Kerry, Senators Urge Congressional Investigation Into Plame Leak

[kerrygoddess]

Kerry, Senators Urge Congressional Investigation Into Leak of CIA Agent Valerie Plame’s Name
July 25th, 2005

Advance copy to The Democratic Daily…

For Immediate Release:

Today, Senator John Kerry; Senator Carl Levin, Ranking Member of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations; and 24 other Senators formally requested that Congress investigate the leak of covert CIA agent Valerie Plame’s identity — a leak a senior administration official described at the time as “meant purely and simply for revenge.”

“Americans deserve a Congress that holds Washington accountable for the truth about our national security. Can anyone argue with a straight face that Congress has time to look at steroid use in baseball but doesn’t have the will to provide congressional oversight of the leak of a CIA agent’s name? It’s long past time to stop putting politics ahead of the public good, get to the bottom of a national security breach and restore credibility to Washington,” said John Kerry, who authored the letter.

Below is the text of the letter sent today:

Dear Mr. Speaker and Mr. Majority Leader:

The press has reported on information strongly suggesting that senior Administration officials, including White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove and the Vice President’s Chief of Staff Lewis Libby, exposed the identity of American intelligence operative Valerie Plame, despite the repeated denial of the White House at the time.

The public revelation of Ms. Plame’s identity, whether it amounts to a crime or an irresponsible breach of security protocol that doesn’t meet the standard of criminal conduct, almost certainly compromised her intelligence networks and may have compromised the safety and welfare of anyone who had worked with her overseas. As a group of respected former intelligence officials wrote in 2004: “Any breach of the code of confidentiality and cover weakens the overall fabric of intelligence, and, directly or indirectly, jeopardizes the work and safety of intelligence workers and their sources.”

The United States Congress has a constitutional responsibility to provide oversight of the executive branch, whether a law has been broken or not. It is time for Congress to fulfill that constitutional responsibility in this matter by initiating a thorough investigation.

We recognize that a criminal investigation is underway and that a special prosecutor continues to present testimony before a grand jury. These actions in no way preclude Congress’ responsibility to provide oversight. We urge you to exercise your authority as Congressional leaders by requesting the appropriate committees to begin oversight hearings and an investigation immediately.

Sincerely,

Senators Kerry, Levin, Stabenow, Schumer, Lautenberg, Rockefeller, Reed, Feinstein, Dorgan, Harkin, Kohl, Durbin, Carper, Salazar, Boxer, Inouye, Corzine, Wyden, Mikulski, Obama, Murray, Bayh, Johnson, Clinton, Sarbanes, and Landrieu.

http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=57

[TayTay]

1. Six of the people who signed that letter

are on the Select Select Committee on Intelligence. The rules of this committee state:

1.3 A special meeting of the Committee may be called at any time upon the written request of five or more members of the Committee filed with the Clerk of the Committee.

http://intelligence.senate.gov/rules%20of%20procedure.h ...

Only Corzine signed Kerry's letter before for a hearing on DSM. Maybe we can get signees to this who are on the IntelComm:

Levin
Rockefeller
Feinstein
Wyden
Mikulski

To call for a Senate Select Committee hearing. **Sen. Bayh of Indiana is also a member of this comm, but he did not sign this latest letter.

Ask these Senators to put in a request per the rules of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. They can start comprehensive hearings on DSM, Rove, leaking covert agents identities and so forth. Otherwise, what is the point of this?

EDIT: ** I was WRONG. Bayh did sign. Mea Culpa.

[TayTay]

2. Do Not let DU general or politics forget this

This is Kerry's DSM letter in slightly different clothing. Seven of the people on the Senate Committee have signed the friggin letter once it became politically safer to do so. One month ago, nobody wanted to join Kerry except Corzine. Now, well, the Dems smell blood in the water and are jumping on board.

Do not let this one pass on DU. We know who stuck his neck out on this and who is just now coming aboard.

[blm]

3. I just snagged the OP for GD...I hope you repeat your observation there.

They need to up their dosage of clear-headed thinking.

[TayTay]

4. Immediately after I posted it here.

I attached it to the same post in GD Politics.

People forget so quickly. This is the same friggin issue. Only now it has the sexy Rove Treason angle. Kerry couldn't get anyone but Corzine's name on the DSM letter. Now they are all on board.

Better late than never, but I hope to gawd someone remembers who jumped in front of this before the Rove case went supernova in the last 2 weeks.

[fedupinBushcountry]

5. Where is Kennedy's sig ?

Is he in D.C. today ? You are so right we must not let the DU pessimists forget who was on this first.

[TayTay]

6. The fact that more Dem Sens didn't sign that pissed me off

It really and truly did. I think that's why I thought of this in .005 seconds of reading what KG posted. (It was in my active personal memory, instead of where my friggin keys are, sigh!)

I am pissed. If they can sign this, then they can friggin well sign the DSM letter. Or turn this hearing into a dual use thing.

EDIT: Teddy is probably not yet in. I bet he signs.

HEY KG? Is this a Kerry originated letter with co-signers?

[sandnsea]

8. My understanding is Lautenberg

I first saw this presser as being led by Lautenberg and only dealing with the leak. The 12 hour gap was added later. Who knows. Glad things are moving forward though, excellent!!

[TayTay]

9. Tha'ts worse then

They can sign this now for Lautenberg when it mentions Rove but not when it mentions DSM? Grrrrrrrr

[sandnsea]

12. Rove's goose is cooked

I'm surprised they're going after Roberts, to tell the truth. Didn't Hillary just say yesterday we need a "ceasefire".

Just saw my first Roberts ad, treat the fair man fairly, give him an upperdown vote.

[Mass]

10. From Kerry's post on his website, it seems he authored the letter

It is possible Lautenberg had the idea, but I don't know and I do not think this has been said. They often work together anyway.



http://kerry.senate.gov/v3/cfm/record.cfm?id=241382

Senators Urge Congressional Investigation Into Leak of CIA Agent Valerie Plame’s Name

Today, Senator John Kerry; Senator Carl Levin, Ranking Member of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations; and 24 other Senators formally requested that Congress investigate the leak of covert CIA agent Valerie Plame’s identity -- a leak a senior administration official described at the time as “meant purely and simply for revenge.”

“Americans deserve a Congress that holds Washington accountable for the truth about our national security. Can anyone argue with a straight face that Congress has time to look at steroid use in baseball but doesn’t have the will to provide congressional oversight of the leak of a CIA agent’s name? It’s long past time to stop putting politics ahead of the public good, get to the bottom of a national security breach and restore credibility to Washington,” said John Kerry, who authored the letter.

[TayTay]

11. Did I ever tell you that I'm happy I voted for that guy

F*cking A.

[ginnyinWI]

21. He's in his element now, as Mr. Prosecutor

The truth of his words cuts through all the b.s. and rings as clear as a bell! Go Johnny go!

Yeah, I'm a bit pleased with the big guy,too. :loveya:

[sandnsea]

13. Don't really know

All I know is what I got in my email...

"Several Democratic lawmakers led by Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) will hold a news conference at 3:30pm on Monday , to unveil a new “Web Calendar” on the Rove-CIA leak scandal..."

[Mass]

14. The press conference was called by Lautenberg

I dont think there is any question about that. I understood that TayTay was talking about the letter.

BTW, it was moved to 4.30 pm.

[kerrygoddess]

22. Two separate things it seems

Kerr's staff sent out the letter to various sources and I posted it immediately. The Press Release did say Kerry authored the letter. Must have been in conjuction with Lautenberg's Press Conference and the Clock on Reid's website.

Reid did not sign the letter either. It was Jack Reed of RI.

[TayTay]

15. I love Sen. Lautenberg

He is a great guy and a real straight-shooter. He served during WWII, so he knows what treason and 'loose lips sink ships' means.

He has always been in this with Kerry. But not all the other folks on that list have been. (Welcome aboard.) I just want some friggin hearings. I am tired of a ball-less Senate that is afraid to piss of The Idiot King. (They still think that moran is popular and are afraid to take him on. Or take Rove the Traitor or Rove "Oopsie the Clown' on. Just do it already.

Sigh!

[sandnsea]

16. Secret Agent's Cover Blown

Maybe that's a simple enough sound byte for people to grasp. Or maybe it's as simple as everybody wants Rove.

[blm]

7. heh...there are some who won't go into GD-P...that's why I always snag

important posts for GD....to increase the number of eyeballs.

kerrygoddess always has great posts to spread the word.

[jillan]

17. anyone know if this will be on cspan?

And did I ever say how much I



Kerry?

[TayTay]

19. I agree with you on that

I think it's very important that the Senate show that they are taking this possible breech of confidentiality seriously. This is a proper response to that hearing on Friday and it keeps faith with those former CIA agents who showed up on Friday and testified at a Dem hearing. Larry Johnson and Dr. Lang deserve no less. (Actually they desreve no less from the whole Senate, but the Rethugs are despicable and without any honor at all.)

And I am feeling very kindly towards my greatly and deeply and muchly esteemed Junior Senator this evening. He done good today. :loveya: :loveya: :loveya: :loveya: Real good. I love to see him take the lead on this stuff. It's just so Kerry-ish to see that kind of crap going on and try to get the truth out and stop the bastards from doing any more harm to this country.

[Island Blue]

20. I'm really happy to see Sen. Kerry taking the lead on this

and that others are following suit. It's rough for those of us who live in states with two Rethug Senators. We have no one of our own to adore and feel good about. Sigh.

[TayTay]

24. I would offer to share

But last time I did that I upset the fellows citizens of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in this forum. (Who, rightly, feel a bit proprietary about our good pols.) Every time someone posts about having just Rethugs to send to Congress it activates my Catholic guilt and I feel like I want to share the wealth over here.

So, the offer is changed slightly. We will still share, but we need the equivalent of a library card checkout or something. (To make sure we get them back.)

How about cloning?

[jillan]

18. This is their last week to really do something big on this

They are off for 5 weeks.
It is even more important to get things going now.

[foreverdem]

23. So glad John is leading them

I hope the Dems are all over this like a pack of wild dogs, Lord knows the repugs would be if the situation was reversed. John leading this up is the icing on the cake.