Global War on Terror Watch: House Resolution 895 – Redux
A pedestrian passes the New York Times building in April 2006 in New York City.
Washington Post: Bush Seeks to Use Media Leaks to His Advantage
President Bush rallied Republicans with another attack on the media last night, in remarks that highlighted efforts at the White House and on Capitol Hill to gain momentum from recent disclosures about classified programs to fight terrorism.
Senior administration officials say the president was outraged by articles in the New York Times and other newspapers about a surveillance program in which the U.S. government has tapped international banking records for information about terrorist financing. But his comments at a Republican fundraiser in a St. Louis suburb yesterday, combined with new moves by GOP congressional leaders, showed how both are working to fan public anger and reap gains from the controversy during a midterm election year in which polls show they are running against stiff headwinds.
The Washington Post can spin the public’s outrage with the press on the disclosure of the secret SWIFT progam any way it wishes, but, the outrage is real and originates not by the President but by the public/voters. The House will introduce, debate and vote on House Resolution 895 today.
The text of the resolution is here.
The GOP resolution, sponsored by Rep. Michael G. Oxley (Ohio), also states that “the disclosure of the Terrorist Finance Tracking Program has unnecessarily complicated efforts by the United States Government to prosecute the war on terror and may have placed the lives of Americans in danger both at home and in many regions of the world.” It “condemns the unauthorized disclosure of classified information by those persons responsible and expresses concern that the disclosure may endanger the lives of American citizens.”
The resolution does not name the New York and Los Angels Times. However, the strategy of the House GOP appears to make the Democrats go on the record against illegal leaks of classified material and side with the New York and Los Angeles Times or President Bush’s and the GOP’s criticism. A wedge vote that WILL be used in the Fall House elections.
The Democrats are already backing away from criticism of the press but instead resumed its attacks on President Bush and the GOP.
“This is all so people don’t realize what else is going on,” especially in Iraq, said Rep. Rahm Emanuel (Ill.), who is heading his party’s efforts to regain control of the House in the November elections. “This is disingenuous of both the White House and House Republicans.”
US President George W. Bush gestures as he speaks during a fundraiser for the re-election campaign of Sen. Jim Talent , R-MO, at the Ritz-Carlton in Clayton, MO. Bush said Wednesday that there was “no excuse” for news accounts last week that gave details of a secret program to track and disrupt terrorism financing
Hugh Hewitt has The House Should Defeat H.R. 895. Maybe the Senate Will Represent the People?
The question before the Congress, the one on which the House –inexplicably, and to the shame of the GOP majority there, has apparently punted– is did the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times injure the war effort by assisting terrorists in avoiding capture?
All the rest is posturing.
The resolutions in both House and Senate are being brought forward because of the stories from Friday.
Not referencing the stories is clearly understood by observors to be an acknowledgment that these papers are privileged in a way soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines are not: They get to make mistakes, and not be called to account.
If the House and Senate don’t call them to account, and with specificity, these papers and others will repeat their behaviors.
I just don’t see how a civilian could vote for a non-specific resolution and look a military man or woman –or the family of one of the fallen– in the eye and say: “We spoke for you. We voted a non-specific resolution of condemnation of various behaviors that might hurt the war effort and lead to the escape of terrorists from justice.”
What a horrible joke. What an insult to the military. What a terrible insult to the fallen.
The House should defeat Resolution 895, and its serious members demand a real rebuke to the scribblers who endanger the effort.
And the United States Senate should not commit a similar error.
202-224-3121.
Flap agrees with Hugh that H. Res. 895 is “WEAK SAUCE.” Is this the best the House can do?
NOPE
Should the resolution be defeated?
NOPE
The resolution is better than NOTHING – but not much better.
The debate will be lively and interesting to see if the Democrats concur or take up the sword for the New York Times.
Stay tuned …….
Patterico weighs in with Support House Resolution 895Â
Flap would vote for the resolution but it IS “weak sauce” and misses the point on condemning the egregiously disgraceful conduct by the New York and Los Angeles Times. Bill Keller and Dean Baquet have made poor judgment calls and this resolution will not hold them accountable.
But, Flap likes the idea of making the Democrats vote against their ideological friends in the MSM – if they dare.
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Previous:
Global War on Terror Watch: House Resolution 895
Global War on Terror Watch: Michael Gerson Shames Media for Revealing SWIFT Anti-Terror Program
Global War on Terror Watch: Piling on the New York Times?
Global War on Terror Watch: Eric Lichtblau of the New York Times Explains SWIFT Scoop
Los Angeles Times Watch: Patterico and Danziger Dump the Los Angeles Dog Trainer
Global War on Terror Watch: Dear Mr. Keller – Why?
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