The Washington Times
  • Subscribe
  • Times News Services
  • RSS
  • Mobile Headlines
  • e-edition
  • E-MAIL ALERTS
  • REGISTER
  • LOG IN
  • E-MAIL ALERTS
  • WELCOME
  • Your Profile
  • Log Out
  • Front Page Image
  • Classifieds
  • Autos
  • Real Estate
  • Jobs
  • Special Sections
  • Customer Service
  • Home
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Sports
    • NFL
    • NBA/WNBA
    • MLB
    • NHL
    • Tennis
    • Golf
    • Motorsports
    • Soccer
    • NCAA
    • Olympics
    • Outdoors
    • Other
  • Culture
    • Home & Living
    • Family & Kids
    • Fashion
    • Food
    • Travel
    • Health
    • Washington Visitors
    • Books
    • Military History
    • Life
    • Auto
    • TV Listings
    • Movie Listings
    • Death Notices
    • Entertainment
  • Themes
  • Communities
  • Shopping
    • Stores
    • Coupons
    • Daily Double
    • Promotion
    • How It Works
  • Videos
    • Two Guys
    • Birnbaum on Washington
    • Liz Glover
    • Amanda Carpenter
    • Morning Briefing
    • Documentaries
    • Joe Giganti
    • Video Game Minute
  • Podcasts
    • About Headlines
    • Audio and Radio
    • America's Morning News
  • Politics

    Obama to announce war strategy at West Point

  • Politics

    Obama will attend Copenhagen climate summit

  • Business

    Initial jobless claims lowest in about year

  • National

    PULLEN: GOP came unmoored in last decade – it hurt

  • National

    WILLIAMS: Finding gratitude in difficult times

  • Sports

    Leonsis in line to buy Wizards, Verizon

  • National

    3 airlines fined $175,000 for stranding passengers

Friday, November 7, 2003

Senator wants memo writer identified and to apologize

Rate this story

Average 0.00
after 0 votes
Login or register to rate this story

  • Font Size -+
  • Print
  • Email
  • Comment
  • Tweet this!
  • Share
  • Article
  • Comments ()
  • Click-2-Listen
  • Videos

More Stories

  • Obama to announce war strategy at West Point
  • Obama expects support for more troops
  • D.C. sports icon, Wizards owner Pollin dies
  • Leonsis in line to buy Wizards, Verizon

By

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said Democrats have been "wholly inadequate" in explaining a memo laying out political strategies for using the nonpartisan Senate Intelligence Committee, and he called on Democrats yesterday to name the staffer who wrote it and have the person apologize.

"I believe that it is reasonable to expect that the author or authors and intended recipient or recipients of this memorandum to disavow this partisan attack in its entirety," Mr. Frist said on the Senate floor in closing yesterday's session.

"I will not permit the Intelligence Committee to be so misused for blatant partisan gain," he said.

Mr. Frist said the staffer who wrote the memo must apologize to the committee chairman, Sen. Pat Roberts, Kansas Republican. Without those steps, Mr. Frist said, the committee "cannot function and will not serve its purpose."

Unlike other committees, the intelligence panel is considered nonpartisan because it has no partisan staff and its rules allow the minority party to start an official investigation.

A memorandum written by a staffer for Sen. John D. Rockefeller IV of West Virginia, the top Democrat on the committee, suggested Democrats use those special privileges to drive their own political agenda for attacking the administration.

"We have an important role to play in the revealing the misleading -- if not flagrantly dishonest methods and motives -- of the senior administration officials who made the case for a unilateral, preemptive war," the memo writer said, adding that Democrats should "pull the trigger on an independent investigation" next year, when the president is running for re-election.

The Intelligence Committee is in the midst of an investigation into the intelligence data used by the administration to justify going to war against Iraq.

Mr. Roberts said the memo is a "direct assault on the heart of what makes the Intelligence Committee a unique, credible and respected entity." He and other senators said one reason they get cooperation from the intelligence communities and their work is trusted is that the committee usually leaves partisanship at the door.

12Next »

Post a comment

There are comments on this article, submit your opinion!

Commenting is disabled for this entry.
If you feel there is still something worth mentioning about this entry please contact the author or the site admin.

Ask a Question

You Report

Do you have another point of view, photos, audio, video or more information about a story?

Top Stories

Most Read

  1. EDITORIAL: Hiding evidence of global cooling
  2. Top Republican lawmakers not attending State Dinner
  3. Fenty trails Gray in D.C. poll
  4. Conservatives seek test for RNC funds
  5. Food snobs fork over $225 for taste of heritage turkey
More Top Stories »
  1. Religious leaders vow civil disobedience on anti-life issues
  2. Company that repaired Chairman Gray's house lacked license
  3. PRUDEN: Obama's due process doctrine
  4. KELLNER: New Apple mouse really is 'Magic'
  5. Green energy stimulus growing few jobs

Most Shared

  1. EDITORIAL: Hiding evidence of global cooling
  2. The United Socialist States of America
  3. EDITORIAL: Obama's sacked inspector general
  4. Fenty trails Gray in D.C. poll
  5. Food snobs fork over $225 for taste of heritage turkey
More Top Stories »
  1. PRUDEN: Obama's due process doctrine
  2. EDITORIAL: Terrorists use Democratic talking points
  3. EDITORIAL: Kennedy vs. Catholicism
  4. Conservatives seek test for RNC funds
  5. 'Boutique' patients pay for better access to doctors

Most Commented

  1. EDITORIAL: Hiding evidence of global cooling
  2. Top Republican lawmakers not attending State Dinner
  3. Conservatives seek test for RNC funds
  4. PRUDEN: Obama's due process doctrine
  5. Schumer: Dems will pass health bill alone
More Top Stories »
  1. EDITORIAL: Terrorists use Democratic talking points
  2. WH: Obama Afghan decision 'within days'
  3. Lobbyists spending big to shape health care debate
  4. EDITORIAL: Obama's sacked inspector general
  5. The United Socialist States of America

Listen to Washington Times Radio

  • America's Morning News

    with John McCaslin and Melanie Morgan

Blogs & Columns

  • Hot Button Blog

    RNC: Breast cancer recommendations may lead to 'rationing'

  • Belief Blog

    Evangelicals OK civil disobedience

  • Out of Context

    Foods that might kill libido

  • On the Fly

    United lifts some 'award' blocking

  • Technology

    Facebook wins round against phishing spammer

  • Redskins 360

    Playing time vs. Cowboys

  • SNOBlog

    Beyond 'Woody'

Videos

Advertising Links
TWT Store
  • e-edition
  • Print Edition
  • Weekly Washington Times
TWT Affiliates
  • Middle East Times
  • Golf
  • UPI
  • Arbor Ballroom
  • Washington Times Global
  • About TWT
  • Press Room
  • F.A.Q.
  • Work for TWT
  • Advertise
  • Sponsors
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Site Map

All site contents © Copyright 2009 The Washington Times, LLC.