Congresswoman Waddles Into Israeli Spy Storm

[Scurrilous]

<snip>

"How many hot-buttons does the news that the NSA wiretapped Congresswoman Jane Harman involve? Let's count: 1) public corruption, 2) "Israel Lobby" espionage, 3) intelligence agencies spying on lawmakers and 4) Bush's hyper-politicization of everything.

The National Security Agency eavesdropped on a telephone conversation Harman had with a "suspected Israeli agent" in October 2005, in which Harman agreed to try to quash an investigation into an Israeli lobby.

At the time, the Justice Department was pursuing an espionage case against two lobbyists for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the powerful Israeli lobbying group. According to CQ's Jeff Stein, the NSA was listening in on an Israeli operative's calls when they picked up a conversation between the target and Harman in which the congresswoman promised to "waddle in" to the AIPAC case "if you think it'll make a difference."

In exchange, Stein reports, the Israeli operative promised to use his (or her) influence to help Harman land the chairmanship of the House Intelligence Committee. In October 2005, the Democrats were heavily favored to win the mid-term election; the wrangling for committee assignments had already begun, and Nancy Pelosi, who was expected to be named Speaker, was signaling that Harman was not a candidate for the Intelligence Committee.

This is the second report that the NSA was spying on members of Congress to come to light in recent weeks; last week the New York Times reported that the agency tried to tap the phone of an unidentified congressman in late 2005 or early 2006 (the tap never happened). The Harman wiretap, according to Stein, was approved by a court.

According to Stein, Harman ended the quid-pro-quo negotiation by saying, "This conversation doesn't exist."

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[Captain Hilts]

1. "Waddles?" nt

[Howardx]

2. her words n/t

[bemildred]

3. Hmmmm. "If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, ..." nt

[Jefferson23]

4. Disgraceful on so many levels beyond words.

[IndianaGreen]

5. Gonzales blackmailed Harman to get her OK for warrantless searches

Since Obama released the torture memos, the lights have been on, and the cockroaches are on the run!

[shaayecanaan]

6. The usual mediocre pusbucket...

Born wealthy, went to a wealthy school, straight into a staffing position after graduating, and bland and tasteless enough to hang around for seven straight congressional terms.

She also supports softcore denial of the Armenian genocide:-

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-harman12oct12,0,3479203.story?coll=la-opinion-center

This will go nowhere, if anything the Democratic party is less likely to turn on its own. It would be good if the transcript could be leaked though. At least give people the opportunity to know.

[shaayecanaan]

7. from Salon.com

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2009/04/21/harman/

Overnight, the Blue Dog has been transformed from champion of the Lawless Surveillance State into a shrill advocate of investigations...

There's a blurb of her on MSNBC. She seems a bit more categorical in her denials and calls for the transcript of the conversation to be released, so maybe she is telling the truth. Still, the hypocrisy shines through.

[bemildred]

8. I'm waiting for the facts. Categorical is what you gotta do in her position.

They could have set her up, she could have asked for it. Meanwhile it's a great show.

[azurnoir]

9. Talk about "hens coming home to roost"

yes Jane wiretap can mean you too, just cause you advocated it doesn't mean they won't do it you

[shaayecanaan]

10. She deserved to be absolutely castigated for that...

the hypocrisy is staggering. It would have been my first question right off the bat.