CIA is punking the Senate - Time to pull a Mike Gravel and read torture report into Senate record

[bigtree]

from Ryan Cooper at The Week:


____ The Senate is in a fight with a bunch of dishonest swindlers. Therefore, Feinstein shouldn't hesitate to use every tool at her disposal. It's time to pull a Mike Gravel and read the report into the Senate record.

Back in 1971, Gravel, then the Democratic senator from Alaska, got a copy of the Pentagon Papers from Ben Bagdikian of The Washington Post. On June 29 of that year, during a meeting of a subcommittee of which he was the chair, he read the document until 1 a.m., then had the remaining 4,100 pages inserted into the congressional record. Such acts are protected by the Speech or Debate Clause in the Constitution.

A subsequent court case confirmed that Gravel was within his rights as a senator. There was some dispute about how he had obtained the papers, but luckily that wouldn't be a question in this case, because this is a report created by the Senate itself.

In theory, any senator could do this. Ron Wyden of Oregon or Udall are obvious candidates, as they have proven themselves to be the committee's foremost champions of civil liberties. But Udall is in a tough re-election campaign this year, and Wyden is also up in 2016 (though he is probably a shoo-in). Feinstein, by contrast, is not up until 2018, when she may well retire, given that she'll be 85 at that date.

However, there is a better reason for Feinstein to take this on. Though she has always been strongly supportive of the intelligence community, this dispute goes far beyond that. This is about defending the Senate as an institution. The CIA has lied through its teeth, hacked into the committee's computers, and abused its redacting privileges, all but declaring that the Senate is not fit to oversee the agency. It's both an outrage against democratic principles and a slap in the face of the Senate.


read more: http://theweek.com/article/index/265927/the-cia-is-punking-the-senate-heres-how-the-senate-can-fight-back



http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/12/mike-gravel-pentagon-papers_n_3430158.html

[bigtree]

1. kick

[reflection]

2. Damned good idea.

Wish someone would do it, today.

[hifiguy]

3. A most excellent idea.

Will anyone step up to the plate as Sen. Gravel did?

Not holding my breath.

[LiberalArkie]

9. Back then they thought of themselves as public servants, not so much any more.

Now it i entry level position before 'K' street lobbyist job.

[hifiguy]

11. They still serve their masters faithfully

and their masters are the 1%, not the people.

[leftstreet]

4. DURec

[BrotherIvan]

5. Do the right thing for once DiFi

I don't care if this is about your ego, a stopped clock applies to you too.

[grasswire]

6. kick nt

[mopinko]

7. kick

[johnnyreb]

8. Hear, Hear!

[Octafish]

10. Takes a real Democrat.

Mike Gravel was one.

[QuestForSense]

12. My money is on Feinsteiin to disappoint.

She's no Mike Gravel.

[gateley]

16. No, she's no Gravel, but

I was actually surprised she brought this to light. I've just become so used to them ALL playing the game and letting this bullshit take place, I give her credit for blowing the whistle (there are whistles she's left unblown in the past).

It's up to us to let her and our reps know we support them in this action and give them incentive to pursue it.

[QuestForSense]

23. True, but her silence since Obama's comments last Friday afternoon has been deafening.

Not just her; all comments on this story have dried up faster than dog poop.

[gateley]

24. I haven't been following this -- or much of any politics lately --

so I bow to your knowledge. Thanks.

[sheshe2]

26. gateley?

I haven't seen you in forever~ How are you?

she~

[gateley]

29. She!!!!!!

I've been drooling over those pics in your sig line!

I'm still pretty discouraged and disgusted by politics and found life actually does go on outside this bubble.

I don't know what spurred me to dip my toe back in today, but I'm glad I did because I got to "see" you!

How have YOU been?? SOOOOOO good to touch bases with you!

[sheshe2]

31. Hey sweets,

perfect timing for me to see you again. This place is making me cry tonight, yet now, my comrade in arms that fought so tirelessly for women and our rights is here. So very good to see you. I know, so many discouraging things, gateley. Yet, I still believe that we can make a diffence, not easily, yet we can.

Yes, my sig. Those ladies travel with me now....

Here is a larger view of one.



So beautiful!

Love ya gately!

[bigtree]

37. DiFi deserves credit

. . . for taking the fight for accountability on this issue and this report to both the WH and the CIA.

[ReRe]

13. K&R

You know, since PO dropped the ball last Friday, this might be just what the Dr ordered. Another person who might be a good candidate to read it into the record would be the Junior Senator from Maine, Angus King. HE would do it with flourish. Of course, this would need to be done BEFORE the Sen Intel Committee releases the report to the public, catching the Intel community (not the committee) off guard. Reading it into the record AFTER the Committee releases it is redundant, no?

[Jack Rabbit]

18. I think it should be read into the Record by a Democrat

In the end, however, I don't give a two-bit damn who reads it in, just do it.

[ReRe]

21. I just thought of someone else, though....

... I don't think he's on the Intel Committee: Bernie. Yeah, he and Angus are Ind's, but I like both of them.

[Jack Rabbit]

25. I know a little about Senator King

He sounds like a dedicated civil servant from the old school of politicians who each remembers that he was elected by voters. I'd like to see a few more like that from all parties.

My case for letting a Democrat do it is to recover the high ground that President Obama lost in these matters over the years, especially last Friday. Having said that, the committee chair is Diane Feinstein, who, I loathe to admit, is my Senator. I voted in San Francisco when she was still a member of the City/County Board of Supervisors. I've never really gotten warm to her. Although I never vote for any Republican, I have voted third party in protest as often as I have voted for her in general elections and can't recall ever voting for her in a primary. I think I voted for her in 2012, but it was with an attitude of "oh, well, she's going to win anyway." Her NSA spying "is about protecting America" remarks finally broke my heart one time too often. I really hope she doesn't run for re-election in 2018. When it comes to recovering high ground for the Democrats, an independent like Senator King would probably would be no less effective than a registered Democrat like Diane Fienstein.

[ReRe]

27. I heard DiFi won't be running again....

... after her current term is up, as she will be 85 by that time.

[Jack Rabbit]

30. I know her age, but I don't think she's made an announcement

Her age will count against her, whether that's right or wrong. California Democrats run a little further to the portside than most other states. He stand on NSA spying didn't play well here.

[bigtree]

14. kick

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

15. But, they're just patriots and under a lot of pressure. Or, maybe they overloaded on Twinkies!

Every thing secret degenerates, even the administration of justice; nothing is safe that does not show how it can bear discussion and publicity. Lord Acton

[gateley]

17. Love this --

But we need to contact those who we think might take this step, suggest it, and show our support.

It's never going to happen if we're just talking about it here. None of us is a Senator.

Suggestions?

[zeemike]

19. Which of them would have the courage to do it?

Knowing it will piss off some powerful people...and people who deal in information gathering, and they probably have a file on all of them, and many indirect means of exposing it to the public.

[bigtree]

20. I know the article mentions Mark Udall up for reelection, but he talks like a man with convictions

. . . and he's been upfront about his concerns over the interference and he speaks his mind.

Levin's been outspoken and he's retiring, so . . .

[ReRe]

28. Isn't Angus King on the Intel Committee?

I think he would do it. Who all is on that committee? DiFi, Udall, Wyden, King and who else? Of course think about it... if this person reads it into the record BEFORE it is released to the public, it wouldn't matter which Senator read it into the record.

[Uncle Joe]

22. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, bigtree.

[TheNutcracker]

32. Yes!

[WillyT]

33. HUGE K & R !!! - Thank You !!!

[rhett o rick]

34. "Folks" I think we are getting to the good stuff. IMO the NSA/CIA branch of government has gotten

too powerful and need to be reigned in. Will Congress and/or the President have enough power to do it? I don't think so. Welcome to the new Security State run government.

[bigtree]

35. kick

[MohRokTah]

36. .

[Enthusiast]

38. Kicked and recommended!