Congress Gets Slapped by W

OF

New member
Shaddap you fools!

- Gabe


An angry Bush trying to plug leaks to media

http://www.cnn.com/2001/US/10/08/ret.bush.secrecy/index.html

October 8, 2001 Posted: 7:56 PM EDT (2356 GMT)


by John King
CNN Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Angered at leaks from classified briefings, President Bush ordered key department heads last week to restrict their briefings of members of Congress to the four major leaders and the chairmen and ranking members of the House and Senate intelligence committees, sources told CNN on Monday.

He also called the four leaders to explain his decision and said he was furious that sensitive intelligence material that was shared with Congress was being repeated to the news media, two sources familiar with the calls told CNN.

The top Democrats in Congress, Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-South Dakota, and House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt, D-Missouri, expressed approval of the new policy.

"The president told me about it, and I agree," Daschle said. "It's unfortunate, but there's no choice. Some people just can't resist talking."

A Democratic aide in the House said Gephardt would support Bush's judgment.

"You have to give the White House the benefit of the doubt, and if that means keeping secure information close to the vest, then that's what they have to do," the aide said.

While saying she was not critical of the directive, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-California, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said she hopes there would be some "proportionality" in the policy because there is some information that only committee members should know and other information that all members should know.

Pelosi, who will continue to have access to the classified material, said information flow helps keep members "on board" with the president's policies.

In a memo dated October 5, Friday, Bush told major department heads:

"This approach will best serve our shared goals of protecting American lives, maintaining the proper level of confidentiality for the success of our military, intelligence and law enforcement operations and keeping the leadership of the Congress appropriately informed about important developments."

The memo, signed by the president, was sent to the secretaries of state, treasury and defense, the attorney general and the directors of the CIA and the FBI.

Under the headline: "Disclosures to the Congress," the president said only the department or agency heads or "officers expressly designated by you may brief members of Congress regarding classified or sensitive law enforcement information."

He went on to restrict those briefings to the House speaker, the Senate majority leader, the House minority leader and the Senate minority leader, as well as the chairman and ranking members of the intelligence committees.

"This morning, I informed the House and Senate leadership of this policy which shall remain in effect until you receive further notice from me," the President said, ending the memo.
 
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Jim V

New member
They should give out false information and if it is leaked to the press. Confusion to our enemies.

Or track down the motor mouths and take them out.
 

C.R.Sam

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Interesting security problem. Tough to keep that many elected folks from leakin stuff for favors, press or just ego. Then each one of them has staff that will be privy to most of the stuff and may owe loyalty to an enemy. And last but not least the interns, some of whome may not only leak but also dribble on dresses.

Sam
 

Quartus

New member
Some people just don't get it. And these are the clueless wonders who think they are the anointed ones who know what's best for us.


Any bets on which party has the biggest motormouths?


Maxine Waters comes to mind....
 

Brett Bellmore

New member
I'd say comrade Bonior, (He's got a record of leaking classified information to our enemies in the past.) but there's no evidence the Bin Laden is a communist.

The sad fact is, we've got some members of Congress who are traitors. And if they were really serious about this war, they'd make an effort to figure out who, and nail them.
 

Coronach

New member
It was worse in WWII. IIRC some motormouth in congress was informed that our submarines routinely evaded depth-charging by the Japanese by diving down to their test-depth, which was lower than the Japanese had thought they could dive. The congressman blabbed this, and suddenly the Japanese started setting their depth charges deeper, and US servicemen started dying.

:rolleyes:

Mike
 

KnoxVol

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...the media just spent 20 minutes of a 30 minute press conference WHINING about this good policy.....Sheeesh!
 

CONFEDERATE

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captainhoek said any bets on which party has the biggest motormouths. Well captainhoek I would NOT take that bet since I think we all know which party has the biggest motormouths.
 

jimpeel

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Dianna DeGette (D-CO) was on a morning Denver talk show and stated that a Senator blabbed more than he should have. When asked if she would name that Senator she stated that it was Senator Hatch.

I wonder what his office would say to that.
 

Jim V

New member
It wopuld not be the first time hatch has opened his yap about things that he should keep quiet.

I don't care which party they belong to, if they blab and thus aide and abet the enemy they should go to the wall.
 

PUMC_TomG

New member
Actually, I would say Hillary's lips are sealed....after all, isn't what kept gettin Bill in trouble? However on another note I heard that Diane Feinstein was up in arms over the whole idea. Well, I don't care...let her be up in arms. Better for her to get all pi**y than have myself or a buddy come home in a shiny metal casket.
 

Quartus

New member
It would not surprise me to find that "my" Senator Hatch were running his mouth about the wrong things.


He's Utah's answer to Bob "It's MY turn!" Dole.

:barf:



Hey, Confederate, I didn't expect anyone to take that bet. :D
 

jimpeel

New member
Called Hatch's office and put a bug in their ear. Chief of Staff called back and I told him the entire mess. The CoS said he would get a copy of the interview from KOA and see what she said.

[personal opinion]I don't believe that a "Mr. America" type old-line Republican would do anything to jeopardize our troops. There are many other names she could have rolled off her lips that I would have believed, but not Hatch.[/personal opinion]
 

Coronach

New member
I saw an interview on Fox News with DiFi. She looked like she had just discovered, the hard way, that someone had peed in her coffee. She had lots of pious things to say about security and how we shouldn't let the loose lips of a few keep her out of the know.

She remains an idiot.

Mike
 

HankB

New member
Last I heard, spilling classified information was a Federal offense. What GWB's administration needs to do is investigate who blabbed, and prosecute the miscreants for treason - WHATEVER their party affiliation. In fact, if he prosecutes both a democRAT and a Republican for the same offense, that will tend to still the howls of partisanship that would be sure to occur.

GWB's got 93% approval ratings now - if he goes about it right, he can accomplish MUCH on the domestic front. He should take a lesson from his father, who enjoyed astronomical approval ratings at the end of Desert Storm . . . and failed to seize the moment and DO something useful!
 

Mike in VA

New member
Roger that, HankB. Find 'em, charge 'em, prove it, and jail the mot$%1*@#&*ers, after a public flogging. These stupid people make me :barf: , they should be dealt with most harshly!
 

Waitone

New member
By now Bush has already backed down but he made his point exquisitely.

Now imagine the first meeting with the new inner circle. They are called to meet in a situation room deep in the bowels of the Pentagon (ideally near the site of terrorist attack). Everyone is seated and Bush walksin. Behind him stewards wheel in a freshly killed deer. As Bush is explaining the need for keeping mouths shut he pulls out a hunting knife and proceeds to field clean the deer carcass, handing pieces of entrails to each member of Congress designated to hear war plans. Then Mr. Bush says, "I certainly hope you can keep a secret."

I am so glad we have a President with some hair on his *ss. Congressional leaks are treasonous and should be dealt with accordingly.
 
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