Who are the members of "the Gang of 8" they're talking about in

[napi21]

Gonzo's hearing?

[onecent]

1. I would like to know that also. n/t

[napi21]

4. Did another Google search, and found the answer!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gang_of_Eight

The Gang of Eight is a common colloquial term for a set of eight leaders of the U.S. Congress. Specifically, the Gang of Eight includes the leaders of each of the two parties from each of the two houses of Congress and the chairs and ranking members of the intelligence committees of each of the two houses of Congress.

The President of the United States is required by 50 U.S.C. § 413(a)(1) to "ensure that the congressional intelligence committees are kept fully and currently informed of the intelligence activities of the United States." However, the President may elect to report instead to the Gang of Eight when he feels "it is essential to limit access" to information about a covert action.

The term "Gang of Eight" gained wide currency in the coverage of the Bush administration's warrantless domestic spying program, in the context that no members of Congress other than the Gang of Eight were informed of the program, and they were forbidden to disseminate knowledge of the program to other members of Congress. The Bush administration has asserted that the briefings delivered to the Gang of Eight sufficed to provide Congressional oversight of the program and preserve the checks and balances between the executive and legislative branches.

The non-partisan Congressional Research Service released a legal analysis on January 18, 2006, concluding that the Bush administration's refusal to brief any members of Congress on the warrantless domestic spying program other than the Gang of Eight is "inconsistent with the law." The New York Times The Washington Post


Current Members of the Gang of Eight
Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
John Boehner, Republican House Leader
Harry Reid, Democratic Senate Leader
Mitch McConnell, Republican Senate Leader
Silvestre Reyes, Chair of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
Peter Hoekstra, Ranking Member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
John D. Rockefeller, IV, Chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
Kit Bond Ranking Member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence

[bhartzog]

5. Regarding the gang of 8 post

I think the response that uses the clip from Wikipedia is misleading and a bit inaccurate...

1. The gang of 8 that was mentioned by Gonzales today was the gang of 8 while ASHCROFT was AG, and while the Congress was held by a Republican majority.... The gang of 8 listed in this post is the current crowd with those titles.

2. I seem to remember that the gang of 8 itself was controversial because the WH decided to update them about the illegal spying program INSTEAD of what was supposed to be done--notifying the entire committees or the entire Congress itself. I also seem to remember that the WH and the Republican Congress worked out this arrangement of notifying only 8 Congress members so they wouldn't be breaking the law that says they must notify Congress. Further, the WH gagged the Dems who were briefed, saying they would be breaking the law if they leaked any info...because they would be leaking classified info. I seem to remember Rockefeller being extremely upset by this...think about it, the WH was setting up an illegal program and notifying only those 8 people who would be breaking the law if they spoke out about the illegal program. Ah...the criminal mind at work...

I guess the sentence I have the most problem with is:

However, the President may elect to report instead to the Gang of Eight when he feels "it is essential to limit access" to information about a covert action.


I mean, if you compare that to the last sentence, you'll see what non-partisans think about this:

The non-partisan Congressional Research Service released a legal analysis on January 18, 2006, concluding that the Bush administration's refusal to brief any members of Congress on the warrantless domestic spying program other than the Gang of Eight is "inconsistent with the law."

Brian

[babylonsister]

2. Are they talking about the fired attorneys? I'm in and out on this hearing. nt

[napi21]

3. YEP! All the Dems on the committee are asking questions about

the firings, but very few of the Pubs...as you can believe!