Sen. Schumer on NOW - C-Span 2 on Plame outing

[never cry wolf]

www.cspan.org

on edit, spelin

[phillybri]

1. Details?

It's good to hear Chuck won't let this die....

[never cry wolf]

2. Seems to be a very real conflict of interest

for A$hcroft to investigate Rove. Calling for a special council.

[Syrinx]

3. appears to be calling for special counsel

[NoKingGeorge]

21. Henry Waxman and Condi

Don't be so sure. Others have let things die. Did Henry Waxman ever get an answer from the head of NSC (condi rice) about evidence of WMD???

[Guaranteed]

4. This is great.

Dems are using this money as a chance to really stick it to the administration.

[Syrinx]

5. says Ashcroft and Justice have conflict of interest

No one believes there is any independence in the investigation.

Pleas for special counsel have been ignored.

Guilty parties should be punished for despicable act.

[Syrinx]

6. "you don't give guilty parties advance notice, giving them...

... a chance to destroy evidence."

"Something is wrong? Is it done nefariously? I don't know... But it doesn't make a bit of difference."

"What is going on here, Mr. President? Scott McClellan is conducting this investigation? Clearly Mr. President, a media spokesman doesn't have the legal expertise..."

[0007]

7. Chuck thinks the investigation is a fraud

He knocked junior and Ashcroft and indirectly called them a joke.

[Nottingham]

19. Reno tried Clinton 7 times Aschcroft has tried Bush's O

And nobody outed a CIA agent either in Clintons administration

[Mandate My Ass]

8. bringing up Bush Sr's quote

the most insidious of traitors. Serious stuff. Not in the words of some "partisan democrat" but the words of a republican and this president's father!!

[Mandate My Ass]

9. ramifications for CIA morale

when you know your own country can identify you. They will be reluctant to serve when they feel their information can be leaked.

At the very minimum we need a special counsel. Ashcroft should recuse himself immediately. Handling of this case as if they didn't know how, didn't care or is afraid.

I say to my colleagues on the other side of the aisle "this isn't going to go away."

[Syrinx]

10. "How can you have an ivestigation, if you don't know who's in charge"

The President says we may never get to the bottom of this matter. Maybe that's what he thinks, maybe that's what he hopes.

If this had happened during the Clinton administration, what would have happened would have made our reaction look like pabulum, compared to what would have come from the other side.

This was a serious, serious crime.

Serious stuff. Traitors. And here we are looking at an investigation that makes one scratch one's head in wonder.

It is obvious that at a very minimum we need a special counsel. At a very minimum, Ashcroft should recuse himself immediately.

To my friends on the other side of the aisle: This isn't going away!

Appoint a special counsel of high integrity and see where it leads.

[Mandate My Ass]

11. Sen Harkin

I don't think the president wants to get to the bottom of this. He is remarkably nonchalant, he even jokes with foreign reporters about it.

[Mandate My Ass]

13. Schumer

Joking and banter bothers me. Pres has made it a point that we have to do everything we can to support troops. No matter what your view of war, has made it a hallmark to do everything we can to support them. And yet when it comes to defending an agent on the front lines and has been betrayed by a traitor, we get nonchalance, a joke here and there, excuses, this wasn't an agent but an analyst, this wasn't done by malice and that it isn't serious. The president could demand that the culprit turn him or herself in, but I haven't heard that yet. There's a dichotomy and that is that for this betrayal of a soldier if you will, who has been on our front lines, there is an attitude "who cares too much about this?"

If pres were certain in his belief we have to get to the bottom of this we wouldn't see the behavior we've seen.

[NoKingGeorge]

25. correction >>>> TWO TRAITORS nt

[eleny]

14. O-o-o-o-h, I didn't realize

the pres* joked about it with foreign journalists! And the Repubs are angry at the Dixie Chicks and others who speak out against his policies when they're abroad?

Hmmm - if I could draw cartoons, I'd start a comic strip called "The Daily Hypocrit".

[eleny]

12. Harkin says he's not sure the pres* wants to get to the bottom...

of the leak. Go Tom! He pointed out how the president has joked about the issue. Now Schumer reiterates the joking and said how bothered he is about the pres* "bantering about it".

Get it it in the record, guys.

[Cheesehead]

15. This is REALLY good stuff!

There are a whole bunch of newly-chewed assholes at the White House!

}(

[Mandate My Ass]

16. Been reported in the media

those who know intelligence know that the greatest danger may not have been to the agent or group of contacts but rather to morale of intel agency. If agents know they can be outed becuz they say something admin. disapproves of, that is the danger. The CIA is furious.

[never cry wolf]

17. Harkin and Schumer teamed up

Schumer yielding the floor for softball questions from Harkin.

won't this hamper the entire intel community?

why the delay at the white house??

[never cry wolf]

18. Puke Stevens makes me sick

asking why this issue is germain to debate on 87B.

[Mandate My Ass]

20. Schumer : ammendment utterly germane

Valerie Plame just as much a soldier in War On Terra, quite germane, more germane that others. Hasn't there been an agreement to allow non-germane ammendments?

Stevens (R): This matter now in counterintelligence in DOJ. Decades of experience. Has a connotation of lack of confidence in DOJ. (no shit) They're following standard procedures in handling this matter and they feel both CIA and counterintel, no need for a special counsel. Not sought by professionals in this area.

Schumer: We have no knowledge if counterintel solely in charge. Have to report to DOJ or FBI? Are they countermanded in where they go. We know none of that. The problem special counsel is needed, we don't know who's in charge.

[eleny]

27. Stevens...

What is unique about this situation? Oh, brother - doesn't he know citizens are watching? Go on there, Schumer - explain it to the esteemed nitwit from Alaska.

Now he's going to block it? Is that what just happened? Did Schumer blow it or is it that the amendemnt is not appropriate?

[Spazito]

22. I have a question re Mr. Stevens, please...

given the seriousness of the topic of the treason, why is this babbling idiot, Stevens, the only repub speaking for the repubs?

[never cry wolf]

26. He is the manager for the $87B spending bill

so he is running this session. Schumer has the floor to present his amendment to that bill. i guess SOP and parlimentary rules say they are the only ones who get to talk unless schumer yields for a question.

[Spazito]

28. Thank you!

Being Canadian, I was unsure of the process. Thank you for explaining it, I appreciate it.

[never cry wolf]

23. Schumer must have proposed an amentment to the spending bill

calling for a spec. investigator. Stevens continues to say it is not germain. Schumer defending, $600 mil for continued WMD search, need to know the analysis will be good, Plame was an expert on WMDs.

Steven saying the professionals in the counterintel at DoJ are working on it, Schumer counters that they still answer to a$hcroft.

[Mandate My Ass]

24. Stevens: In the hands of people trained to discover such leaks

Schumer: On an area like this, not just typical leak, none have involved the revealing of name of an agent. Crime in itself. Bottom line is very simple, this is so important that we can't leave this to conjecture. Counterintel gerneaally does good job so they'll do one here. I think this is too important to leave to supposition. THis is a matter of great importance. I would hope my colleague would allow us to vote on this ammendment.

[Mandate My Ass]

29. Schumer: no of times agent's name leaked

and not by somebody on other side but high administration official, quite different than most of the leaks we've had. Ask lay aside pending ammendments and ask consent that ammendment be considered.

Stevens - not letting him do it. Point of order not debatable. I share umbrage at process will do everything to get to the bottom. May become a time when spec. pros is needed, not now.

SHIT!

[never cry wolf]

30. F**king Stevens killed it!!!

asswipe. point of order that the amendment is not germain, pres of senate agreed, issue dead.

i imagine schumer knew all along that would happen but wanted to at least get his 2 cents worth in.

kinda sad when we have no other way to get the word into the minutes.

[Mandate My Ass]

31. Point not debatable

Ammendment falls.

Now talking about Byrd ammendment.

[eleny]

32. and the chair was seemed so smirky about it

[never cry wolf]

34. who the hell is that chair??

I've just been trying to look it up. Seems like he has alot of power for a non-elected official.

[eleny]

37. It's a senator, isn't it?

I thought the chair is always a member of the majority party.

And to think - when I went to elementary school, civics was a separate lesson! I'm ashamed not to know all this.

[never cry wolf]

39. Yeah, me too

On the senate web site it lists cheney as president of the senate and Stevens as President pro-tem, this must be someone speaking for Cheney I guess. No wonder he so quickly agreed to kill Schumer's amendment on a special prosecutor.

:nuke:

[Mandate My Ass]

33. Byrd

If US ever to work successfully with int'l community the WH must take real steps to share power with UN.

THe Byrd/Kennedy/Leahy ammendment require pres to report to Congress and plan to support American troops by bringing them home before $$ can be spent.

IF president's efforts have paid of in UN contributions, oversight how to get the UN in and the US out of Iraq. We need to have congress watch people's money and get troops the help they need.

[Mandate My Ass]

35. Motion to table Byrd ammendment

by Stevens. Doing roll call now.

Pukes will table it no doubt. We don't need no steenking oversight!!:mad:

[never cry wolf]

36. I've been listening all day

The byrd bill makes too much sense for the pukes, no doubt!

:grr:

[eleny]

38. And I like the Kucinich language

U.S. out - U.N. in.

[Mandate My Ass]

40. 57-42 to table Byrd Ammendment

Now discussing tabling Lautenberg ammendment.

[Mandate My Ass]

41. Lautenberg

to correct situation about VP Cheney's statement on MTP. Re: links to Halliburton, had no-bid contract and has billed US $1.4 billion so far. Halliburton has other contracts, oil contract was not (voted on?)

Deferred compensation and stock options are financial stake in Halliburton. At top of executive branch should have divested. Attach ethical guidelines to Iraq reconstruction. Send message that no one can influence policy and profit from it.

[Mandate My Ass]

42. Graham (R)

Vote how you like, join sides with dems in a minute. This ammendment is political slander. Factually incorrect. He was exempt from going to office of gov't ethics. Went above and beyond. Accusing him of being a liar. Politics at its worst. VP doesn't deserve this.

[never cry wolf]

43. GRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We HAVE to get the senate back at least in 2004!! The byrd amendment was great. This one is good too but it's gonna gets tabled along partisan lines too.

[Mandate My Ass]

45. Graham was practically screeching

about how the oh-so-honorable big Dick Cheney is being slandered by this ammendment. Why is everything slander to them? Methinks he doth protest too much.

[Mandate My Ass]

44. This ammendment

prohibits giving contracts to companies that pay compensation to senior administration officials.

Looks like it'll be tabled along party lines. So much for avoiding even the hint of scandal.

[goobergunch]

46. Please use the Senate Watch thread

I post it every morning for a reason.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=169163

[Mandate My Ass]

47. Your link failed

thanks.

[goobergunch]

50. fixed (n/t)

[Mandate My Ass]

48. Vote is going along party lines so far

I haven't heard Lieberman's name called in either roll call. Is he absent, abstaining or hiding somewhere today when we desperately need his vote for the home team?

[Mandate My Ass]

49. 65-34 to table

This sux.

[Mandate My Ass]

51. Dodd on Help America Vote Act

Not making much sense so far.

[Mandate My Ass]

52. Repukes want unlimited time

Stevens shutting down Reid. Wants all repuke ammendments read without time limits because dems had ONE w/o limits. Dirty tricks.

Reid saying this bill will not be done by tomorrow.