Pelosi's New Intelligence Committee Head fails Terrorism 101 - But maybe we can do something about it...
| By Superduperficial - Dec 12th, 2006 at 9:30 am EST |
Seriously - WTF?
I can't say for certain I would have gotten that question right. I would have run through OBL's history, allies, and enemies in my head really quickly and probably had a 75% shot at the right answer.
I am not, however, in line to become head of the House Intelligence Committee.
Reyes should do the honorable thing and back down, and since Alcee Hastings is a one man billboard for the "culture of corruption", that probably means Harman is the best choice. This is not a gaffe, of the sort that you recover from.
This shows gross incompetence for a REALLY FUCKING IMPORTANT JOB.
This is not substantively different than the hiring of Michael "You're doing a heck of a job, Brownie!" Brown at FEMA.
The difference is that if we work at it here, as progressives can perhaps bring enough pressure to bear to get Reyes out.
The pressure has to come from progressives, first and foremost. If conservatives are the only ones speaking out against Reyes' appointment, it'll just be "He said, she said" and we all know nothing will happen.
Anyone down for the cause?
I can't say for certain I would have gotten that question right. I would have run through OBL's history, allies, and enemies in my head really quickly and probably had a 75% shot at the right answer.
I am not, however, in line to become head of the House Intelligence Committee.
Reyes should do the honorable thing and back down, and since Alcee Hastings is a one man billboard for the "culture of corruption", that probably means Harman is the best choice. This is not a gaffe, of the sort that you recover from.
This shows gross incompetence for a REALLY FUCKING IMPORTANT JOB.
This is not substantively different than the hiring of Michael "You're doing a heck of a job, Brownie!" Brown at FEMA.
The difference is that if we work at it here, as progressives can perhaps bring enough pressure to bear to get Reyes out.
The pressure has to come from progressives, first and foremost. If conservatives are the only ones speaking out against Reyes' appointment, it'll just be "He said, she said" and we all know nothing will happen.
Anyone down for the cause?
!
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And if you think Harman is a bad choice, come up with something better.
If you can't come up with something better than putting a guy who doesn't even know what religion Al-Qaeda or Hezbollah are in charge of our intelligence oversight...
...Isn't that a reason to be pretty fucking outraged at the Democrats on this, regardless of one's political ideology?
Gee, that was easy.
So, Holt good for all of us, then?
My main objection to Harman continues to be that, when the chips were down, she willfully supported an idiotic political calculation that has had monstrous long-term implications for this country and our intelligence agencies. Personally, I wouldn't mind seeing a purge of sorts, with those that supported the invasion passed over for top positions on all comittees related to the conduct of the war and our international anti-terrorism efforts (and yes, I include Jack Murtha in that list, laudable though his efforts of the past year and a half have been). Reyes voted against the war, but still had a duty to remain informed about it's finer points (not to mention its glaringly obvious points like al Qaeda's sectarian leanings!). Holt and Hastings also both voted "no," but Hastings presents a much easier target for the right wing.
I think Holt would have been the right Representative for the job.
What I'm hearing here from is that Harman's failure to faithfully tow the Democratic line is a more egregious sin than Reyes' failure to know basic facts about our nation's enemies. If that is not "ideology trumping competence," then what is?
And how is illegal wiretapping keeping us any safer than legal wiretapping?
Harman's failures may not be as egregious as Reyes's, but they're certainly egregious enough for me to want to keep her from holding that gavel.
Again, I'd have rather seen Rush Holt take the reins.