WP, Milbank: Tough Times for the 'Sissy 6' (p.o.'d Roberts disses Jay)

Tough Times for the 'Sissy Six'
By Dana Milbank
Wednesday, November 9, 2005; Page A02


....Then there are the half-dozen senators negotiating this week over a new intelligence committee probe: "The Sissy Six."

This unfortunate sobriquet, divulged by a committee staffer to reporters yesterday, comes from the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence acronym, SSCI. As it happens, the Sissy Six are under pressure to demonstrate that they don't deserve the name....

***

The Democratic members of the Sissy Six -- Jay D. Rockefeller IV (W.Va), Carl M. Levin (Mich.) and Dianne Feinstein (Calif.) -- filed through the frosted-glass doors of the intelligence committee office just after 10 a.m. Two Republican members -- Bond and Trent Lott (Miss.) -- followed, but Roberts kept them waiting until 10:15....

***

The six did not agree on the key disputes: how long a probe would take, which administration officials would be interviewed, and how to handle the activities of former undersecretary of defense Douglas J. Feith's office. They punted the questions to a meeting of the full committee scheduled for this morning. And, by all accounts, it was tense....Still seething, (Roberts) reported that the six "had a very frank and candid discussion" -- diplomatic code for tense and fruitless -- and added that the committee would act "in a bipartisan manner to the degree we can achieve that."

Rockefeller reached out for a handshake. Roberts seemed baffled by the gesture and, after a painful pause, took the ranking Democrat's hand. Before Rockefeller could make his statement, Roberts turned and walked away. "There's no question that there are several areas where there are substantial disagreements," Rockefeller allowed....


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/08/AR2005110801486.html

Maybe he figures people will just forget about the investigation.

Fat chance.

Mz Pip
:dem:

as mentioned on this DU link
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1912431

It seems that instead of 'oversight' it should be renamed the Senate Overlook Committee. They've shirked their responsibilities for sooo long and been infiltrated with intell domestic assets reporting back to the agencies that should have real oversight that a cottage industry of profiteers, as Tim Weiner's book Blank Check shows, has evolved.

The shameful duplicity must end soon. The republic is at stake.

snip>
Bond ducked out mid-meeting, reporting, sardonically, that they were "having a lot of fun." The national intelligence director, John D. Negroponte, paid the senators an unannounced visit -- then departed within a minute, as aides insisted the drop-by was coincidental. Lott emerged twice, joking both times that everything would be wrapped up shortly.
snip>

Than put his committee to work doing the job it's supposed to do.

Thousands of people are dead, Mr. Roberts, including over 2,000 of our military personnel. Don't those dead deserve the courtesy (at least) of knowing whether this administration sent them to war based on an actual threat, or merely used them as a political pawn to gather more power to itself in the 2004 election? Or is the possibility of their being used as an election year prop so distasteful to you that you'd rather not know than find out for sure?

And remember us? The United States taxpayers? We've pungled up over $200 billion for the invasion of Iraq. Aren't we entitled to know what we got for our money, and whether we were fast-talked into buying a war that wasn't necessary? Of does your loyalty to your fellow Republicans trump your obligation as a Senator to protect, preserve and defend the Constitution?

When all is said and done, Mr. Roberts, what kind of man are you? What do you believe in? What are your principles?

I like how he feigned surprise over the presence of camera and reporters. Like that wouldn't happen after the events of last week?

This story is really getting interesting.

from exiting gracefully. Roberts is deeply ashamed and understands there is more humiliation/tenseness/embarrassment to come for republicans in charge of corruption. :rofl: