White House Defies Biden and Lugar on Bolton Intercepts

[BigBearJohn]

Here are issues that should be considered and acknowledged when thinking about the relevance and importance of the NSA intercepts;

1. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Richard Lugar, despite contributing in some part to the State Department stonewalling Senator Biden on evidence requests on Bolton, nonetheless SIGNED ON to the importance of the NSA intercepts -- requesting that those be provided to the Committee. Lugar is now the one defied by the Bush administration. He should be angry. He has been put in the position of defending the administration and its job -- but has also been committed to a fair and full investigation. If he stands by Cheney's White House on this, he undermines his own authority as well as the Senate's and harms the public interest.

2. These NSA intercepts have been requested for weeks -- starting with Senator Dodd first calling for them.

3. Receiving and reviewing the NSA intercepts was a clear part of the agreement between Minority and Majority on the Foreign Relations Committee on agreeing that a vote on Bolton's nomination could be scheduled for May 12th.

4. Negroponte's manipulation of the NSA issue as an opportunity to establish new protocols regarding classified information and the Congress damages the system of checks and balances in this government. Strangely, it also undermines the administration as Bolton's chances for confirmation are now worsened in already fragile circumstances because of the charge that can be fairly leveled that the administration is not subjecting itself to proper Congressional oversight. This gives Hagel and Voinovich, as well as Murkowski, and Lamar Alexander (we won't mention Lincoln Chafee) an opportunity to stand up for principle rather than "might makes right." Their responsibilities have been harmed by the White House and this process.

5. All bets are off now on Bolton. I think that a real battle could ensue over this now -- with those protesting Bolton and the political tactics driving his nomination as the ones on moral high ground. To win, the White House has to brutally crush opposition among Republican ranks. To do that costs vast amounts of political capital -- and ends up sending someone to the U.N. who will be "damaged goods" after this battle.

Read the whole story: http://www.thewashingtonnote.com/archives/000591.html

[Nothing Without Hope]

1. Complementary info on Rice refusing to give Bolton transcripts

in this thread:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1455753
Thread title: "Rice to Withhold Bolton NSA Transcripts" - the OP has a link to a NYT article.

How wonderful it would be it they DO stand up for principle - I believe that the WH will soon be pushing for war with Iran - the media propaganda has already started:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1768708
And there are hints (read all the way through that thread and look at the links - this is extremely important) that Israel may attack Iran first and that the US will then join - maybe with nukes. The date that has been mentioned by three different people now is JUNE. The WH wants their bully in place to make sure this rush to war goes the way they want it to. They are fighting for their overall goal of domination of the Middle East and the world.

So this is bigger than Bolton in a LOT of ways, IMO.

[BigBearJohn]

2. good point