Let’s get any relevant information on how intel was used by policymakers and let the chips fall where they may!
November 2nd, 2005 at 9:47 pm
After I saw the replay on CSpan last night, I emailed Sen. Reid applauding his effort and told him to keep up the fight! I was not surprised to see him get blasted by the other side on TV, as if he was a criminal sabatoging an inquiry into his own wrongdoings. His ‘unprecidented’ actions may not work but they will be hard to ignore.
November 3rd, 2005 at 7:49 am
Lucy, since you support Reid’s position, perhaps you’ll actually get a response to your email. His reply to me was that he only responds to voters in his own state – which he violated with that very response.
I wonder (not really) if this most recent action is only to satisfy the wishes of those voters who put him in office. More likely, it is only another sign of frustration and panic…..ironic(?) that the timing coincides perfectly with the precious polls indicating some rise in Bush support.
Yes, the action was unprecedented. Historically, it has been used several times in our nation’s history, but only for matters of national defense and security, never before to pursue political agendas. With typical lack of foresight, the precedent has been set for similar vindictiveness if his party ever retrieves the power they have worked so diligently to lose over the last three decades.
November 3rd, 2005 at 11:51 pm
Harry Reid has bawls!
This may have been a cheap political stunt, but it’s underlying principle can be tracked back to more information for the people. He is merely attempting to bring attention or hype the release of the report.
We have to remember that the 911 commisssion had some great findings but very little blame. Now we have an indictment on Scooter Libby with regard to obstruction of justice and perjury regarding political payback to Joe Wilson and his wife (I won’t say her Plame, err name). This and the lack of WMDs in Iraq is causing the American people to say ‘Wha?’.
Kudos for Harry Reid for getting more oversight on the foot dragging of the Republicans and focusing the Democractic party on security – which is why we lost the election.
November 6th, 2005 at 3:57 am
Senate leader Harry Reid has done little to inspire confidence that he could successfully fight a parking ticket, let alone the war against terrorism. This weeks histrionics and whining haven’t change that….
Here is the Democrats courageous stand….. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid said, “We know that there were no now in Iraq. We didn’t know it at the time. We know now that we didn’t know at the time that there was no Al Qaeda connection. We know now that we didn’t know then that there was no 9/11 connection.” Anyone want to translate! Note: It was more painful to watch than to read!
PS: Even after all that the “courageous” Senator still would have attacked Iraq and removed Saddam…. as would have Hillary, Kerry (as of today), and Edwards.
November 7th, 2005 at 9:10 am
Hey trg34221:
You may want to stay clear of quoting un-readable quotes from Democratic Senators.
I could max out the hard drive space of this site buy quoting Dubya sentences and straight up brain-farts that would take you years to try to figure out what the fuck he is saying. In fact a term has been developed to describe them because of the sheer volume. Try googleing “Bushisms”.
I suspect that you may be getting a little worried, understandably, because the Democratic leadership is actually starting to show leadership, and is going to hold this administration accountable. With an approval rate of 34%, you have every right to be alittle nervous.
Here is a good “Bushism” for you:
“Rarely is the questioned asked: Is our children learning?” —Florence, S.C., Jan. 11, 2000
November 9th, 2005 at 12:36 pm
They found WMD in Iraq!! They found WMD in Iraq!!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4417024.stm
Sigh. Too bad it was the US Army that brought it in and used it. Sigh.