White House: Dems Have Cost Us Valuable Intelligence
This is disgraceful…disgusting. The dhimmis will gamble with the lives of Americans for political purposes.
From an article at Politico.com by Mike Allen:
The Bush administration informed Congress on Friday that the government has “lost intelligence” because of the expiration of surveillance legislation caught in a political tug of war.
“We have lost intelligence information this past week as a direct result of the uncertainty created by Congress’ failure to act,” says an underlined passage of a six-page letter signed by Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey and Director of National Intelligence J. Michael McConnell.
The letter does not give details. A copy of the letter is here. It is in PDF format.
The assertion is an effort by President Bush to ratchet up pressure on the House and Senate to pass a new version of the Protect America Act, which gave the government enhanced powers under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to eavesdrop on suspected terrorists.
The enhancements, which make it easier for the government to monitor communications of suspected terrorists without obtaining a warrant, were passed in August and expired last weekend.
Democratic congressional leaders, who are negotiating the provisions of a new version, have charged the administration with using “scare tactics.”
Democrats also contend that administration officials dragged their feet in making available records that lawmakers needed to work on the legislation.
Rep. Silvestre Reyes (D-Texas), chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said in a letter to Bush on Feb. 14 that he takes “strong offense to your suggestion in recent days that the country will be vulnerable to terrorist attack unless Congress immediately enacts legislation giving you broader powers to conduct warrantless surveillance of Americans’ communications and provides legal immunity for telecommunications companies that participated in the administration’s warrantless surveillance program.”
Current intelligence activities are not affected by the expiration for a year. But the government contends that new intelligence targets cannot be certified for surveillance, creating potential gaps in intelligence.
“Because of this uncertainty, some partners have reduced cooperation,” the administration letter says. “We are working to mitigate these problems. … This uncertainty may well continue to cause us to miss information that we otherwise would be collecting.”
A Democratic congressional aide said staff of the Senate and House Judiciary and Intelligence committees met this week and plan to work intensely with the administration on a solution.
“This is important legislation, and it is critical to get it right,” the aide said.
One possibility is hearings about the scope of the enhancements. Administration officials contend that would just provide a platform to air their account of measures they have taken to protect the country.
The legislation is the subject of the president’s radio address on Saturday.
White House officials have been working hard to keep the issue on the public radar screen, including making calls to radio talk shows to argue that the administration’s preferred provisions would stop attacks and save lives.
Democrats also have been working to get their message out. Reyes, the House intelligence chairman, told NPR on Thursday: “President Bush has just been spoiled dealing with the Republican-controlled Congress before. I take strong offense at the president’s comments that somehow we’re less safe because the Protect America Act expired.”
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It’s time to call B.S. when lib’s say they support our troops. I am tired of backing down when they ask us if we are questioning their patriotism. I would like someone with some balls to say “YES, I am and here’s why.”
• You lib’s say you support the troops, yet at every turn you try to demonize our Troops. With almost all of your statements and positions (BERKLEY, CA) you show complete disdain for our Men and Women who serve in the Military. Words do mean things but action speaks volumes.
• Your attempt to dismantle every value and tradition that has made this a great country. You would do it all at once but one by one will do.
• You would sell out Countries that are true friends to the U.S. and turn your back on them when they need our help. But to the enemies of this country you will do anything to appease them and not require them to change their evil ways.
• Your not so secret admiration for the most heinous dictators of the world. Your weak attempts to legitimize these evil rulers as humanitarians even when all the evidence proves otherwise (Michael Moore wanting to invite Castro to the Oscars.) The Democrat party should change their name to the Dictator party. This is the power they WISH they had over the United States.
So yes I do question their patriotism when the evidence is overwhelming. Your attempts to change the founding document, does not say to me that you love this country but that you wish we where more like some other country. My question to you is which country do you wish America could be more like? Then I say “MOVE THERE.”
Sorry I went off on a tangent but I just had to get this out.
February 22nd, 2008 at 2:59 pmThese rat bastards would settle for having a burning,smoldering country as long as they still ran it. thats all they care about. Power and fuck the people
February 22nd, 2008 at 3:10 pmIt definitely ain’t about the people and all about a bunch of self-indulgent pricks with huge egos.
February 22nd, 2008 at 3:14 pm“Intel Lost Because Of Dems”
Dems never had any intelligence to lose.
February 22nd, 2008 at 3:23 pmDont worry Obama says it will be Ok. We will stand around the campfire holding hands and sing KUMBIA!!! I Feel The Dreem. (SMACK) I am back! Dems Suck.
February 22nd, 2008 at 3:29 pmWay to go Dhimis. Way to prove once again why it is that none of you should be given an “adult card” much less be President.
February 22nd, 2008 at 3:59 pm