John Murtha: Jane Harman: On the Right Side of the Surveillance Debate

[ProSense]

Rep. John Murtha
05.24.2006

Jane Harman: On the Right Side of the Surveillance Debate

A blog entry posted on the Huffington Post a few days ago by Tom Hayden argues that Rep. Jane Harman (CA-36) should be defeated in her primary June 6th for failing to speak out about the President's NSA program.

Congresswoman Harman takes her oversight responsibilities seriously, as do I. We both have signed secrecy agreements and respect the classification laws that prevent us from publicly disclosing classified information we learn during briefings.

During these sporadic briefings, she was not permitted to take notes, consult colleagues or staff, conduct research, or discuss the matter with anyone outside the briefing room.

Once the President disclosed the program in December 2005, Congresswoman Harman has been leading the charge to conduct tough oversight over the NSA program by Congress. She believes the White House violated the law by failing to brief the full Committee and by conducting surveillance of Americans without a warrant.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rep-john-murtha/jane-harman-on-the-right_b_21556.html

[nini]

1. I'm torn on her - she's my representative

She does tend to be pro defense etc.. and has voted the wrong way more than once.

However, she seems to be getting it lately about security issues and she's definitely in a powerful position.

Her opponent is more liberal and worthy too. This election will be a tough one for me.

[calimary]

3. Her opponent is Marcy Winograd - a longtime liberal activist

and quite the dedicated good-guy type. I like her a lot. She's a local. I think Jane Harman is getting with the program ONLY because of two things: 1) even she can't stomach going along with all her little friends in the enemy camp; and 2) Marcy has more integrity across the board, and has been on the side of The Light on ALL these issues, whereas ol' Jane never saw a bush/republi-CON measure she didn't love. I like Marcy. If I lived in the South Bay, she'd be my choice. But I'm in Henry Waxman's district. I think Jane Harman will probably revert to her bad old DINO ways as soon as she wins and decides the coast is clear. Marcy's forcing her hand a little here.

[sandnsea]

2. Nobody understands classified I guess

It's one thing to wish they would push back on this spying harder, now that we know. It's another to say there was anything that could be done about the most top secret classified information, there just wasn't. Some of those people in that thread are just loopy, Harman never said she thought there had been sufficient oversight, why would somebody make that up. I don't get it.

I suppose if some people would accept that there really are terrorists in the world, they wouldn't come to some of the loopy conclusions they come to about the necessity of updated intelligence laws.