Pincus: Senate Opens Inquiry into Leaked Memos

[kskiska]

Computer Files Discussed Democrats' Strategy on Bush Judicial Nominations
By Walter Pincus

(snip)

Frist spokeswoman Amy Call said the office was cooperating with the investigation but would have no further comment

Five committee Republicans have objected to Sergeant-at-Arms William Pickle allowing anyone to read their backup tapes without their consent. They also want the inquiry to be limited to examining the "memoranda in question and no other files."

Three days after the Wall Street Journal article appeared, Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.), ranking Democrat on the Judiciary committee along with Kennedy and Durbin, requested that Pickle hire security experts to determine who retrieved the documents.

They also asked for an audit of logs to determine who may have been trying to access the files or directories from which the memos had been copied. Two days later, the senators complained to Hatch that he had not yet given consent for the committee hard drives to be turned over to Pickle.

(snip)

That same day, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.), a Judiciary committee member who asked Pickle to get his permission before accessing his computer files, took the Senate floor to discuss the memos.

After saying he awaited the outcome of the investigation to see how the memos were obtained, he said that now they have "entered into the public domain, and I think it is important that we address these memos and what, in fact, they confirm about the obstruction and destructive politics that have taken hold of the judicial confirmation process and which have left me concerned that there is no foreseeable end to the current gridlock."

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A17502-2003Nov27.html

[qanda]

1. All I can say is...

Bizarro World

[Rose Siding]

2. Right Johnny

You turn over all your work product, lay everything on the table and THEN we'll talk, you crook.

[goforit]

3. Yah....bring it on SENATE!!!!

Let's see if your branch has any REAL power left
to prove a damn thing.

Ah....remember the Executive Branch has you putzes
wrapped around their little finger.

So go investigate and show how really friggin weak y'all are!!!

[buycitgo]

4. that's it? nothing more on this story?

how about the part where the IWF jumped the gun, releasing a summary of TWO YEARS' worth of memos (attributed to Frist's counsel, Manuel Miranda)? two YEARS!!! that was ten days ago, and I haven't heard any mention of that til today.

anyone else?

they then had to backtrack, because it brought into play Frist's mouthpiece, Miranda (formerly of the Sen. judiciary committee and PRIME candidate for accessing these memos==>my interp there), who, when questioned about his role in this fiasco, said that

1) he "can't comment" on investigations being conducted

and (2) that he "had not met with" any of Hatch's investigators.

so isn't it typical how they try to weasel and squirm, when their cockroach carapaces get caught in the spotlight.

add to this the distraught response of the Scaife-funded, laughably titled "Independent" Women's Forum, when they realized the hot water into which Miranda has been plunged:

they said in the press release that Miranda CIRCULATED THE ACTUAL MEMOS, then, recanting, said he only gave them the WSJ journal article which referenced said memos.

OK, which one of those statements is a big, hue, gigantic LIE?

and why has there been no discussion of this at all in the media, beyond the Post story? is the "in like a coward, out like a thief" Baghdad Airport Layover going to push this off the front page forever?

can't believe this is just going to die aborning.

oh, wait; can you say Valerie Plame?

[Democat]

5. Let's see if the wimpy Dems actually make this into a real issue

Or will they give up on it after a week like they do with every other potential Republican scandal?

[janx]

6. I find this part interesting:

"Five committee Republicans have objected to Sergeant-at-Arms William Pickle allowing anyone to read their backup tapes without their consent. They also want the inquiry to be limited to examining the "memoranda in question and no other files."


Gee, I wonder why. Could it be that there might be MORE "memoranda" found on some Republican computers, say something that might have something to do with the Senate Intelligence Committee and Rockefeller's office? Hmmm?