Mild-mannered Dem senator flips his lid

http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/50722/#more

Mild-mannered Dem senator flips his lid

Posted by Guest Blogger at 9:46 AM on April 18, 2007.

Attempt to list intel spending and interrogation tactics starts Senate spat.


Moments after the Republicans in the Senate heeded a call from the White House to vote against cloture on debate for the bill FUNDING THE INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES, Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller took the floor, visibly enraged.

Now, Rockefeller has to be one of the coolest heads in the Senate. He isn't rolled easily. In his speech, he denounced the BETRAYAL of his committee, including the ranking member, Kit Bond, by the White house, who, according to Rockefeller, put out the word that defeating the cloture vote was a matter of party loyalty.

Watching this exchange, it was difficult to understand WHY the White House would do this. But a few of the captions given on C-span about the bill lent clues.

Here are some of the features in the bill:

Under the legislation, Bush would have to tell lawmakers about interrogation tactics at the prisons, and the government would be required to publicly reveal total spending on intelligence programs, which is estimated to be about $44 billion annually.

Now THAT'S interesting. Oversight that REQUIRES Bush to tell lawmakers EXACTLY what happens at these "black sites." DEFEATED AS A MATTER OF PARTY LOYALTY.

But wait, there's more!

more...

:kick:

the interrogators that participated in these crimes better watch their back.
Bush/Cheney won't leave witnesses

And why is it we aren't IMPEACHING BUSH and CHENEY, again?

I really can't imagine what they would have to do. If they raped and killed Grandmothers on the grounds of the Washington Monument, would that do it?

Maybe it would have to be Grandfathers to get everyone on the impeachment train.

I just really don't understand what is wrong with this country, but I think I have a good idea who's behind it...

get an impeachment vote?

Party loyalty my ass. This is all about loyalty to George W. Bush. Won't people be pleased when they find out how many Congress persons and staff have taken loyalty oaths to *.

Not to George Bush and Karl Rove.

the football pulled away before he can kick it. Repukes play hardball, Dems play nerfball.

(with the exception of two) put politics above national security, according to Rockefeller and Reid. This is the sad state of affairs we're in today.