Hoekstra: Admin. Must ‘Keep the Intelligence Committees Fully Informed of What They Are Doing’
Hoekstra: Admin. Must ‘Keep the Intelligence Committees Fully Informed of What They Are Doing’
The New York Times reports today that House Intelligence Committee Chairman Peter Hoekstra (R-MI) wrote a “sharply worded letter†to his ally President Bush in May stating that the “U.S. Congress should not have to play Twenty Questions to get information that it deserves under the U.S. Constitution.†Hoekstra appeared on Fox News this morning and said he wrote the letter because he “wanted to reinforce to the President…by law the requirement that they keep the legislative branch informed of what they are doing.â€
Hoekstra debunked the administration claim that Congress is always kept informed of intelligence programs. Hoekstra revealed that administration whistleblowers have brought to his attention secret programs that Congress should have told about previously, including “at least one significant activity that we had not been briefed on that we have now been briefed on.â€
More from TPM and Emptywheel.
Full transcript:
QUESTION: Are you saying that as the chairman of the house intelligence committee that you were not briefed about other secret programs?
HOEKSTRA: Chris, that letter focused on three things that our committee has a passion about. Number one, getting the right people in the right leadership spots in the intelligence community. Second thing is standing up the office of the Director of National Intelligence to make sure that that reform effort moves forward. And the third thing is doing complete and aggressive oversight of all of the programs in the intelligence community. This is actually a case where the whistle blower process was working appropriately. Some people within the intelligence community brought to my attention some programs that they believed we had not been briefed on. They were right. We asked by code name what some of these programs — about some of these programs. We’ve now been briefed on those programs. But I wanted to reinforce to the president and to the executive branch and the intelligence community how important and by law the requirement that they keep the legislative branch informed of what they are doing.
QUESTION: Chairman, the President always says in these cases that congressional leaders, including you as the Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, are briefed. How do you explain this failure and how seriously do you take it?
HOEKSTRA: Well, I take it very, very seriously. Otherwise, I would not have written the letter to the President. You know, how do you explain it, there are lots of programs going on in the intelligence community. You know, we can’t be briefed on every little thing that they are doing. but in this case, there was at least one major what I consider significant activity that we had not been briefed on that we have now been briefed on, and I want to set the standard there, that it is not optional for this president or any president or people in the executive community not to keep the intelligence committees fully informed of what they are doing.
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We are clearly in the midst of the farthest reaching power grab by an administration in the history of this country. I cannot wait to see the right steady themselves, take another drink of the kool-aid, and throw Hoekstra under the bus like they’ve done with every other Repub who has dared to question the authority of the decider…
July 9th, 2006 at 1:07 pmNice idea, but when Karl Rove calls Hoekstra to tell him the NSA dug up dirt on him, then he probably will change his tune > lol. He needs to call for Bush to be impeached ASAP!
July 9th, 2006 at 1:12 pmCheck out Emptywheel’s analysis, today on this letter. It’s about mkore than what appears on the surface. It’s about a power struggle between Cheney/Rumsfeld, and the CIA and Stephen Kappes.
July 9th, 2006 at 1:18 pmI bet after this, Hoesktra will soon be getting his wish to go dig for WMDs in the Iraqi desert with Rick “Sanatorium”…
July 9th, 2006 at 1:19 pmCheck out emptywheel at The Next Hurrah, today, for another take on this letter of “outrage.” It’s more than meets the eye. It’s about power rivalry between Cheney/Rumsfelt and CIA with Kappes in place.
July 9th, 2006 at 1:20 pmIt is also worth noting that Hoekstra’s letter to Bush contained a vicious attack against the CIA’s Stephen Kappes and a group within the CIA Hoekstra claimed “intentionally undermined the administration.”
For the Hoekstra letter to Bush and the latest news, legal documents and other key materials, see:
“The NSA Scandal Resource Center.”
July 9th, 2006 at 1:26 pm“Remember, remember
July 9th, 2006 at 1:28 pmthe 8th of November….”
Well if Hoekstra is attacking the Neocons now, then Rumsfeld might send him to dig for WMD in Iraq, but with NO military guards and NO body armor either > hint!
July 9th, 2006 at 1:31 pmCaption contest:
DICK-HEAD.
July 9th, 2006 at 1:38 pmCaption contest:
HEAD-DICK.
July 9th, 2006 at 1:43 pmWhen your president ignores your congress, and it is clear that nothing is going to make him listen, fire him. Impeach, because right now the precedent is more important then the president.
Oh, sorry, I forgot, Republican Congress + Republican Senate + Republican President. There ain’t gonna be a 2 for 0 going here.
July 9th, 2006 at 1:49 pmBruce,
Clearly why we need to win in November at the polls. Cause after that – the next two years will be a free-for-all neocons…
July 9th, 2006 at 2:10 pmCaption Contest:
HEAD-DICK-HEAD.
July 9th, 2006 at 2:11 pmSupreme Court’s ruling in Hamdan means warrantless eavesdropping is clearly illegal
July 9th, 2006 at 2:19 pmBy: Glenn Greenwald @ 9:43 AM – PDT
http://www.crooksandliars.com/posts/2006/07/09/supreme-courts-ruling-in-hamdan-means-warrantless-eavesdropping-is-clearly-illegal/
If what the Italian SISMI was doing also happens here….
a). They spy on journalists
b) They spy on political rivals
c) They torture
d) extra legal wirtapping activites
—————-
http://www.warandpiece.com/blogdirs/004509.html
Update: And also worth reading what a colleague writes from Italy today, “Do you know that [Repubblica investigative journalist] Giuseppe D’Avanzo was spied by Sismi? It’s official (we all imagined it, but now there is an official act of the Milanese court). Incredible.” It is incredible. And are there correlaries for the States? When the government finds its biggest preoccupation are the journalists trying to expose the truth, it seems the whole enterprise is pretty shaky.
——–
The Bush administration’s CIA had secretly kidnapped a radical cleric Abu Omar from Italy in 2003 to ship him off to a torture-friendly state (Egypt) and the Italian Goverment had repeatedly denied any involvement in this sordid affair because it was illegal. However, an Italian magistrate investigating the matter – Armando Spataro – issued arrest warrants for numerous CIA operatives and as part of the expanding investigation, the former SISMI head in Milan – Colonel Stefano D’Ambrosio – allegedly testified to SISMI’s role in this matter. This expanded the targets of the Spataro investigation to senior SISMI officials, with the #2 official Marco Mancini (the deputy to SISMI chief Nicolo Pollari) being one of the people arrested in the last week. During the raids conducted by Italy’s special police (the Digos), they discovered a secret apartment at Via Nazionale, 230, in Rome, which was part of a massive dirty tricks operation by SISMI which involved, among other things, the creation of “dossiers” on “enemies” who were illegally spied upon (unfriendly journalists, magistrates, politicians and businesspeople), and the fabrication of bogus documents. Also discovered were receipts of payments made to a right-wing “reporter” Renato Farina (of the small Libero newspaper) allegedly to enlist Farina’s “services” as a spy against Spataro and as a paid propagandist to propagate SISMI’s denials on their involvement in the CIA rendition of Abu Omar. It appears SISMI head Nicolo Pollari himself was part of this latter scheme. Not to mention, one of the reporters who was doing investigative reporting on this case and exposing SISMI’s role in this matter (and, incidentally, on the Niger forgeries affair) – La Repubblica’s Giuseppe D’Avanzo – was being spied upon by SISMI.
http://www.theleftcoaster.com/cgi-bin/mt-comments.cgi?entry_id=8163
July 9th, 2006 at 2:20 pm#13 – Touche. ;)
July 9th, 2006 at 2:21 pmHEAD DICK-HEAD
July 9th, 2006 at 2:26 pmI wonder how long it’s going to take before this guy realizes he’s talking to a brick wall .
July 9th, 2006 at 2:32 pm#17 – katy, you just had to link to that picture of “Dick” and make me lose my cookies, didn’t you? That’s a good site, by the way. Your mouse must heat up big-time from moving around the web as fast as you do!
July 9th, 2006 at 2:41 pmAmeriKa is too stupid to care.
July 9th, 2006 at 2:44 pmah haha! sorry about that, zooey… guess i should have given fair warning…
that photo was linked here at TP a while back and i bookmarked it knowing some day…
sometimes i have 4-5 windows open at once, back and forth… C&L always has good links too – easy to go from there… i like diversity…
July 9th, 2006 at 2:49 pmhey, it’s that high-speed internets connection!
I thought I should repeat this so everyone remembers
#76
Bush had the weight of 911 behind him. He could have said Osama = Saudi with Saudi and Pakistani support…. 911 attackers = Sauids with Saudi and Pakistani support… Saudi “charities†… Saudi and Pakistani “religious†schools … Nuclear WMDs being sold to the highest bidder by Pakistan…. You want your Iraq war? FINE! But 911 comes first! All Americans including have the right to DEMAND that the republicans do more than Afghanistan as a response to 911 …Who cares if PNAC/Bush wanted Saddam … hire an assasin or something … America had 911 to take care of .. and we got derailed because the Saudis make the BushCo rich.
Comment by Gerald Gibson — July 8, 2006 @ 2:53 pm
Thanks for the comment Gerald Gibson.
July 9th, 2006 at 3:02 pmkaty, I love C&L, but it’s almost impossible to watch John’s clips while I’m at home — dial up, ugh. I have to watch them on the sly at work.
Well, I’m off to the pirate movie — FINALLY. We might get in Gore’s movie, too. It’s supposed to be hot again today, might as well enjoy the cool movie theater!
July 9th, 2006 at 3:03 pmEvacuate the Repuglican ship! Children and babies first!
July 9th, 2006 at 3:15 pm#17 – katy, #19 – Zooey,
July 9th, 2006 at 3:27 pmPity the poor guy, he has to look into the mirror every day.
and while we are on this thread, I wonder how anyone would be niave enough to believe that there enough cognizant members in Congress to form an intelligence committee. Doesn’t a committee consist of more than one individual?
24; the only good republican is a dead republican.
July 9th, 2006 at 3:42 pmThey do know how to cover their sorry asses…Spector and Hoekstra that is. They say stuff but do nothing to back it up….must mean that they know something is stinking.
July 9th, 2006 at 4:18 pma good place for this (i posted it at the gitmo thread also):
Supreme Court’s Ruling in Hamdan Means Warrantless Eavesdropping is Clearly Illegal
July 9th, 2006 at 4:58 pmBy: Glenn Greenwald on Sunday, July 9th, 2006 at 9:43 AM – PDT
(at crooksandliars)
yes, walt, a committee, by definition, is more than one person…
July 9th, 2006 at 5:02 pmbut, no, i have no pity for the “head dick-head”…
Caption Contest:
DICK-HEAD-DICK.
July 9th, 2006 at 5:12 pm#29 – katy,
July 9th, 2006 at 5:32 pmI did not use the word person purposely- Alf and Ollie( the seasick sea dragon for the Xgen impaired) should be allowed a chance at governance. Flipper – Lassie – Rin-Tin-Tin? Any one of these individuals would double the IQ of Congress.
Red states
July 9th, 2006 at 5:43 pmHoekstra: 2 years behind the democrats.
July 9th, 2006 at 5:51 pmI did not use the word person purposely
Comment by WaltTheMan — July 9, 2006 @ 5:32 pm
you’re just too clever for my simple mind… but i do know of the characters you mentioned – dating myself…
July 9th, 2006 at 6:01 pmHope he not all Bark like Sen. Specter…
July 9th, 2006 at 6:10 pm#32 interesting link. Guess the dumf**kistan should be afraid.
July 9th, 2006 at 6:15 pm#35 – S.D,,
July 9th, 2006 at 6:16 pmHe’s probably a member of the John Birch Society. All bark outside but nothing but would on the inside.
#3 margaret
Interesting post. It’s only a matter of time before all these neocon sharks destroy each other. It happened before in history and it will happen again. No one person can rule the world. If these crooks would just say no to greed and power, we would be safer.
July 9th, 2006 at 6:20 pmTwo faced, possibly more. Just tell another falsehood to America. They love ‘em. A top creep for sure.
July 9th, 2006 at 7:04 pmwell, we would have never won world war ii with piss-ants like hoekstra in congress…weak-kneed cowardly terrorist pig!
since he is not with us, he is against us; his letters help the terrorists and hurt america by doubting our fearlessly brave president.
i hope hoekstra gets some of that same poisonous creme brule that stevens gets…they obviously hang around together!
kisses,
ann
michelle malkin, if you are reading this, do you know where my black two-headed friend is??? ken was so looking forward to it… if you find it fedex it down here tomorrow so i get it by tuesday…ken and i are going out in his yacht to fish for immigrants, and then i have to fly back to new york to join hannity wednesday for his weekly blood-sucking….
July 9th, 2006 at 7:05 pmI have read all the comments posted thus far.and i have not seen or read one intelligent remark up to this point in time.which only shows as to the serious condition this country is really in.Go President Bush.Do your job.the silly monday morning quarterbacks will criticize you know matter what you do.
July 9th, 2006 at 8:27 pmComment by mervin williams Alexandria Louisiana. — July 9, 2006 @ 8:27 pm
You live in LA? Shame on you. You should know best of all that Bush is a stupid hand puppet who thinks Germany isn’t a Democracy, and has allowed your state to go un-aided while funding an illegal and invalid war in Iraq.
Maybe the comments in here weren’t great. But yours was by far the least unitelligent one.
July 9th, 2006 at 8:38 pmmeant least intelligent one…
July 9th, 2006 at 8:39 pm#41; Geeeez, you really can’t be THAT dumb, can you? Read on dipshit.
July 9th, 2006 at 9:17 pmA. Dunkin, it’s amazing that Redstate knows where all those terrorists are. They must be unamerican though, and siding with the terrorists. Because they apparently haven’t let the FBI, CIA, and the Bush admin know.
July 10th, 2006 at 1:59 amYou know what Bush’s legacy is going to be?
Its going to be all the freakin laws we will be making over the next decade or so, to keep another President from running amuck with power like Bush has.
July 10th, 2006 at 2:02 amIn fact, I predict there will be at least one law passed by congress that will at least informally, carry the Bush name.
Something like “The Bush Act” or something.
July 10th, 2006 at 2:16 amTrident is evil and against God, bishops warn Blair
Nineteen bishops have warned the Prime Minister that the possession of Trident is “evil” and “anti-God”.
You should mention this to Bush (lucifer himself)
July 10th, 2006 at 4:41 amThe real reason Hoekstra sent a sharply worded letter is that he is looking to get re-elected. Pete has stated that Bush knows what he is doing and all this secrecy is necessary. I have sent many emails and letters to my representative (Pete) and he stated his approval of the illegal wiretapping. Legal in his eyes.
July 10th, 2006 at 8:44 amPete needs to create an “moral” out for himself in Nov. If there was not a big swell of unrest in the Dem/Rep political realm, Pete would go on business as usual. The “out” he is creating is that he is trying to make believe that he is on the outside, and for the good of the people, needs to be informed to keep this potential rogue administration in check. Bush knows this and all this is politics. Odds are the administration think tank thought up this in the first place. The only job of all incumbents is to get re-elected.
[...] This, coming from a man who recently castigated the White House for not letting the House Intelligence Committee know about secret intelligence programs. There is no other way of explaining it: He is either mind-numbingly partisan or clinically stupid. Anyone who would suggest something this utterly and completely ridiculous is in dire need of professional help. Pete, for the love of crumb cake, get help! [...]
July 12th, 2006 at 5:25 pmComrades,
Forget about “Intelligence†matters for now. We will take back The Congress in November and have a great supporter to our cause as Speaker of the House; the very articulate, measured and calculating Congresswomen, Liberal Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi.
But, you’re loosing focus again! There is a greater, clearer and more dangerous threat too our party that will shortly perpetrate our air-waves on ABC’s “The Path to 9/11â€
These traitors at ABC are betrayers of our new mother land. Where I come from, this Robert A. Iger would be dragged through the streets in front of the tomb of our glorious leader Vladimir Lenin and shot in public. The producers, directors, writers and anyone associated with this propaganda would be picked up in the early hours of the morning by our State Security Chief Lavrenty Beria (The Black Hand) and taken to a Siberian labor camp never too be heard from again.
For many years I have been loyal to ABC and the Pravda (truth) that our Socialist Liberal ally has put forth in order to progress our ultimate goal; the decline and absolute destruction of America and the capitalist traitorous pig’s like ABC.
I ask you Mr. Robert A. Iger, “Have you no shame Sir�
Comrades, we must not give up the fight. It has taken us many years to groom you and your elected leaders.
Remember what our great leader Nikita Khrushchev said:
“ We can’t expect the American People to jump from Capitalism to Communism, but we can assist their elected leaders in giving them small doses of Socialism, until they awaken one day to find that they have Communism ”
It’s more important now then ever before that we stand together and stay focused! We can not allow this abomination of propaganda to go forward.
We must do whatever it takes to keep this film from airing on Sunday the 10th, 2006, we only have a few hours left.
It is your duty as loyal Liberal Socialist Democrats to rise up in solidarity and put a stop to this immediately!
Senator Harry Reid, one of our courageous and distinguished Senatorial leaders from the state of Nevada, reminded the capitalist traitorous pigs at ABC of their license from the FCC. Please Senator Reid, we’re your loyal comrades in arms and begging you to use all the glorious power you possess. You must stop this film! You must push forward with an iron fist and crush this despicable display of propaganda.
If this film isn’t stopped from airing on ABC, Sunday night, I’m afraid all our efforts since the cold war and the aspirations of our great leaders from glorious years past and Nikita Khrushchev’s dreams and predictions will have been lost.
If we loose now, the great Liberal Socialist Democratic Party, we have nurtured, will decline into the ash heaps of history never too be heard from again.
Where are our great defenders the A.C.L.U.? There silence is deafening. Their founder; Roger Nash Baldwin a supporter of the Communist Party would not let this despicable propaganda go unchallenged.
Remember comrades, we destroyed Senator Joseph R. McCarthy in the 1950’s while attempting to exploit and expose us.
This should be an easy task. We already have many supporters in positions of power. If we wish to control this country, then we must be more diligent in our efforts to stop this ABC film.
You must!…. I repeat, you must contact our comrades in arms at their offices in Washington.
Now I’ve done all the work all you have to do is contact our “elected officials†below by e-mail or call:
Clinton, Hillary Rodham- (D – NY) Class I
476 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-4451
Web Form: clinton.senate.gov/contact
Reid, Harry- (D – NV) Class III
528 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-3542
Web Form: reid.senate.gov/contact/email_form.cfm
Kerry, John F.- (D – MA) Class II
304 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-2742
Web Form: kerry.senate.gov/v3/contact/email.html
Landrieu, Mary L.- (D – LA) Class II
724 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-5824
Web Form: landrieu.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm
Levin, Carl- (D – MI) Class II
269 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-6221
Web Form: levin.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm
Rockefeller, John D., IV- (D – WV) Class II
531 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-6472
Web Form: rockefeller.senate.gov/services/email.cfm
Schumer, Charles E.- (D – NY) Class III
313 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-6542
Web Form: schumer.senate.gov/SchumerWebsite/contact/webform.cfm
Kennedy, Edward M.- (D – MA) Class I
317 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-4543
Web Form: kennedy.senate.gov/senator/contact.cfm
Feinstein, Dianne- (D – CA) Class I
331 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-3841
Web Form: feinstein.senate.gov/email.html
Leahy, Patrick J.- (D – VT) Class III
433 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-4242
E-mail: senator_leahy@leahy.senate.gov
Stabenow, Debbie- (D – MI) Class I
133 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-4822
Web Form: stabenow.senate.gov/email.htm
Durbin, Richard- (D – IL) Class II
332 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-2152
Web Form: durbin.senate.gov/contact.cfm
Lincoln, Blanche L.- (D – AR) Class III
355 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-4843
Web Form: lincoln.senate.gov/webform.html
Feingold, Russell D.- (D – WI) Class III
506 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-5323
E-mail: russell_feingold@feingold.senate.gov
Harkin, Tom- (D – IA) Class II
731 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-3254
Web Form: harkin.senate.gov/contact/contact.cfm
Bayh, Evan- (D – IN) Class III
463 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-5623
Web Form: bayh.senate.gov/WebMail1.htm
Biden, Joseph R., Jr.- (D – DE) Class II
201 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-5042
E-mail: senator@biden.senate.gov
Boxer, Barbara- (D – CA) Class III
112 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-3553
Web Form: boxer.senate.gov/contact
Menendez, Robert- (D – NJ) Class I
502 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-4744
Web Form: menendez.senate.gov/contact/contact.cfm
Nelson, Bill- (D – FL) Class I
716 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-5274
Web Form: billnelson.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm
Obama, Barack- (D – IL) Class III
713 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-2854
Web Form: obama.senate.gov/contact/
Byrd, Robert C.- (D – WV) Class I
311 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-3954
Web Form: byrd.senate.gov/byrd_email.html
Cantwell, Maria- (D – WA) Class I
717 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-3441
Web Form: cantwell.senate.gov/contact/index.html
Conrad, Kent- (D – ND) Class I
530 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-2043
Web Form: conrad.senate.gov/webform.html
Dayton, Mark- (D – MN) Class I
123 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-3244
Web Form: dayton.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm
Dodd, Christopher J.- (D – CT) Class III
September 10th, 2006 at 8:39 pm448 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-2823
Web Form: dodd.senate.gov/index.php?q=node/3130
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January 12th, 2007 at 1:25 am