Expert on Congress's Power Claims He Was Muzzled for Faulting Bush

[chat_noir]

By YOCHI J. DREAZEN
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
February 9, 2006; Page A6
WASHINGTON -- A dispute involving a researcher at the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service is fueling a debate over whether analysts throughout the government are being muzzled to prevent criticism of Bush administration policies.

Louis Fisher, a 36-year veteran of the agency and an expert on the separation of powers, said his superiors wrongly punished him for giving interviews and publishing scholarly articles under his own name that contained criticism of the White House. Top officials deny those allegations, saying they were simply trying to protect the agency's reputation for nonpartisanship and objectivity.

The dispute has thrust the research service, a branch of the Library of Congress, into a debate about whether the Bush administration is trying to control the flow of information to lawmakers and the public. Earlier in the week, a political appointee resigned from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration after coming under fire for limiting access to an expert on global warming. The White House also faces accusations that it misled lawmakers about the true cost of the new Medicare drug benefit.

The standoff between Mr. Fisher and the research service's top leaders comes at a tense time for the agency. Its staffers have been complaining for months about a plan to cut 59 employees, many of them women and minorities, because of budgetary cutbacks. As of last fall, the research service had a total staff of 710, according to its own figures.

A spate of investigations by the service into hot-button issues, like the administration's domestic spying program, have raised its visibility and led to renewed scrutiny of its work. Reports questioning the legality of the spying program drew rebukes from House Intelligence Committee Chairman Peter Hoekstra (R., Mich.), who said the agency was trying to evaluate a "highly sensitive intelligence issue on which it had no firsthand knowledge."

http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB113945303766669147-0sPXkMsYlYzgv_eSfDtTgp5x4Us_20070209.html?mod=blogs

[Atman]

1. WTF?

"Top officials deny those allegations, saying they were simply trying to protect the agency's reputation for nonpartisanship and objectivity."

Some denial. Translated: "Sure we did it. Now piss off."

[rock]

4. "That's a bad idea."

"Hey! I belong to a party. No partisanship! Now shut up."

[Journeyman]

6. I think the true test of this would be. . .

was Mr Fisher -- or anyone else in similar position -- restricted from sharing their opinion with the public in the past. If not (and I suspect they weren't, else we wouldn't be having the current debate), then why is the department's reputation at risk today for behavior they've routinely allowed under former administrations?

[rodeodance]

2. this is NOT debatable. Facts speak for themselves.

....The dispute has thrust the research service, a branch of the Library of Congress, into a debate about whether the Bush administration is trying to control the flow of information to lawmakers and the public.

[rodeodance]

3. but glad to see this in print--WSJ at that!

[VegasWolf]

5. Global warming?? I'm sorry, we don't have any books on that topic.

But, we have plenty of books on 9/11 if you are interested.

:puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke:

[Bandit]

7. control the flow of information to lawmakers and the public.

Well Duhhh. Remember the Presidential Papers Act? Bush* just wrote himself an Executive Order saying he could disobey that Congressional Law. From that moment on information for Congress and the Public was under lock and key...

[grytpype]

8. Anybody see a pattern here?

Do what Dear Leader tells you, right or wrong, or you get whacked.

If there's a God, please save us from this idiot!

[badgervan]

9. Dear Leader Speak........You Jump

When you know you can't win the argument, you suppress the other side's viewpoint. This, folks, is an aspect of fascism. We are not only headed down that road - in many respects, we are already there.

[seafan]

10. The revolt of our researchers and scientists is gearing up, folks.

This article is very, very important. Consider the source and its supportive evidence of suppression of intellectuals in our country.


This is similar to the treatment doctors, scientists and researchers received in Iraq. They were driven out or murdered.


Just from this week, we heard about the NASA scientist and the US weapons experts.

Just Keep Telling The Truth On These Criminals. They Will Fold.

[HuffleClaw]

11. " a plan to cut 59 employees, many of them women and minorities,"

? sounds like bushco. alright.

[ForPeace]

12. That's the problem

'...the agency was trying to evaluate a "highly sensitive intelligence issue on which it had no firsthand knowledge."'

No one other than * and perhaps someone at the NSA had firsthand information. If it's the Congressional Research Service's job to do this kind of research about the domestic spying program they should have firsthand information and so should Congress and so should a Judge! It's the lack of information that's the problem.