Condiliar Rice testilies this morning in SFRC

[TayTay]

Gee, you think maybe Sen. Kerry might have words with the Sec of State on his recents statements on Iraq, the civil war and a real withdrawal plan?

Hearing starts at 9:30 am unless it gets cancelled at the last minute. Webcast here:

http://foreign.senate.gov/index.html

Could be interesting.

[wisteria]

1. It does sound interesting.

Unfortunately, I can't listen to it. Do you think it will be covered and repeated on c-span later?

[TayTay]

2. It should be. It's Condi on the Hill. That is rare

and NEWS. As is the Nukes deal with India. Check C-Span tonight online and see if they put the hearing up on their schedule. I will 'ive-blog' it in this thread, to the best of my ability. (Don't get your hopes up. Live-blogging is not really a great skill for me, but I'll muddle through.)

[wisteria]

3. Thanks, and I understand the skills it takes to live blog. I know I

couldn't think and type that fast and not miss most of what is going on. It's wonderful that you are able to do this.

[whometense]

4. Do you have a video link?

I have audio, but it's not the same. :(

And ACK!!! It's snowing!!!!!!!!!!

[TayTay]

5. Here ya go

http://foreign.senate.gov/index.html

BTW, this is Condi's baby all the way. She designed the treaty and has been secretly pushing it since early '05. She is playing the game of bringing in India to check the growth and power of China. IT's a big risk.

Condi is giving a history lesson on India right now and going over how India has modernized and needs energy. She is emphasizing that aspect of the treaty.

BTW, Sen. Kerry has proposed that India get their nuke material from a UN guaranteed source that will guarantee that India gets what it wants, but doesn't start generating material that can be used in a bomb. Kerry still wants nuke material tightly secured. Condi is wobbly on this, very wobbly. She is playing 'the great game.'

[whometense]

7. Thanks!!

I'm a such a sucker for JK's pretty face... :P

Just hearing her voice makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck. Condiliar indeed.

[TayTay]

6. Condi is dancing around the concern that India will 'nuke up'

and become a problem vis a vis Pakistan. (Geez, Condi, it's not that simple.)

This might be pretty good. There is a lot of room for questioning Condi right now on this.

Anyone see who is there?

[TayTay]

8. Biden up

Gets right to it: Why does India get to nuke up now? Have you really thought through the consequences of this vis a vis our other allies who will now also want to nuke up?

Biden is running through the standard objections. India is not a signatory nation to the Nuclear Non-proliferation treaty. Shouldn't we make them sign before we let them get concessions from us?

[whometense]

9. Oh, GAG.

Biden: "She'd make a formidable presidential candidate."

What a suckup. Yuck.

[TayTay]

10. Biden sometimes just puzzles me.

Joe, stop giving aide and comfort to the Democrats' enemies. I'm begging ya.

[whometense]

12. It's like he

just can't help himself. But the effect is pure revulsion. He can't imagine how bad this stuff makes him look.

Haven't seen anyone else yet - no widescreen shots.

[wisteria]

13. Biden thinks everyone would make a formidable Presidential candidate

That appears to be his favorite line.

[TayTay]

11. Lugar up

Ten minute questioning period.

India has not been a pip to work with you know. They have been arrogant and demanding.

In short Condi: Have you really thought this through? What does this do to our arrangements with Pakistan and stuff.

[whometense]

14. Biden is so predictably horrible.

Why, oh why does he feel it's necessary to say things like, "I'm probably going to support this, but..."

Why tip your hand, Joe? Why hand over any tiny bit of leverage you might have? Shit. This guy wants to be president???

[TayTay]

15. Biden: NPT issues

Ahm, Biden is off his game. He is confusing me. (Granted, not that hard a thing to do. Sigh!)

A leap, a jump, a step of faith. (Biden is a poet.) Condi: Will this deal unravel the NPT?

Nuke suppliers (Un-affiliated?) met with Joe. They are concerned. Is this safe-guarding the uranium and such.

Condi: Dance, dance, dance. India is perfectly safe and they promised me they would play nice. Condi says the political situation in that area has improved. (Anyone tell Pakistan this?) Sigh! The Bush Admin, which is internationally known for it's incredible diplomacy (gag) will use it's influence to make sure India plays nice with the nuke material. (Now I'm worried.)

[whometense]

17. Wimpy Linc-y up now.

For some reason, I always have to impulse to slap him.

Do you think he was bullied as a child?

I don't think I got enough sleep last night. Sorry.

[TayTay]

18. He still looks like Charles Nelson Reilly to me.

Which dates me. Weak chin, slight hesitancy when he speaks, a sort of wimpiness factor that hovers over him.

Still, he's not a fire-breathing Rethug. There is that.

[TayTay]

16. Chafee up

Good Question? India relies on oil and gas from Iran. How will this affect that agreement and what does it mean.
Condi: Iran is not a reliable supplier of energy. (Ya think?) So India has to start generating their own and so forth.

Chafee: Who came up with the amendments to the Atomic Energy Act? (US or India?)
Condi: Ahm, well we did. India has needs, we felt for them.

Condi: I brought Iran to scare you. Everytime I mention Iran and the fact that they trade with India, you should tremble cuz they are EVIL. Geez, didn't you get the memo? This goes to Condi's point that we are safeguarding India, making them a stronger ally of the US and drawing them away from other sources, like IRan.

[TayTay]

19. Sarbanes up

Safe guards regime set up with the IAEA.
Can we have a look-see at the safe-guards? And they are India-unique, right

Condi: Ahm, yes. We are starting a discussion with the IAEA. (Just now Condi? Geez.) India will maintain their two tier system, so the IAEA only gets a partial crack at them.

Sarbanes: Can you tell us about the safeguards.
Condi: No, I don't have that yet. (What is it with this Admin and not putting in viewable safe guards? It's like an afterthought every single time.)

Sarbanes: You are shifting away from the provisions of the Atomic Energy Act. You are twisting this so that the President can make changes to this first and then the Congress can only dissent by a 2/3rds vote. (Another power grab, why am I not surprised.)

Sarbanes is so good. It comes off like your kindly old uncle, but he really is sharp.

[whometense]

20. Beat me to it -

Sarbanes is doing an absolutely excellent job.

Uh oh. Barfbag. Earplugs, everyone.

[globalvillage]

21. Oh, cripes, Tay

It's barfbag.

But Durbin's on C-Span-II
:-)

Time to switch audio.

[TayTay]

22. Barfie Sen. Sea Slug is up. (Allen)

He thinks the nuke thing is a bet. Talking about horses. India and the US and stuff are a good bet. Condi, can I kiss your feet? You are so smart and beautiful and wonderful. Anything you say is good.

The air is bad in India. Condi: It's bad in LA. Sea Slug: Yeah, it's bad in India and we can wahck them. In the US we don't have bad air, we have inconvenient air. (Can't criticze the US.)

Barfie: Air pollution in India primarily affects those in India. (what a friggin genuis.)

Condi, this means more transparency, no matter what Sarbanes said. We can see what those other foreigners are up to, thanks to you and those non-existant safeguards.

Can I kiss your feet? I sponsored it you know. Can I have a cookie?

Are we trying to get India to join the initiative by asking them politely? (Weird Allen sentence, of course.)
Condi: Ahm, yes. We think that would be a good idea. Can I talk any slower for you Senator?

Barfie: Where are they in the negotiations.
Condi: Honest, they are working on it. We have real live verbal promises.
Barfie: Okay, as long as we have a promise on paper, it works for me. I think we should trust them. They seem nice. I met them you know.
Condi: That's nice George.


Barfie tries to figure out what this means. Do they have to go through the process and adhere to the safeguards?
Condi: Oh yes. They are in negotiations. We need legislation to make them come up with safeguards.
Barfie: Can we see the safeguards and check up on them. (OMG, a semi-intelligent question.)
Condi: Dance, dance, dance, see my other answers. The IAEA is relied on, unless we are going to war. We need them, unless we decide we don't like their opinions. Sigh!

[globalvillage]

23. Is Sen Kerry there?

He's scheduled for Franken between noon-1, so we might get back-to-back Kerry today.

Yay!!! This is such an exciting Kerry day!!!!!

[TayTay]

24. Cool! Now, you won't be here for the Floor speech on Thursday

We should tape it for you.

[globalvillage]

27. That would be wonderful.

I don't think I'll be watching C-Span. I will send long distance good wishes to the Senator, though. I'm sure he'll be kick-ass.

[globalvillage]

25. BARBARA!!!

I love Boxer at these things. Not a whole lot of love between Boxer and Condi.

[TayTay]

26. Boxer up

Boxer: India doesn't want to be a hedge against China and they serve their own interests.
1. Reward for not signing NPT
2. India can produce more weapons.
3. change in current law. Checks and balances of the Congress will be weakened. See Sarbanes notes.
5. US gave away more than it got in the deal. (hey, where's 4?)

Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT)

Somebody take over, I'll be back in a few minutes.

[globalvillage]

28. Boxer to Condi-

"Your words are a bit hollow...you're ducking around the Congress..."


She doesn't pull any punches, does she?

[TayTay]

29. Alexander:

As long as we don't build windmills, I'm okay with it. (Why does Alexander hate windmills?)

[globalvillage]

30. Sen Kerry's up now!!!

[whometense]

31. Finally Kerry!!

He sounds out of patience. "Inclined to support it in principle."

"It's not the deal I would have negotiated, personally."

[TayTay]

32. Kerry Up (Yeah!)

Kerry:Going over his trip. How it is seen in India and how we want to bring them in as allies.
(He looks tired.)
We should be bringing more of India's programs under the IAEA umbrella. We should have gotten more from India in this deal. We should have talked about non-proliferation issues more and discussed their weapons program. You allow India to continue building weapons. You could have done better.

It is better to start dealing with India as it exists in the real world. Fix the process between Congress, the Admin and India. We don't want to change the structure without the safeguards. (See Sarbanes.)

Condi: I triple promise to ask India to promise to be nice and have safeguards. Honest. I did remember this. Honest.

Kerry: Is Non-proliferation sort of under the radar on this?
Condi: No, of course not. The Indians will be pressed to conform to the NPT stuff. India can help us to strengthen the law internationally that abets the trade in WMD material.

Kerry: did you try to arrive at a numbers agreement on nuclear weapons. (How many do they have?) Are tbey stockpiling beyond their needs.
Condi: Ahm, well, sort of. I was wicked busy that week, you know. dance, dance, dance.

Kerry: Seriously Condi, we have to lead on non-proliferation. Oh snap. It's hard to lead on NP when we are funding new nukes in our own budget.

[beachmom]

33. Kerry supporting the India agreement although he thinks we could have

gotten more out of it.

[Mass]

35. I understand his reasons, but I cant say I am thrilled by that.

This is still a bad treaty, unfortunately, and Kerry has offered interesting solutions on how to deal with these issues, during the campaign and recently in Ireland.

In addition, if he was to cast such a vote, it would get mixed with the vote of people who have totally different reasons: balance with China or simply help to nuclear plants businesses.

Well, we'll see what happens.

[TayTay]

40. I agree Mass.

It is very worrisome when the nuclear club grows. Paul Sarbanes made some excellent points today when he asked for the safeguards and was told that safeguards come after the treaty. :wtf: I don't understand how we are going to get India to agree to the safeguards backwards.

I was also very concerned about yet another Presidential grab for power that Bush/Condi did when they wanted the Atomic Energy Treaty (I think) changed so that the President gets to approve it and Congress can only show disapproval with a 2/3rds negative vote. This is insane and will further unbalance power in favor of the Executive.

I don't think this is over yet. I think a lot of people still don't want the give-aways that are in this deal.

[ginnyinWI]

34. thanks for the live-blog, everyone

I missed this; hopefully they'll show it tonight. :hi:

[Mass]

36. Yes, thanks. This was a good job.

[Mass]

37. Video

http://foreign.senate.gov/archives/2006/archive040506.ram

Kerry's statement starts at about 2:12.

[ProSense]

38. Thanks

Man listening to Lugar is like having someone jab you in nostrils with a breadstick cover with salt! I want to hear the whole thing, but MY GAWD!

[Mass]

39. An excellent explanation of what is problematic in this deal.

http://www.tompaine.com/articles/2006/04/05/loose_nukes_for_india.php

Loose Nukes For India
David Culp and Aaron Scherb
April 05, 2006



David Culp has worked on nuclear disarmament issues for nearly 20 years on Capitol Hill. Aaron Scherb, a Haverford College graduate, works on disarmament issues and has focused his work on the U.S.-India nuclear deal.

When President George W. Bush arrived in New Delhi in March, India had the capacity to produce six to 10 nuclear weapons per year. Under the nuclear agreement reached before the president departed, India would have the capacity to produce nearly 50 nuclear weapons per year

...