LA Times: Senate’s Iraq Probe to Include Bush, Aides

[Sparky McGruff]

WASHINGTON — In a blow to the Bush administration, the Senate Intelligence Committee said Thursday that it planned to investigate whether White House officials exaggerated the Iraq threat or pressured analysts to tailor their assessments of Baghdad's weapons programs to bolster the case for war.

The move puts claims made by President Bush and other senior officials in his administration squarely in the sights of the committee's investigation, and could add to the White House's political troubles as it tries to keep questions about the war from becoming a drag on Bush's reelection campaign

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/iraq/la-na-intel13feb13,1,786722.story?coll=la-home-headlines

[LeftCoast]

1. Whoa! If this is true, then Bush has lost total control of the situation

Oh, this is going to be delicious!

[calimary]

3. Dear God, let's hope so!

As Dukakis once said "the fish rots from the head."

on edit -

A good ol' time to resume nagging:

1 (800) 839 - 5276 - TOLL FREE CAPITOL HILL SWITCHBOARD. Call this number in the morning, and ask for anybody's office in the House and/or Senate. They'll transfer you, FREE. Call your reps, AND then choose one other Senator. ANY other Senator. If you feel gutsy enough, choose a republi-CON. Maybe John Warner or Pat Roberts, for example. Or Frist or Hatch or Lott or some such schmuck. Because THEY need to hear that people want this. Otherwise they'll just keep eating their neocon comfort food that tells them the only thing America wants is what's good for bush. THESE are the guys who REALLY need to hear from us. There will be more than enough of the bad guys trying to apply pressure in the other direction. WE URGENTLY NEED TO PROVIDE COUNTER-PRESSURE!

PLEASE! Do it as soon as you can in the morning. It won't cost you anything, and it usually takes only about 60 to 90 seconds or so.

[indepat]

13. That the fish has rotted from the head can no longer be ignored even by

those who have marched to the beat of their drummer in lockstep?

[Bandit]

18. "the fish rots from the head."

As a Commercial fisherman all I can say is this isn't true. I understand what he was trying to say but he could have used a different metaphor. Fish rot from the belly first. That is our biggest concern as fishermen is belly-burnt fish.

[calimary]

32. Learn something new every day!

Thanks for the info! That said, this is still a terribly rotten fish.

[hlthe2b]

2. This is BIG, guys... Even the Repugs have had to acknowledge....

no matter how hard they've resisted...

The Bushies ARE going to be exposed: step by step....!

[salin]

11. OSP... OSP.... (low chant to get into the public psyche)

It is there - they will look into it specifically. This will make the executive branch (symbolic) investigation even more of a farce if they do not also look at the OSP.

Very big "Sonic Boom" is reverberating on the Hill down to the WH with this announcement.

[ComerPerro]

4. Outstanding

This is what should be done. Don't investigate the intelligence. Investigate the administration, and find out why they hyped up and overexaggerated (read: lied) about the intel just so they could get their war.

[Just Me]

23. Let us wait and see,...without backing off on our pressure,...

We must maintain a sense of pragmatism, especially given the last two "appointees" on this committee (lest we quickly forget UGH!!!) and the fact that we are dealing with the most skilled, calculative cult. These people "anticipate" moves like champion chess players. I would view this as a potential opportunity to PUSH,...but most definitely not some answer to a prayer. Strategically speaking,...I'd still be focusing on taking out the "pawns" which are protecting the King.

<edit on "subject">

[scarletwoman]

25. This ISN'T the bush* appointed commission, this is a Senate committee.

There are TWO different investigative bodies taking on the Iraq intelligence question; the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (a standing committee) and the newly formed Commission appointed by the White House.

This article refers to the SENATE investigation.

sw

[grasswire]

5. this is the biggest news yet

This means that Republicans are peeling off.

This is the beginning.

Soon there will be a Republican challenger.

[americaheldhostile]

6. Here's some ammo for them...

A list of Bush Administration quotes regarding the WMD saga has been compiled. You can find it at:
http://www.americaheldhostile.com/ed021304-1.shtml Any bets on how fair this "probe" will be in our GOP-corrupted Congress?

James G. Wilson - http://www.americaheldhostile.com

[bpilgrim]

15. more ammo... UNCOVERED: The Truth about the WAR in IRAQ

http://news.globalfreepress.com/mp3/UNCOVERED.-.The.War.in.Iraq.mp3

source...
http://www.truthuncovered.com/

peace

[Rebellious Republican]

7. Hmmmm, I seem to recall a thread bashing McCain's selection....

on this committee. Maybe he still is a good guy republican? But then again, this may only be hype like so many other disappointments we have had. If they hire an independent counsel, say someone named Tim Russert,to ask the really hard questions, then will have our answer.

:shrug:

[hang a left]

10. It is a big effing show. They didn't hand pick those

counsel members for nothin'.

[salin]

12. Different committee - this is the ongoing Senate Hearings

That is the President appointed "Blue Ribbon Panel" to investigate... The exec branch committee (so far) has its mission squarely defined as the CIA intelligence... and is speculated to be given no power of subpeona (unless that has already changed.)

The Senate Intel. committee, headed by Sen. (r) Pat Roberts had been able to rein in the focus to stay on the CIA. This is a big shift. It also will make the president's panel look like a complete farce/scam if it doesn't also look into the OSP and the use of said faulty intelligence.

[Rebellious Republican]

22. Thanks for setting me straight Salin, I am so confused with all ...

these panels, committees and investigations. Maybe thats there game, keep us confused!

[SquireJons]

8. This Could be Big, but...

Remember, we still have Republicans investigating Republicans. What are the chances of the investigation asking tough questions and coming up with an independent answer? That will happen only if the public (and that must include ordinary Republicans) demand it.

Heck, why not have Fox News do the investigation. Then we can find out precisely where Clinton screwed up our nice little war.

[central scrutinizer]

21. Who are the Democratic members of the committee?

While the R's will have the majority and have the chairmanship, if the D's have a spine, they will have a golden opportunity to ask some pointed questions and grounds for complaining if they are stifled.

[scarletwoman]

26. See my post #24 below for the list of membership. (n/t)

[dusty64]

9. This could be good, but

lets not forget it STILL will be a rightwing show.

[gulliver]

14. Cherry picking.

We are already seeing the issue framed as "Did the Bush administration exaggerate or put pressure on intelligence analysts?" That would be bad, but it is beside the point.

The question should be whether the Bush administration did due diligence. Did they only seek information that was pro-war? Did they treat pro-war information with the skepticism and caution appropriate to a war decision?

When Cheney went to the CIA, maybe he didn't pressure analysts. He probably didn't. He might have just gone to the CIA to hunt for justifications for a war that he had already decided on.

Cherry picking. Failure of due diligence. Hyping the danger by repeating dubious claims that had little substantiation...

[scarface2004]

16. i don t need no stinking permission slip....

to go to war!!!! the war president sneered!!

[grasswire]

17. huge kick

I haven't seen this reported anywhere else.

[remfan]

19. HUGE kick!!!!!

Thank you Jay! I knew he wouldn't let this go! :bounce:

[proud patriot]

20. wheeeeeeeeeeeeee !

:D

[scarletwoman]

24. FYI: Senate Intelligence Committee members:

http://intelligence.senate.gov/members.htm

REPUBLICANS

Chairman - Pat Roberts, Kansas
Orrin G. Hatch, Utah
Mike Dewine, Ohio
Christopher S. Bond, Missouri
Trent Lott, Mississippi
Olympia J. Snowe, Maine
Chuck Hagel, Nebraska
Saxby Chambliss, Georgia
John W. Warner, Virginia

DEMOCRATS

Vice Chairman - John D. Rockefeller IV, West Virginia
Carl Levin, Michigan
Dianne Feinstein, California
Ron Wyden, Oregon
Richard J. Durbin, Illinois
Evan Bayh, Indiana
John Edwards, North Carolina
Barbara A. Mikulski, Maryland

From the article:

The expansion marks a surprising shift in direction for the committee. Roberts and other Republicans had resisted the idea of scrutinizing the administration's public statements or interactions with intelligence analysts on the grounds that it was inherently political and beyond the jurisdiction of a congressional intelligence panel. Recent developments put new pressure on Republicans to give ground to Democrats.

The possibility that a compromise might be reached surfaced Wednesday when Roberts and Rockefeller met in a closed-door session with Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and Sen. Charles Hagel (R-Neb.) to discuss an expansion of the investigation. Hagel is said by several sources to be one of the Republicans who believed the expansion was necessary.

sw

[kera]

27. demystification

Hi folks. Greeting to all of you. I praise you for fighting for the only thing that doesn't have a price tag on it: freedom and it corollary dignity. I feel comfort and hope in your stand, a balm on my wrenched soul.

My most appalling memory is the lonely despair and dismay when Serbian civilians were being showered with surgical strikes amid the deafening silence of the universe.

The truth has always set the frightned victim of the distortion free because its has the power to demystify the oppressor. That why we see courage emerging from the fear ashes. :grouphug:

[scarletwoman]

28. Ah, what a powerful post!

Welcome to DU! :hi:

sw

[Insider]

29. welcome, kera

keep up the good words

[kera]

30. thanks a lot

The silent majority turns mob and breaks it chains when survival become an issue;

Conservatism only aim is to clone forged consciences......


Je pense donc je suis

[DU GrovelBot]

31. ## Support Democratic Underground! ##

RUN C:\GROVELBOT.EXE
 
This week is our first quarter 2004 fund drive.
Please take a moment to donate to DU. Thank you
for your support.
 
- An automated message from the DU GrovelBot

Click here to donate.