Senate Democrats, seeing all their hopes beginning to disipate after the Plame Investigation closed with none of their hoped-for inictments, seems to have acted in desperation today. Senate Minority Leader, Harry Reid, invoked Rule 21, which I had never been aware of, to institute a closed-door session on the issue of pre-war intelligence, and who knows what else.
The fact is, though Libby was indicted on some serious charges, he was indicted for comments related to an investigation that concluded that there was NO wrongdoing. No matter how many times Reid and others rant about the pre-war intelligence and the so-called “outing” of Valerie Plame, nothing will come of endlessly droning on about these issues.
The average person knows that we had faulty intelligence, and the average person could care less about Ms. Plame. But let me tell you why the invoking of “Rule 21” in the Senate is such a monumentally dumb thing to do.
Conservatives have just gone through something of an in-house spat, of a sorts. We had this huge debate and publicly dissented from our President, whom we've supported to a significant degree over the past 6+ years. So, after this whole in-house debate, an intelligent opposition leader would seek a way to capitalize on this potential rift.
So, what did Senate Democrats do? Initiate an outrageous action guaranteed to unite conservatives across the board.
Is this the best that DNC leaders can do? If so, they are in for yet another rough election cycle in 2006.
I think this move by Senate Democrats will wind up hurting them FAR more than it ever could have helped them. So, let me be the first to extend my thanks to DNC leaders who have done us the favor of reminding us that, no matter how much conservatives might disagree on various issues, we can all agree that the Democratic Party has no answers to offer anyone in America.
David Flanagan
Viewpointjournal.com
Article comments
1 - Silas Kain
What Sen. Reid did was to put the Democrat Minority back in business. Since 9/11, the Democrats in Congress have been cowards when it comes to criticizing this White House. It's about damn time that someone demand accountability from this government! The American people are so busy ignoring what's going down in Washington that the Congress has coasted along, collecting paychecks every week. Those 2,000 plus soldiers who have shed their blood for US deserve the accountability of this White House. If the President and his minions have nothing to hide, then why doesn't he demand that his staff come forward? If the GOP Leadership has nothing to fear, then why the self-righteous indignation by Sen. Frist? He's telling Americans that he can't trust Sen. Reid and the Democrats any longer. Did anyone ever trust Sen. Frist? What the GOP Leadership needs is the vision, clarity and openness of Bob Dole, not Bill Frist.
2 - Anthony Grande
Ohh NOOOOO!!!! This will make the supreme court 4 Liberals and 4 Conservatives with 1 moderate on the side.
What Controversy!!!
3 - Bennett
AG - What does this post have to do with the Supreme Court?
You really should read the post (and then a newspaper - for the facts) before you comment, it'll help you stay on topic.
4 - Anthony Grande
Sorry, my mistake. I thought I was posting on the "Here comes Scalito" site.
5 - Preston Parkhurst
David, if you are speaking about the entire prewar intelligence investigation being concluded, you would be wrong. Only part one concerning the intelligence itself has concluded, with George Tenent resigning. Part two has to do with what the administration did with that evidence that was not really evidence.
Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), chairman of the Senate intel panel, promised a year ago that the investigation in to the second phase would go forward in a speech in Washington last March
“The bottom line is that [the White House] believed the intelligence, and the intelligence was wrong.” and “It’s basically on the back burner,”
It should also be noted that the intelligence that was deemed wrong did not eminate from the CIA, but instead came from the Office of Special Plans which was ran by Douglas Feith.
6 - RogerMDillon
What is it supposed to mean that you didn't know about Rule 21? Do you claim to be a Senate-rule aficianado?
Frist and Daschele agreed to a closed-door session in March 2004, and they had one during the Clinton's impeachment in 1999.
"the average person could care less about Ms. Plame."
--Care to cite any polls?
"So, what did Senate Democrats do? Initiate an outrageous action guaranteed to unite conservatives across the board."
--Of course, because conservatives were never going to unite behind the Alito nomination.
The Democrats are obviously using Libby's indictment, which is keeping the pre-war intelligence fresh in people's minds, to put pressure on the Republicans to finish the work they agreed to complete, but postponed due to the election. The Republicans could have cleared this up last year. Wonder why they didn't?
7 - Alethinos
Yes, David, we did have faulty evidence - or rather no evidence at all. First clue? When they forced Powell to stand before the world and present cartoon drawings as "evidence". We have satellites that can photograph the pimple on your ass and THIS was the evidence we present to the world?
The TRUTH is that there was no need for us to invade Iraq at the time. Sadaam wasn't going anywhere and he wasn't able to do a damn thing. If he had he surely wouldn't have taken 10 yrs to do it.
Bush was itching to invade Iraq from the beginning and 9/11 gave him the perfect out.
Alethinos
8 - Silas Kain
This Administration's goal was to invade Iraq all along and at any cost. That's what people are thinking. We need somebody to pick up the ball and get this matter investigated. Where is the evidence for WMDs? Where is the evidence that the Bush Administration wanted war at all costs? We've got no evidence at all, just allegations. The Executive or Legislative branch has to get to the bottom of this disaster. The 2006 Elections place the power squarely in our hands. The voters have an opportunity to make a statement and send a real mandate to Washington. I hope we don't blow it once again.
9 - Hal Pawluk
The "faulty intelligence" was in the White House, and it responded to false evidence provided by Feith, Chalabi, Curveball (don't you love that?) and others.
The administration was smart enough, though, to con more than half of the voting population but I'm pleased to say that some of those folks are waking up now and should be ripe about election time next year.
Things they are a-changing, David.
10 - Silas Kain
"Intelligence" and "Bush Administration". Does anyone here see the irony? I agree that the intelligence we received was faulty -- especially from Chalabi. However, you would think that after our track record of supporting the wrong dudes (Hussein, Shah of Iran, etc.), we would have learned our lesson. Maybe I am being naive, but I think that our leaders' penchant to trust and preserve our economic strength has gotten us into a lot of trouble over the years. We placed all our eggs in one basket per troubled country. Again, I have to go back to Reagan's mantra: "Dovyerai no provyerai" -- "Trust, but verify". Our government should do it with foreign lands and the American people should do it with our government.