McClellan Indicates Admin. Won’t Cooperate With Congressional Hearings

[G_j]

http://thinkprogress.org/2006/01/03/wh-wont-cooperate/

McClellan Indicates Administration Won’t Cooperate With Congressional Hearings On Domestic Spying

Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA), the chairman of the Senate judiciary committee, has pledged to hold congressional hearings on Bush’s warrantless domestic spying program. At today’s press briefing, Scott McClellan made it pretty clear that administration officials wouldn’t cooperate:

Q And my question is, does the White House take this into account, will it try to talk to them, will it participate in the hearings?

MR. McCLELLAN: Like I said, and the President has said we’ve briefed members of Congress on more than a dozen occasions.

Q But that’s not what they’re talking about.

MR. McCLELLAN: And in terms of discussions about this, the President talked about this at his end-of-the-year news conference. We shouldn’t be talking about intelligence activities, particularly in a time of war, in a public way. This is a highly classified authorization –

Q Not anymore. I mean, it’s public now.

MR. McCLELLAN: No, it still is. It still is highly classified. The President has talked in a very limited way about the nature of this authorization and what it’s designed to do, and how it’s limited. And so we will continue to talk with members of Congress —

Q Will you cooperate with a congressional hearing?

MR. McCLELLAN: — the Attorney General has been talking to additional members of Congress about this authorization, so that they do understand why this tool is so vital in our efforts to prevail in the global war on terrorism.

Q But will you cooperate with a hearing?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I’m not going to get into talking about ruling things in or out from this podium. We’ll talk with members of Congress and make sure that they’re briefed and kept informed, as we have been.

[Norquist Nemesis]

1. So, in other words

They'll be blackmailing members of Congress with the info they've got on them.

[BlueEyedSon]

3. Great minds! (see below)

[Norquist Nemesis]

5. LOL! All at 9:53!!!

The NSA stuff sort of makes you wonder what info Voinovich was presented with regarding John Bolten. It must have been powerful to move the man to tears BEGGING that he not be confirmed.

[in_cog_ni_to]

6. ExactaMUNDO! Bingo! Ding! Ding! Ding!

Exactly right. That's what he's saying.:)

[G_j]

11. yep

the 'Rovian' approach

[BlueEyedSon]

2. I bet the briefings go something like: "STFU, or we'll ruin you with the

stuff we have gathered by illegally spying on you!"

[ToolTex]

4. Time to ask if the WH will cooperate with impeachment hearings.

n/t

[babylonsister]

7. Add it to the list: Abu Ghraib, investigation in lead-up to war, etc.

And how do we make them accountable?:-(

[Dhalgren]

8. We can't "make them accountable", because they aren't

accountable. The Leader is above the Law. This is the new America - get used to it. The lackeys and lickspitals in Congress should be grateful that the Leader is only using blackmail on them; he could, of course, have them executed - and their families, too...

[Supersedeas]

9. The WH SPOKESman, says "I'm not going to get into talking"

[rustydog]

10. Bush must have been a mason at one time...He puts up so

many stonewalls it is amazing.
Can't we impeach him for failing to get a building permit?