Rockefeller and Pelosi COULDN'T Release Their Letters

[kpete]

Rockefeller and Pelosi COULDN'T Release Their Letters
by DHinMI
Wed Dec 21, 2005 at 12:30:34 PM PDT

It appears that one of the GOP talking points on the domestic spying scandal is to denigrate and even ridicule Jay Rockefeller's and Nancy Pelosi's letters to the White House protesting the spying policy divulged to them in classified meetings. This morning on NPR I heard GOP Representative Peter Hokestra claim that if Senator Rockefeller was really concerned about the domestic spying program revealed last week by the NYT, then he could have done more than write a letter.

Bullshit.

Well, let me clarify that. Rockefeller could have publicized the existence and actions of the program, but if he or any of the other members of Congress briefed on the program went public with their opposition, they would have been breaking the law. To fail to acknowledge that anyone briefed on this program essentially had no way to oppose or publicize the existence of the program without breaking the law is bullshit.
http://www.dailykos.com/

[SkiGuy]

1. Figures

Obviously they have something to hide there. Oh well, maybe Fitzgerald can do it.

[tularetom]

2. Let me get this straight

* tells congress something in a confidential meeting and then does something illegal which he didn't talk about. He then lies about what he said to justify his illegal action and this is OK. But if the congress members present at the meeting make their objections known this is somehow breaking the law. I wanna see THIS one play out in the courts.

[flamin lib]

4. There are a lot of Catch 22s out there. Take the Plame case.

To violate the intelligence law the person outing an agent must know that the agent is covert. If a reporter contacts the CIA and asks if So-n-so is a covert agent and they are the CIA can't confirm it. All they can say is don't use the name. The reporter uses the name anyway and can't be charged because they didn't KNOW the agent was covert because the CIA couldn't tell them.

[leftchick]

3. repukes can't figure out why Dems won't break the law

repukes break the law all of the time.

[EC]

6. No, they KNOW that Dems won't break the law

or reveal classified info, that's why they classify everything...

[EC]

5. They couldn't even consult with a lawyer as to it's

legality...