Democrats Divided Over CIA Leak Probe

[underpants]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=542&ncid=703&e=1&u=/ap/20031231/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/cia_leak

2 hours, 23 minutes ago

Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota called the announcement "as welcome as it is overdue."


"The public will not likely trust the results of an investigation headed by a political appointee, especially when the special counsel is constrained by Department of Justice (news - web sites) regulations that severely curtail the prosecutor's autonomy," said Sen. Joe Lieberman (news - web sites) of Connecticut. Way to seize the opportunity for a sound bite Joe

Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean (news - web sites) said Justice Department (news - web sites) lawyers still will be answering to a political appointee despite the change.

"Whether it is a special counsel or the Justice Department inspector general, the American people deserve a person whose honesty, objectivity and fairness are guaranteed to investigate this serious matter," Dean said.

North Carolina Sen. John Edwards did not criticize the appointment, but said Ashcroft's decision "comes far too late. President Bush (news - web sites) knows how to get what he wants inside his White House, yet for months, his administration has somehow failed to find the person responsible for this dangerous and destructive leak."

Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry (news - web sites) called Fitzgerald's appointment "a half measure and nowhere good enough to restore public confidence in this tarnished agency."

He said Comey and Fitzgerald "are both Bush political appointees and carry the same baggage as John Ashcroft."

With an election year approaching, a vacationing Bush welcomed the decision from his ranch in Crawford, Texas. The president "wants to get to the bottom of this," White House spokesman Trent Duffy said.

[aquart]

1. What part of this response was "divided"?

Oh! What they mean is the Democrats didn't all use the same words and sentences as if reading from the same Talking Points of the Day list.

I can see where the media would be confused if no one was telling them which messages are important for the next 24 hours.

[underpants]

5. Daschle & Edwards, Dean & Kerry

The quotes provided from those two sets are almost identical.

Divided indeed. :eyes:

[wtmusic]

6. good call

another misleading AP headline. Let em know:

mailto:[e-mail]

[goforit]

16. Thanks !

Will do!!

It is nice to see unity.

[dusty64]

10. My thoughts too.

American Pravda is pushing the Democratic "division" thing again. For once, it looks like all the candidates are on the same page for a change. What BS.

[WhereIsMyFreedom]

11. First sentence..."some Democrats applauded the decision"

Yes, I know it is lame. But that'll be their excuse for the misleading title.

[mrdmk]

20. The mainstream media is out to lunch

It is a lot more easy and cheaper to report the news from the scripted "Fox Memo" than to actually do some serious reporting.

[WhereIsMyFreedom]

21. You got that right

Damn, it's been a long lunch break.

[Military Brat]

2. If he wants "to get to the bottom," then he should start at the top

More useless tripe from the mouth that roared.

[Democrats unite]

9. Very well put!

eom

[wtmusic]

3. You mean a dude who ritually puts oil on his head

and shuns calico cats as messengers of Satan can't make an objective decision?

What is this country coming to?!!!

:silly:

[Catch22Dem]

4. I agree, but a little unfair...

"Way to seize the opportunity for a sound bite Joe"

The important thing is, the soundbite made it into the article, and it is indeed a good one. Joe ain't ALL bad.

[underpants]

7. I just thought it was a bit wordy

I know I shouldn't pick on a defeated man.

[Catch22Dem]

8. You are correct

It's wordy. I was just saying it wasn't bad and it DID make the news. I wasn't getting on your case or anything. ;)

[w13rd0]

12. Where is the division?

The statements I've seen from all of the candidates that have made statements vary in their severity of condemnation, but not a ONE of them, even Joe, is defending this Administrations conduct in this probe. Where is the division? I see varying degrees of agreement...

[Q3JR4]

13. There are minor differences

is wording and such, but each implies the same thing. They sound pretty unified to me.

:bounce:

[Skittles]

14. I SEE UNITY

They all say that f***wit Ashcroft is doing far little, far too late - and they are RIGHT.

[Cocoa]

15. looks like a coordinated message

McAuliffe probably sent out the memo: give qualified praise, but keep the pressure on.

But the whores play up the squabbling dems meme. :mad:

[missile_bender]

17. Notice how many of the stories about Democrats are negative--

they're divided, they're criticizing each other, they're running like headless chickens. Where are the bloody issues? They are big enough to warrant complex and thorough press investigation. What if the Democrats are right? How will the public know?

[TacticalPeek]

19. They hate us for our anger.

[Woodstock]

18. Bush on vacation AGAIN?

What I worry about is they've had 3 months to cover their tracks.