Senate Panel Demands White House Hand Over Papers on Iraq Arms by Friday

[truthisfreedom]

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/31/politics/31PANE.html?ex=1068181200&en=af2d9d47ac3a20f2&ei=5062&partner=GOOGLE

Senate Panel Demands White House Hand Over Papers on Iraq Arms by Friday

By DOUGLAS JEHL

Published: October 31, 2003

ASHINGTON, Oct. 30 — The Senate Intelligence Committee, in a letter to Condoleezza Rice, the national security adviser, demanded Thursday that the White House "must lift" its objections and hand over to the panel documents related to intelligence about Iraq and its illicit weapons before the war.

<snip>

A White House official who spoke on condition of anonymity expressed surprise on Thursday night at "the substance and tone of the committee's letter." The official said the White House had been cooperating with the Senate panel and had provided committee investigators "access to relevant documents even though the committee does not have jurisdiction over the White House."
"Neither Dr. Rice or the White House has objected to allowing the committee access to C.I.A. documents sent to the White House," the official said, adding that White House lawyers had "made copies of these documents available to committee investigators last summer."
The committee's demand reflects a new impatience on the part of the panel and its staff, who have said some of their previous requests have gone unanswered since July. The committee has not said what it will do if the Friday deadline is not met.


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"surprise at the substance and tone?" hee hee hee. cough it up, weasels.

[frank frankly]

1. great move, Congress!

but Dumbya is on a vacation right now!

keep the heat on, or rather, turn the damn heat on!

[grannylib]

2. Arrogant fools...

About time we quit giving this Shrub a pass on everything...
Keep up the pressure - weasels indeed.

[goforit]

3. LOL!!!!..Ya right!!!...When hell freezes over!!!...Got an arrest warrant?

The Senators are a worthless joke!!!
They honestly think they have power???

They're nothing but the scum of the Earth now! And it is all their fault too!!!

[Dover]

4. The Republicans learned alot from the Nixon tape situation.

At that time there was a pregnant pause in our judicial and democratic system when Nixon was asked to turn over the incriminating tapes. Had Nixon refused to turn over the tapes, the government would have had to forcibly insist...but who would be the enforcer? That mechanism for enforcing the law wasn't put to the test at that time because Nixon did turn over the tapes.


But perhaps the Republicans have concluded that there IS no such enforcer (particularly when their own people are in charge of almost every gov. dept including the Pentagon), and have assumed the Congress is basically impotent. So they taunt and hide the evidence and flaunt their unlawfulness.

[Jose Diablo]

7. The executive and judiciary may get a small taste of congressional power

I am not an expert on constitutional law, but it seems to me that 'we the people' are far, far more powerfull than the executive and judiciary.

The power to remove from office rests with congress, if they so choose to exersize this power.

Congress can remove any document from the executive classification of 'national security' if they so choose.

Congress can stop funding to any program if they so choose. No money, no program. Simple as that.

Congress can remove any judge at the federal level, if they choose.

Congress can separate any political appointee from the appointment, if they so choose.

It is true the executive is the 'commander in chief' of the military. However, doesn't every officer in the military have their position by 'appointment of congress'. Make no mistake, the military answers to congress.

Congress can drag any 'official' front and center for very close inspection and force them, I repeat, force them to testify under penalty of contempt for any untruths.

As for corporations, they only exist because 'we the people' have decided to allow the cultural invention of corporate 'personhood'. If corporations continue to persue a policy that is contrary to the better good of 'we the people', you can be sure corporations will be shown the folly of their ways.

The executive and judiciary should be very fearfull of an angered congress. Congress is after all, 'We the People'.

Congress can wash the fleas from the dog, if they so choose.

We the People is an interesting term. Its roots come from our Native American heritage of tribal organization and how the chief wasn't really the power of the tribe. The chief was the poorest of the tribe because he was always giving what he owned to others. The source of power came from its members.

Forget what you learned about the myth that Thomas Jefferson secluded himself and wrote the constitution in isolation. Nosireebob, the constitution is a synthesis of European and Native American ideas about organization. And "We the People" are smack-dab at the core of the real power and its source. Namely, the citizens, its tribal members.

We the People is not a European invention. The executive (king) and judiciary (judge), that is 'old' world. The invention of a powerfull congress, this is 'new' world.

I think Bush* is about to get a lesson in power.

[joanski01]

5. Those liars at the

White House will not turn over anything. And the media will agree with them.

[truthisfreedom]

6. interesting viewpoint. i wonder how much damage the bush admin is willing

to accept as they refuse to deliver and dean and clark take them apart over it.

[radfringe]

8. any bets?

here's how I see the scenario playing out -

Baghdad Bush inc. will refuse to hand over the papers citing "executive priviledge" or "national security"

Senate Intelligence Committee (SIC) will sputter, make another demand and waste a few more weeks

if SIC has the gummtion - it will issue a court order to turn over the docs

Baghdad Bush Inc. will refuse and appeal to the courts

Courts will rule in favor of Baghdad Bush - agreeing that the docs are in the venue of "executive priviledge" or "national security"

[Jose Diablo]

9. I don't see judiciary involvement

The way I see it is the senate committee taking a congressional vote to declassify the documents.

Once 'national security' is not an issue, then Cheney and Bush* are dragged onto the floor with the documents, by a marine 'color' guard if nessesary.

But it will not go as far as the marines, once Bush* see's what he is against.

Like Nixon, he will resign.

What is in those documents is already known by the committee, it is just 'unofficial' right now.

Remember anthrax? Has it occured to anyone that one of the targets of the attack was congress. I don't think this is lost on congress that the executive has not made good efforts to bring to justice those responsible. If were me, well I would be angry. Party politics would have nothing to do with this.

[teryang]

10. There is no national security privelege

....vis a vis Congress. Congress is the sovereign power and has the right to know everything. There is only the executive privelege based upon the separation of powers doctrine. My understanding is that there are Congressional rules adopted voluntarily which govern hearings by the Intelligence committees which do in fact unduly restrict the SICs right to possess national security documents, they may only be viewed in closed session, in the presence of members of the executive branch and no notes are or other manners of recording or transription are allowed. The legislative branch has hamstrung itself by giving in to national security mumbo jumbo.

[BiggJawn]

11. Demand in one hand, Defecate in the other...

See which one gets full first.
Yeah, like the White House is gonna turn over ANYTHING....

You think they'd learned their lesson from the "Cheney Energy Summit".....

So, when the WH does it's expected tap-dance and refuses the request, would that be Contempt of Congress?