Question on the Condi spin

[Killarney]

So, Condi can't say that NSA's don't testify because Sandy Berger just did the other day. So, her spin on 60 minutes was... I would really love to testify, but I can't. We cannot find a single example of a SITTING NSA who testified to Congress (this rules out Sandy because he's not the sitting NSA right now). Nice spin, Condi. :rolleyes:

My question is... was a sitting NSA ever asked to testify to Congress before? Has any other NSA said no like her?

[AndyP]

1. when was the last time

the sitting NSA fucked up as bad as she??? I'm sure if that happened the sitting NSA *would* have testified.

[dkf]

2. Only way to get Condi to testify under oath is to boot Bush and

then call her in.

Just another great reason to vote Bush out.

[librechik]

3. yes, Berger and Zbig at least.

Josh Marshall did a search on this a few days ago--interesting thoughts

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/week_2004_03_21.php

[ezee]

4. condi

should and could be subpoenaed

[pinkpops]

5. If she would testify standing up

she wouldn't be sitting. That might be a nice compromise that the president could understand.

[AgadorSparticus]

6. yes, the commission gave a list of former NSA's that testified.

I believe they presented it to either powell or cheney to take back to their klan. They were urging the WH to reconsider their stance on condi not testifying publicly like everyone else. In diplomatic speak, that was 2 shades shy of a threat.

[buycitgo]

7. David Stretch Gregory made it very clear

the deal is that Berger, don't know about Berzhiz....., was forced to testify, cause it had something to do with a possibly criminal matter.

the key word.....parsed to the nines.....is POLICY

policy....she said tonight that no sitting NSA has ever testified on POLICY matters

that's the key

she could be subpoenaed, but they will NOT

Keane said it today....takes too long

and also, they're CHICKENSHIT!

did you hear what Kristen Breitweiser, the REAL hero in all this, said about the loser/chickenshit commission



when asked why many of the questions the widows suggested were not asked, she answered:

I spoke to one of the commissioners, and we were told that 'it's not the Washington way.' That, um, you know, pointed questions such as that, it's really not the forum...um...I don't find that acceptable!

astounding, yes? this is from NOW, and word for word.

later she says, point blank, that Condi is either LYING or incompetent. nice to hear it outside DU, huh?

get the NOW transcript.....it might make you cry.....or SCREAM!

Breitweiser is very close to losing it, and they did an obvious edit at that point (to stock commission footage) so as not to show her under duress. SO very sad

I HATE these fuckers with intense loathing and a passion reserved for I don't know what!

[Ksec]

8. Clinton was forced to testify on personal matters so

what makes her think a lowly NSA is above testifying? THATS JUST HER OUT AND WE ALL KNOW IT. If she testifies the next in line would be bush and cheney. They want to keep the heat and attention off them so they use her as a firewall.

[Ilsa]

9. Didn't Perle say today that she should testify?

Didn't he tell Woodruff that on CNN today, that it would be a good idea for her to testify?

[sangha]

10. We didn't have NSA's in 1776

We've only had NSA's for the last few decades. I think it may have started in the 1950's, so any talk about a tradition concerning NSA's cannot be based on their long history

[sangha]

11. Besides, didn't Poppy Bush's NSA testify in Iran-Contra?

That was McFarland, right?

[sangha]

12. Here it is

http://www.fas.org/irp/offdocs/walsh/chap_01.htm

"Robert C. ``Bud'' McFarlane was President Reagan's national security adviser from October 1983 to December 1985. He briefed the President daily about world events and conferred regularly with Vice President Bush, Secretary of State George P. Shultz, Secretary of Defense Caspar W. Weinberger and CIA Director William J. Casey, who were the principal members of President Reagan's National Security Council.

Prior to becoming national security adviser, McFarlane had been deputy to his predecessor William Clark; counselor to Alexander M. Haig, Jr., when he was secretary of state; a member of the staff of the Senate Armed Services Committee; and military aide to Henry Kissinger when he was national security adviser to President Nixon. An Annapolis graduate, he commanded the first U.S. Marine battery to land in the Republic of South Vietnam. He completed two tours, each characterized by the heavy fighting in I-Corps just south of the demilitarized zone that separated North and South Vietnam. He received a Bronze Star for valor and other individual and unit decorations. He resigned from the U.S. Marine Corps as a lieutenant colonel. ...

Beginning in December 1986 after the public exposure of Iran/contra, McFarlane voluntarily provided information to Congress, to President Reagan's Tower Commission and to Independent Counsel. Because McFarlane was only partially truthful, it was difficult for investigators to determine on which matters he could be believed. Further complicating the matter was the fact that McFarlane's testimony was, in some crucial respects, at odds with that of other senior Reagan Administration officials. McFarlane, for example, stood alone in insisting that President Reagan had approved the earliest 1985 sales of U.S. arms to Iran by Israel and had agreed to replenish Israeli weapons stocks. It was only after contemporary notes recording the events in question were discovered late in Independent Counsel's investigation that much of what McFarlane said could be verified. His desire to keep secret certain contra-assistance activities resulted in criminal charges being brought against him.

After lengthy negotiations with Independent Counsel, McFarlane on March 11, 1988, pleaded guilty to four misdemeanor charges that he unlawfully withheld information from Congress about North's contra-support activities and about the solicitation of foreign funding for the contras. As a condition of his plea, he agreed to cooperate with the ongoing criminal investigation. On December 24, 1992, McFarlane was one of six Iran/contra defendants pardoned by President Bush....

[Oilwellian]

13. It's interesting she said "Congress"

When it's a Commission that's asking her to testify.