Intel in the run up to war

[SHRED]

I need this cleared up.

Does the President and security staff have access to more secret intel than the Congress does?

A lot has been made that the Dems had access to the same intel, in the run up to war.
Is that true?

[ingac70]

1. ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!

http://www.thinkprogress.org/2005/07/26/bush-pulls-security/

What makes you think truth is coming out of their mouths?:dem:

[babylonsister]

4. ingac70, welcome to DU!

:toast: Shout that truth out!

[ingac70]

5. Hi!

:hi:

[Kagemusha]

2. The administration narrowed down the definition of "Congress".

Only an extremely, extremely limited number of Congressmen and Senators (we're talking a max of 8 people, committee chairmain and the top minority party people in those committees for instance) had privileged access to the "more secret intel". Everyone else in Congress didn't. Those 8 people were sworn to secrecy and the rest of Congress (like for instance, John Kerry) were not privileged to receive those reports. Even those 8 did not receive intel before it was pre-packaged for their consumption from within the Executive Branch, so they couldn't see the CIA's warring with the OSP and Cheney's office unless those disagreements made it into the final product. I say this in general; the National Intelligence Estimate case is a particular, documented case and I defer to people who know the really tiny details about it.

The access most certainly was not anywhere near the same.

And by the way, 4 of those 8 were Congressmen in the House so you don't get to 92 senators in the link above with 100 senators minus 8 senators because it was 4 senators. Not like that's a big deal.

[karynnj]

3. Very nice clear description

Why is the media pretending not to understand?

[Kagemusha]

8. They don't enjoy calling the nation's leaders liars.

It's bad for business and makes life on the Hill difficult.

[babylonsister]

6. Here's some proof, SHRED:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2244248

[SHRED]

7. Thanks! n/t

[sandnsea]

9. What do you think?

What does your common sense tell you? What has your impression been of the knowledge the President has? Haven't you always known the President has access to intelligence that he extends only to those who "need to know"?

Next thing you know he'll be telling everybody it was all on the internets.