 |
SwiftVets.com
Service to Country
|
| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
shawa
CNO
Joined: 03 Sep 2004
Posts: 2004
|
 Posted: Fri May 13, 2005 1:24 pm Post subject: Reid Cites FBI File on Judicial Pick |
 |
|
http://www.washtimes.com/national/20050513-122042-3194r.htm
| Quote: | Reid cites FBI file on judicial pick
By Charles Hurt
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Minority Leader Harry Reid strayed from his prepared remarks on the Senate floor yesterday and promised to continue opposing one of President Bush's judicial nominees based on "a problem" he said is in the nominee's "confidential report from the FBI."
Those highly confidential reports are filed on all judicial nominees, and severe sanctions apply to anyone who discloses their contents. Less clear is whether a senator could face sanctions for characterizing the content of such files.
"Henry Saad would have been filibustered anyway," Mr. Reid said on the floor yesterday, about the Michigan Appeals Court judge who is nominated to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit.
"All you need to do is have a member go upstairs and look at his confidential report from the FBI, and I think we would all agree that there is a problem there," Mr. Reid continued.
Republican staff members and supporters of Mr. Bush's nominees were outraged.
"Can you think of a better way to trash someone's reputation?" Sean Rushton of the conservative Committee for Justice asked after seeing a transcript of the remarks. "Say that there is bad stuff from an FBI investigation in a file somewhere and leave that hanging. This is character assassination of the lowest order and completely improper."
Republicans on Capitol Hill weren't saying much publicly, but several denounced the action privately as an "underhanded smear" or worse.
Sen. Orrin G. Hatch, Utah Republican who was chairman of the Judiciary Committee when Judge Saad faced his latest background investigation, declined to discuss the matter.
"As important as Senator Hatch thinks these comments are, he never comments on FBI reports or anything pertaining to them, and he doesn't believe anybody else should either," Hatch spokesman Peter Carr said.
Republican aides pointed to Standing Rule of the Senate 29, Section 5: "Any Senator, officer, or employee of the Senate who shall disclose the secret or confidential business or proceedings of the Senate, including the business and proceedings of the committees, subcommittees, and offices of the Senate, shall be liable, if a Senator, to suffer expulsion from the body; and if an officer or employee, to dismissal from the service of the Senate, and to punishment for contempt."
Furthermore, a "Memorandum of Understanding" covering the use of FBI background reports limits access to committee members and the nominee's home-state senators. Mr. Reid would fall into neither category.
Reid spokesman Jim Manley referred to an incident in June when the Senate Judiciary Committee met behind closed doors to review Judge Saad's file and inadvertently left a microphone turned on that broadcast part of the secret hearing onto the Internet.
"The fact that there's an issue regarding Henry Saad's background is well-known," said Mr. Manley, who noted that Mr. Reid did not disclose any specifics from the file. "It's been discussed both in committee and on the floor before."
Still, Mr. Reid's comments weren't part of his prepared remarks.
"One of the three 6th Circuit nominees who were previously filibustered -- Henry Saad -- would have been filibustered anyway because there are serious concerns about his suitability to be a federal judge," said his prepared statement, provided by his office.
Furious Saad supporters said they had never heard about the previous committee leak and called Mr. Reid's remarks an "unfounded smear" indicative of how nasty the debate over judges has become.
"Harry Reid is a disgrace to the Senate and to [his] Church of Latter-day Saints," said Manuel Miranda, who was forced to resign as a Republican Senate staffer after downloading files on judicial nominees from Democratic computer servers.
"Both bodies should censure him," said Mr. Miranda, who leads a private advocacy group for Mr. Bush's judicial nominees.
Michael Bouchard, sheriff of Oakland County in Michigan and a personal friend of Judge Saad, said he is "absolutely" certain that the FBI file doesn't contain anything damaging.
"I think Harry Reid is lying," he said. "He's hiding behind something he knows he'll never be asked to show. Harry Reid is a coward."
Confidants of Judge Saad said yesterday that the judge would release the file but that he has never seen it, let alone obtained copies of it. Judge Saad is not permitted to see the file, Senate staffers said. |
Reid is such a nasty little man!!
FBI files are RAW DATA--neither proven nor denied.
How can the nominee deny something that he hasn't even seen!!
For Reid to make this kind of inference, to leave it hanging out there
is truly outrageous and deplorable!!!
_________________
“I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. ‘Tis the business of little minds to shrink; but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death.” (Thomas Paine, 1776) |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
Me#1You#10
Site Admin
Joined: 06 May 2004
Posts: 6503
|
| Posted: Fri May 13, 2005 2:36 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I think it's a foregone conclusion that Harry Reid is going to be sent down the Daschle trail. What a contemptible, despicable thing to do.
Senate Ethics Committee...are you comatose? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
srmorton
PO2
Joined: 07 Aug 2004
Posts: 383
Location: Jacksonville, NC
|
| Posted: Fri May 13, 2005 2:40 pm Post subject: |
|
|
If this were a Republican, the MSM would be clammoring that he be
expelled from the Senate - especially on the heels of his calling the
POTUS a "loser" and his other outrageous comments. This double
standard is so frustrating! If I were a Republican Senator, I would
grow tired of beating my head against a wall. They deserve our
prayers and support instead of the name-calling and criticism that
they have been getting lately!
_________________
Susan R. Morton |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Me#1You#10
Site Admin
Joined: 06 May 2004
Posts: 6503
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
carpro
Admin
Joined: 10 May 2004
Posts: 1176
Location: Texas
|
| Posted: Fri May 13, 2005 4:21 pm Post subject: Re: Reid Cites FBI File on Judicial Pick |
|
|
| shawa wrote: | http://www.washtimes.com/national/20050513-122042-3194r.htm
| Quote: | Reid cites FBI file on judicial pick
|
Reid is such a nasty little man!!
|
I had high hopes for Reid when he became Minority Leader of the Senate.
Sadly, I have come to the same conclusion you have.
_________________
"If he believes his 1971 indictment of his country and his fellow veterans was true, then he couldn't possibly be proud of his Vietnam service." |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
PhantomSgt
Vice Admiral
Joined: 10 Sep 2004
Posts: 972
Location: GUAM, USA
|
| Posted: Sat May 14, 2005 12:08 am Post subject: |
|
|
It is sad to watch a formerly well respected Leader of the Democratic Party commit political sepuka on national television.
This has got to be some misguided strategy of the DNC. I can't imagine that Harry has come up with all this himself.
_________________
Retired AF E-8
Independent that leans right of center. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
PhD candidate
Former Member
Joined: 14 Jul 2004
Posts: 56
|
| Posted: Sun May 15, 2005 3:22 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Sen. Hatch dosn't think too highly of mr Hurt's source, Mr. Miranda:
"I am mortified that this improper, unethical and simply unacceptable breach of confidential files occurred," said Mr. Hatch, who first hired the two staffers. "There is no excuse that can justify these improper actions."
The 65-page report on the three-month investigation includes e-mails and correspondence between former Hatch staffers Manuel Miranda and Jason Lundell, both of whom have since resigned. Mr. Miranda worked for Mr. Hatch and later became judicial nominations counsel to Majority Leader Bill Frist of Tennessee.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20040304-114607-8196r.htm
and this buisness about the FBI file? it's old news:
From the moment Mr. Hatch began the meeting, he struggled to get the quorum required to vote on a nominee. As soon as a quorum gathered, Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, Vermont Democrat, requested a private meeting to discuss accusations stemming from Judge Saad's FBI background check.
Though several Republicans noted privately that the routine check had been completed more than six months ago and that no questions had arisen, Mr. Hatch acquiesced and removed the public and reporters to hold a meeting. During that meeting, Judge Saad's hopes of getting out of committee faded.
Although the closed-door meeting succeeded in delaying Judge Saad's nomination one more week, it failed to remain secret. The hearing was broadcast over the Internet because of apparent inadvertence on the part of Republican staffers.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20040603-112813-1241r.htm
Hurt wrote about it in June, 2004, almost a year ago. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
