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Kyl Blasts Dems on Intel Memo
Hat tip: Ramesh Ponnuru, National Review OnlineWASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ), a member of the Senate leadership, today issued the following statement one day after Senate Democratsâ refused to repudiate a staff memo outlining a strategy to use a nonpartisan Intelligence Committee investigation for political attacks next year against President Bush. Also, one day after "Give âem Hell!" Zell Millerâs very strong statement ("Heads should roll!") on the same subject. The Senator called on Democrat leaders to publicly denounce the strategy. He also suggested that if staff members deserved the blame for drafting the memo, they should be fired. "First, Democrats sought to blame an unnamed staffer for this memo, saying it had never been approved by any Senators. Next they tried to argue the memoâs merits without accepting responsibility for it. Then, on CNN, Senator Rockefeller attributed it to his three staffers but claimed it was just one âoptionâ or âideaâ adding, âI disavow nothing.â "Further failing to accept responsibility, Democrats had the audacity to suggest the Senate investigate how these attack plans might have been obtained - the equivalent of offenders blaming the cops because they got caught. This effort at spin control is patently absurd in any event, since by Senator Rockefellerâs own admission, this strategy memo was not an official committee document and certainly contained no intelligence information. "Another Democrat explanation is that they simply are frustrated that the administration has not provided as much intelligence information to the committee as they have demanded. But what makes them think they would get more information by signaling in advance that they intend to use the information politically or that theyâve already begun to do so? The White House could be excused for taking a dim view of the Democratsâ demands. "All of the Democratsâ artful dodges are attempts to obscure what must be the central questions in examining this serious matter. Does the Democrat leadership repudiate this strategy or does it embrace it? Does the Democrat Party intend to use what is supposed to be a nonpartisan intelligence investigation as a political weapon or doesnât it? Will Senate Democrats demand accountability for the inappropriate partisan use of the Intelligence Committee or wonât they? "The American people have a right to hear the answers to these questions. I, for one, am not satisfied with what Iâve heard so far." Posted by: Mike 2003-11-06 |
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