Partisan denunciations fly over secret strategy memos [View All]

[Cocoa]

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/16/politics/16TALK.html?ex=1077512400&en=ec12c5d2502bb20e&ei=5062&partner=GOOGLE

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When the Democrats began their serial denunciations, they all complimented Senator Orrin G. Hatch, the Utah Republican who is chairman of the committee, for his alacrity in initiating the investigation and his statements that he was mortified at what had occurred, comments that have earned him criticism from some conservative groups that he was caving in to the Democrats' demand for an investigation.

"He is the only Republican senator to have apologized for what occurred," said Senator Patrick J. Leahy of Vermont, the ranking Democrat.

With that, Democrats looked across the U-shaped committee table and glared at the Republicans.

Faced with a difficult-to-defend situation, many Republicans simply withdrew from the field of battle, quietly slipping out of the room. Senators Jon Kyl of Arizona and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina joined Mr. Hatch in agreeing that what had happened was terribly wrong.

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