Intel committee sidelined on wire-tapping

[Rose Siding]

This report is from a couple of days ago, but it looks like a significant development. Who's the parliamentarian?

WASHINGTON, March 27 (UPI) -- The chairman of the powerful Senate Select Committee on Intelligence believes congressional officials were mistaken to refer a bill dealing with the president's program of warrantless counter-terrorism surveillance to a rival panel.

"Chairman (Pat) Roberts's (R-Kan.) strong position is that this decision was incorrect," said a senior committee staffer, who asked not to be named.
.....
The Senate Parliamentarian, a little-known but influential official who makes decisions about the legislative procedure for Senate bills, referred the bill -- S2455, GOP Ohio Sen. Mike DeWine's Terrorist Surveillance Act of 2006 -- to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, after a great deal of behind-the-scenes negotiations, according to other senate aides.
.....
The DeWine bill would create a list of terrorist organizations designated by the president. Anyone that the government has probable cause to believe may be "an agent or member ... affiliated with ... or working in support of" one of those groups is liable to be wiretapped.

"Why restrict it to terrorist groups?" pondered one committee insider. "There are criminal organizations or nation states that might also pose a serious enough threat to warrant inclusion."

http://www.upi.com/inc/view.php?StoryID=20060327-030420-7157r

[rodeodance]

1. Roberts is upset that Specter's committee gets to deal with this.

[liam_laddie]

2. Roberts assignment is...

to bury everything implicating the administration. This is NOT a turf battle, IMHO,
but a bald-faced (-headed in his case) attempt to cover-up the multitude of sins
committed by the BushCorp. Arlen may not be the most enthusiastic truth-seeker
either for that matter. We GOTTA take the House in November!

[rodeodance]

3. oh, I totally agree with you (He is Mr. phase II man recall).