Major scandal erupts involving Rep. Jane Harman, Alberto Gonzales and AIPAC

[Fireweed247]

Indeed, as I've noted many times, Jane Harman, in the wake of the NSA scandal, became probably the most crucial defender of the Bush warrantless eavesdropping program, using her status as "the ranking Democratic on the House intelligence committee" to repeatedly praise the NSA program as "essential to U.S. national security" and "both necessary and legal." She even went on Meet the Press to defend the program along with GOP Sen. Pat Roberts and Rep. Pete Hoekstra, and she even strongly suggested that the whistleblowers who exposed the lawbreaking and perhaps even the New York Times (but not Bush officials) should be criminally investigated, saying she "deplored the leak," that "it is tragic that a lot of our capability is now across the pages of the newspapers," and that the whistleblowers were "despicable." And Eric Lichtblau himself described how Harman, in 2004, attempted very aggressively to convince him not to write about the NSA program.

Stein's entire story should be read. It's a model of excellent reporting, as it relies on numerous sources with first-hand knowledge of the NSA transcripts (and what sweet justice it would be if Harman's guilt were established by government eavesdropping). It should be noted that Harman has issued a general denial of wrongdoing (but does not appear to deny that she had the discussion Stein reports), and the sources in Stein's story are anonymous (though because they're disclosing classified information and exposing government wrongdoing, it's a classic case of when anonymity is justifiable; and note Stein's efforts to provide as much information as possible about his sources and why they are anonymous).

There are many questions that the story raises -- Josh Marshall notes just some of those vital questions here -- and Harman's guilt therefore shouldn't be assumed. But obviously, given all the very serious issues this story raises -- involving what seem to be credible allegations of very serious wrongdoing by a key member of Congress, the former Attorney General and one of the most powerful lobbying organizations in the country -- full-scale investigations are needed, to put it mildly.

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2009/04/20/harman/

[anonymous171]

1. Why is AIPAC so powerful?

Is it their money? Influence? What makes congress listen to them? Serious question. :shrug:

[kestrel91316]

2. Probably an indication of how many in Congress take the bible literally.

[anonymous171]

4. Religion can't be the only reason. There has to be something else.

[DevonRex]

9. Yes, there is something else.

[Winterblues]

13. Who benefits from unrest in that neck of the woods?

Think it through and then remember Exxon just knocked Wal Mart off the number one spot on the Forbes 500 list. Keep the Arabs buying weapons and then Israel will buy weapons and who benefits from that. The Arabs sell their oil with help from Exxon and all the others and they use their oil money to buy weapons..

[anonymous171]

15. Ahhh, the good old MIC.

Goddammit why can't they just leave America alone? Aren't their other countries they can corrupt? :banghead:

[Winterblues]

16. America isn't the world's largest Arms Dealer for nothing.

Blood Money spends just like honest money...

[BuyingThyme]

3. Because they have corrupted Jane Harman, Nancy Pelosi, and many other traitors.

We have to start locking these people in cages according the laws which are supposed to govern this nation.

[anonymous171]

14. But how did they corrupt them?

That's what I am wondering. Did they buy them off? Did they threaten them?

[HereSince1628]

5. Well, it MUST be infuence, the roles of influence and power are nearly tautologous

[Fireweed247]

6. They apparently own Nancy Pelosi and expect her to act on their behalf

So you want favors from Nancy, you do favors for AIPAC.

[anonymous171]

8. That's my question though. Why does Pelosi do their bidding?

[Fireweed247]

10. I don't know what she gets- maybe she just wants the power?

They are responsible for getting many politicians into power in the first place.
'You want to keep your job-you work for US.'

We need to force these members of Congress to resign. WE cannot trust them, we cannot trust our voting systems.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

11. she has family

husband, children, grand children.

It could be threats of embarrassment or even harm.

[anonymous171]

12. Wow. I didn't know AIPAC did stuff like that. nt

[Fireweed247]

17. I don't even understand why AIPAC is legal

Other countries lobbying our Congress to act in their behalf- isn't that treason?

[anonymous171]

18. I think they claim to be "friends of Israel" or something along those lines.

They claim that they are not representatives of the Israeli government. I'm not sure how accurate that claim is however.

[Fireweed247]

20. yes, we have a 'special relationship'

that's why we give them money and look the other way when they commit war crimes.

[DevonRex]

7. Serious answer: Because half of them are spies and the other half

do the spies' bidding. And if you think CIA is scary...

[lib2DaBone]

19. When Gas was $4.25 a gallon.... America was shipping free gas to Israel.

AIPAC lobby money and your CONgress at work.

[Fireweed247]

21. it was $5.00 in Alaska

:grr: