Harman responds: if anything should arouse concern, it is that the Bush may have spied on Congress

[sabra]

http://blogs.abcnews.com/roodfromdc/2009/04/harman-responds.html

Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA) issued a new statement, responding to allegations the NSA recorded a conversation between her and a suspected Israeli spy, promising to swap favors:

“The CQ Politics story simply recycles three year-old discredited reporting of largely unsourced material to manufacture a ‘scoop’ out of widely known and unremarkable facts – that Congresswoman Jane Harman is and has long been a supporter of AIPAC, and that some members of AIPAC regarded her as well-qualified to chair the House Intelligence Committee following the 2006 elections. Congresswoman Harman has never contacted the Justice Department about its prosecution of present or former AIPAC employees and the Department has never informed her that she was or is the subject of or involved in an investigation. If there is anything about this story that should arouse concern, it is that the Bush Administration may have been engaged in electronic surveillance of members of the congressional Intelligence Committees.”

[Blackhatjack]

1. She is right -- We should be concerned that the Bush Admin spyed on Members of Congress...

... but that does not exonerate her from allegations that she may have engaged in wrongdoing. We just do not know.

[Fireweed247]

3. yup

we are also concerned that Congressional members are buyable, that AIPAC feels they have control over Nancy Pelosi, that congressional members are easily blackmailed and that through all of this not a damn one of them seems to give a shit about the Constitution and upholding their oath of office.

[Kaleko]

2. What? We can't be concerned about two things at the same time?

[Demoiselle]

4. What kind of evidence do we have?

In one of the several threads about this on the DU home page there's the sentence:

'Harman was recorded saying she would “waddle into” the AIPAC case “if you think it’ll make a difference,” according to two former senior national security officials familiar with the NSA transcript.'

There's a lot of "according to ..." stuff cited... And I have a problem with "according to ...(unnamed )....former national security". Wouldn't these people be Bushies, and should we trust them? Has a reputable reporter actually heard the tapes?

And has the Justice Department confirmed that she did indeed "waddle Into" the AIPAC case and try to influence what was going on?
Making nice on the phone and effectively saying "I'll see what I can do" isn't quite the same thing as actually doing it.
Wouldn't it make life a little easier for ex bushies if they could make the case that prominent Democrats were up to the same stuff?
I agree it's a terrible mess, and I'm not trying to start a fight here. I'd just like a little more verifiable info.

Just asking.

[Kaleko]

13. That's all I'm saying, too. Let's have an official investigation

into every part of this wire-tapping/torture cesspool.
But that won't happen, right? Our lawmakers are beyond the reach of the laws they make.

[Flying Dream Blues]

16. That's what she's hoping, I'm sure. Where are the pirates when you need them? nt

[blm]

5. How about being concerned that you helped BushInc COVER UP wiretapping before the 2004 election?

The NYT didn't run with the story they had because YOU helped protect BushInc.

[gratuitous]

6. Indeed, Rep. Harman, that is very concerning

So very concerning, in fact, it might have been something that Congress should have looked into, doncha think? After the 2006 elections, Democrats had the power to convene hearings, subpoena witnesses, gather information and issue reports, up to and including referrals to the Justice Department for high crimes and misdemeanors committed by the Executive.

For some reason, that didn't happen. Perhaps you could fill us in on some of the why of that?

[thereismore]

7. As opposed to spying on ordinary people, which is OK? nt

[dkf]

8. They weren't spying on her, they were spying on the suspected Israeli operative

who she just happened to be speaking to.

That is her fault.

Bah.

[Blackhatjack]

9. And since there was no warrant how do we know they weren't spying on her?

That is the problem .... any old excuse you can dream up will do if you don't have to apply for a warrant and identify the target to be wiretapped.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

10. Apparently there was a warrant.

[Blackhatjack]

12. Then the warrant describes the parameters of the wiretap and the targets...

... any deviation and the Agency conducting the wiretap is on their own.

[malaise]

11. So why wasBushco spying on Rockefeller? n/t

[Politicalboi]

14. How dare they Jane

I bet there are a lot of recordings of a lot of congress critters and that is why Impeachment was off the table. I would love to hear some recordings of Nancy and Jane and AIPAC.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

15. The art of deflection - "You think I'm bad...Just look at those guys."

[walldude]

17. She learned well from her Republican colleagues

Not my fault. Wasn't me. I didn't do it. Hey look over there, a kitten!