CRS Report Concludes Congress Didn't Have Access to Full Access to Prewar

[kerrygoddess]

Feinstein Releases Nonpartisan CRS Report that Concludes Congress Did Not Have Access to Full Scope of Prewar Intelligence
December 16th, 2005

Following up on Ron’s post yesterday that “Congress doesn’t see same intelligence as president”, is this report from Diane Feinstein’s office:

Washington, DC – The nonpartisan Congressional Research Service (CRS) has produced a report that clearly rejects White House assertions that Congress had access to the same intelligence as the President in the march to war with Iraq, U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) announced today.

“There have been a number of claims that Congress had access to all the same intelligence before going to war as did the Administration. The nonpartisan Congressional Research Service study released today indicates that these claims are patently false,” Senator Feinstein said. “The report demonstrates that Congress routinely is denied access to intelligence sources; intelligence collection and analysis ‘methods;’ ‘raw’ or ‘lightly evaluated’ intelligence; and the President’s Daily Brief (PDB). This report goes to show that members of Congress were not seeing the same picture as the Administration.

MORE & LINKS to Report - http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=1430

[Erika]

1. No, Congress did NOT have the same info as Bush

when W started his war on a third rate Muslim country....but it was oil rich.

[Trillo]

2. Perhaps it is a callous, tyrannical way of looking at the problem,

but I believe the constitution states that Congress pays the bills.

Now I believe, further, that power gives one considerable leverage in dealing with spoiled, misbehaving children, if you get my drift.

[enough]

3. kick

[cantstandbush]

4. Every last Dem who voted for the war should use this report to denounce

their vote FOR the war (except Lieberman, of course).

[Clarkansas]

5. Anyone verify CRS non-partisanship?

I have a family member that is convinced congress had access to the same info as Bush. I want to forward this info and make sure it is airtight.