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Well First I want to say
that I found Chuck Schumer almost palatable last night. Chuckie appeared
alongside Senator Mitch McConnell on Fox News Sunday " with host Chris
Wallace.
Obviously the topic was dominated by the NSA wiretapping program and I can't help but think that Schumer was trying to lay the groundwork for the Democrats responses (There can be two) to the leak investigation. This is the quote in question:” I think that there should be an investigation. Whenever classified information comes forward, it should be looked at. You know, whenever classified information is leaked, there ought to be an investigation, because it could endanger our security. Having said that, let's
not prejudge. Was this somebody who had an ill purpose, trying to hurt the
United States, or might it have been someone in the department who felt
that this was wrong, legally wrong, that the law was being violated, went
to the higher-ups, they did nothing — now it's clear that Mr. Comey and
others, serious people who are hardly left-wing ideologues, had doubts
about the program — and then, in exasperation, went to the
gmedia?" As I said Two possible responses. Both are damage control but for two totally different reasons. There is a distinct possibility that the leaker was a prominent Democrat who miscalculated the Publics response as well as the administration's. If this is the case Schumer is trying to paint the culprit as a hero for bringing to attention a supposed violation of our liberties. The left has used the media brilliantly in it efforts to bring down the white house and it is not unrealistic to consider the possibility that this was a desperate attempt to penetrate Bush's armor. (Remember this story has been shelved for a year and at the time the presidents numbers were very good having come off a strong showing against John Kerry). The investigation is a chance for the Democrats to soften the blow if in fact they are responsible. The revelation that a Democrat could have leaked this classified information would be deadly to the Democrats chances in 2006 because they miscalculated the publics response to the article. Majority of Americans support the program and now the emphasis is on who leaked the story rather than the story itself. if this was a gamble then the Democrats have been trumped by the house. The other example of damage control is how the Left immediately attacked the President after the story broke. The fact that they ignore the NYT sat on the article for a year and then released it on the day of the Iraq vote and then used it to defeat the patriot act was laughable. what do they think the public would think? We do not want to be spied upon but more importantly we do not want to be incinerated. it is that simple. For all their screaming and finger pointing the American public who they claim they were doing this for wasn't listening and now the Republicans have sound byte after sound byte to use on the campaign trail and can now once again say Democrats are soft on national security in fact you could say they are trying to undermine it. Attempting to paint the leaker as a patriotic whistleblower may be their only way out of this. -Bert |