Democrats forced the Republican-controlled Senate into an unusual closed session Tuesday, demanding answers about intelligence that led to the Iraq war. Republicans derided the move as a political stunt.There are plenty more effective ways of addressing this issue than acting like a two-year-old.
In a speech on the Senate floor, Democratic leader Harry Reid said the American people and U.S. troops deserved to know the details of how the United States became engaged in the war, particularly in light of the indictment of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff.
Reid demanded the Senate go into closed session. With a second by Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., the public was ordered out of the chamber, the lights were dimmed, senators filed to their seats on the floor and the doors were closed. No vote is required in such circumstances.
Mark and I were on the phone when he first heard about and asked if Durbin was the "second." Yup. Sure enough. Just as the script said...
And how does the Libby indictment indicate anything about the war? Here is what Fitzgerald wrote on this subject in the indictment:
This indictment is not about the war. This indictment's not about the propriety of the war. And people who believe fervently in the war effort, people who oppose it, people who have mixed feelings about it should not look to this indictment for any resolution of how they feel or any vindication of how they feel....The indictment will not seek to prove that the war was justified or unjustified. This is stripped of that debate, and this is focused on a narrow transaction. And I think anyone who's concerned about the war and has feelings for or against shouldn't look to this criminal process for any answers or resolution of that.Reid and Company are just pissed that they don't have a leg to stand on... The indictment has nothing to do with the Iraq war. That isn't my view; that's what Fitzgerald has said.
"The Libby indictment provides a window into what this is really all about, how this administration manufactured and manipulated intelligence in order to sell the war in Iraq and attempted to destroy those who dared to challenge its actions," Reid said before the doors were closed.And your proof, Senator, is what again? The Libby indictment? I think we've already covered that. No matter how many times you tell this lie, Senator, doesn't make it any truer.
Give these guys some Kleenex so that these guys can wipe thier eyes and the Senate can get back to doing the business of the American people.
Mark's Remarks
Scooter Libby's indictment and this entire Plame nonsense has nothing to do with lying about intelligence. It has everything to do with not being afraid to tell the truth. I love how liberals like JD say, we need an investigation, and this and this is how it impacts the intel on the war on terror...blah blah blah....The intel has already been investigated...twice. Remember, the 9/11 commission? I believe they said that while there were intel failures, there was no attempt to mislead the American people or Congress. But wait, there is more. The Select Committee on Intelligence also investigated the matter and turned up what? No sign of wrongdoing. In fact, the only liar they found was....wait for it....
JOE WILSON! Yep, they found that Joe Wilson had lied in his story as an annonymous source and in his op-ed piece, not only about being sent by the VP,but also on what he found and saw in Niger. Wilson was found to have lied about seeing forged documents, and was found to have lied about the nature of his report, which pointed TO IRAQ AND NIGER AND URANIUM, not away from it.
So, if anyone has lied in these events and bears investigation, it would be Mr. Wilson.
