Kay Admission Fuels WMD Political Fight

[leftchick]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040129/ap_on_go_co/us_iraq_weapons&cid=512&ncid=716

<snip>
The committee's chairman, Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., told Kay Wednesday, "I personally take some umbrage at people who for one reason or another think we need to have an outside investigation before our inquiry is even complete."

That inquiry is nearing completion. But the committee's top Democrat, Sen. Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia, said Kay's testimony showed a need to expand the review. Rockefeller said the inquiry should examine whether the administration manipulated intelligence.

Either way, Kay's statements provided ammunition to both Republicans and Democrats as discussion continues here — and on the Campaign 2004 hustings — over whether the administration exaggerated the need to topple Saddam.

The White House opposes an outside investigation, noting that the CIA is conducting its own intelligence review and that the hunt for weapons continues

[Just Me]

1. This isn't merely "political", this is about the TRUTH!!!

Party affiliation makes absolutely no difference to me whatsoever. Gandhi or the Dali Lama or the Pope could be serving as President and I would still be demanding the damned truth!!! Although there strangely appears to be a large number of Americans who have trashed the values of truth and honesty and integrity, I am not one of them. To the contrary, I am of the opinion that all elected officials must be held to a high standard of service including transparency, honesty, accountability and a clear and cognizable and demonstrable intent to serve the greater public interest. In my view, the burden of proving performance according to that appropriate standard should be placed directly upon the shoulders of those who are suppose to be serving US!!!

[lovedems]

2. I think I figured out David Kay last night while watching Nightline.

Tell me what you think about this:

We have invaded Iraq so there isn't anything Kay could do to take that back. However, in his claim that intelligence in bad, so bad it needs to be investigated, he is cutting off the administrations ability to continue pre-emptive strikes against another country. On Nightline last night he was saying that pre-emptive strikes were bad foreign policy and didn't agree with it.

Now, it is a bad compromise since we all strongly feel that the * administration purposefully manipulated the intelligence however, Kay gets to appease the administration and gives them a pass on Iraq, he gets to save his own reputation, and he is calling for an investigation (maybe in the hopes the truth will come out) but he severely hampers their ability to go any further with pre-emptive strikes based on intelligence.

Not perfect but it is a start.

BTW, he said he resigned because he was underfunded and there were to many Washington bureaucrats telling him what to do.

[Just Me]

3. Doesn't that contradict his statement that there was no pressure?

He testified that he was under no political pressure. I suppose one can draw a fuzzy line between "too many Washington bureaucrats" telling you what to do and political pressure. I imagine he did do a fine job of getting himself out of the middle, sort of, by appeasing the administration (saying he still thinks the war was justified) yet still advising that an investigation was appropriate.

[LeftHander]

4. Not manipulated...selected

They selected the intelligence to use that supported the case for war.

THey would have one doc saying weapons were "in and around Bahgdad" and they kep the docs that stated that no weapons existed and the sources were not verified.

They took only half of the intel and used it. They leaked it. (Cheney, Rove, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz) and convinced a weak minded, idelogical President that this was truth.

Blame Bush for trusting men like Cheney. And suffer Cheney, Rumsfled, ROve and Wolofwitz the wrath of voter anger.

NO WEAPONS = NO THREAT = NO 2nd TERM!!

[lovedems]

5. Yes, it should have been stated that way. Thanks for pointing that out!

:)

[Gin]

7. what they did to the intel reminds me of Lettermans "unfair edit segment."

:)

[calimary]

9. You can also blame bush for PICKING men like Cheney

and also Rumsfeld, Rove, Wolfowitz, Perle, and our adorable Condi.

[leftchick]

6. can't miss the condiliar quote.....

<"I think we will want to get the facts. We will want to allow the Iraq Survey Group to do its work," national security adviser Condoleezza Rice (news - web sites) said Thursday on ABC's "Good Morning America."
"It will be important to have a comparison of what we found and what we thought we would find, when we have the evidence and the basis on which to do that," she said. "That's going to be very important for the country and for the world. Nobody will want to know more about what we found than this president and this administration." >

.... Blah, Blah, Blah :puke:

[SmokeyBlues]

8. Bizarro World

We should all know by now that in contemporary Bizarro World (formerly known as the United States of America) speaking the truth --especially when done by Democrats-- is nothing more than partisan politics, but constant baldfaced lying --especially when done by Republicans-- is speaking the truth.

Okay, we can all go back to sleep now.