A Democratic staffer has had his access to classified info restricted while an investigation unfolds into whether he was a source of the leak of parts of a National Intelligence Estimate to the NY Times last September.
From the Times itself:
The Republican chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Representative Peter Hoekstra, has banned a Democratic staff member from access to classified information because he suspects the staff member may have leaked a national intelligence estimate to The New York Times last month, a committee spokesman said Thursday night.
The spokesman, Jamal D. Ware, said the staff member had requested a copy of the intelligence estimate, on terrorism, from the office of the director of national intelligence, John D. Negroponte.
He received the document on Sept. 21, two days before the Sept. 23 article in The Times.
Mr. Ware said that while there was no evidence that the staff member had leaked the document, the “coincidence” of timing led to the suspension.
He said that while an internal investigation was conducted the staff member, whom he declined to name, was not permitted to enter the committee’s secure space or review classified documents.
Democrats on the committe are outraged, as well they might be:
Democrats say the Republican head of the House Intelligence Committee had no grounds to suspend a staff member who's come under scrutiny for the leak of a secret intelligence assessment.
...The Intelligence Committee's top Democrat, Jane Harman of California, wrote to Hoekstra that she was "appalled" by his action, which was "without basis." She has demanded that Hoekstra "immediately reinstate the staffer's access to classified information."
Yeah, yeah, Jane Harman - she is the ranking Democrat now, but it has been reported that Nancy Pelosi, en route to her own position a while back, cut a deal with the Congressional Black Caucus to move Alcee Hastings up to the Chairmanship. And why not? It's only national security we are talking about. Michael Barone is cogent on Ms. Harman's problems (and did you know she was a self-financing Dem because of her hubby? I hear that now.)
Of course, Pelosi may not have the votes to pull this off, if we can believe the Wash Times. Dems in but Pelosi out? That would brighten a grim November.
MORE: Here is what ought to be a permalink into the NY Times archive for the original article. The sourcing is mentioned as follows:
More than a dozen United States government officials and outside experts were interviewed for this article, and all spoke only on condition of anonymity because they were discussing a classified intelligence document. The officials included employees of several government agencies, and both supporters and critics of the Bush administration. All of those interviewed had either seen the final version of the document or participated in the creation of earlier drafts. These officials discussed some of the document’s general conclusions but not details, which remain highly classified.
The Times makes the same point in their follow-up, which identifies the staffer as Larry Hanauer and tells us this:
Mr. Hanauer, who joined the committee staff last year after working for the Defense Department and the Booz Allen Hamilton, the consulting firm, remains on the panel payroll and retains his security clearance.
We knew all that, and more.
STILL MORE: TIME reports that Jane Harman is being investigated for engaging in politics while trying to save her seniority.
You're pretty much just an all-around embarrassment to this board, aren't you?
Posted by: hrtshpdbox | October 22, 2006 at 11:53 AM
Think about it.
Posted by: anonymous
Sigh..........
I just exposed your "American Exceptionalism" Nonsense for the Leftist lunancy and fallacy that it IS, over at Seixon's board, so you run over here, ANOTHER "Google" and "Wiki" EXPERT that you are; to in another pathetic and lame attempt, to get the "last word" in, in keeping with the pimply faced 14yr old that you are!
I told you before, when you graduate from High School, come back, and I'll attempt to have a serious discussion with you...
Go ahead, post away, have the last word; you can't erase the fact that you were wrong, or that you were exposed....
The last post, is YOURS, so you can have the "last word"....maybe then, you'll just go away, and go back to Seixon's with your adolescent "game"....
Sigh.............
Posted by: Dale in Atlanta | October 22, 2006 at 05:56 PM
Dale, I suggested that you "think about" what more and more people are trying to tell you. I didn't ask you to "type about it."
Posted by: anonymous | October 22, 2006 at 05:58 PM
To the JOM Readership:
Just so you all know what's going on:
"anonymous"; who briefly tried posting here yesterday under the "U I" Blogname, is a Troll who inhabits Seixon's board; and has for months.
I don't know how long, because I only found out about Seixon's board myself, a couple months ago!
Anyway, his entire reason for existence, along with his buddy "Shaman", is to harass every poster at Seixon's and post Leftist nonsense, over at Seixon's board.
It doesn't matter if there is substance, fact, or pure fantasy (most of the time); in his posts, just whatever he can do, to irritate all the other posters over at Seixon's.
He also, obviously, is someone who Seixon has exposed at some point in the past; he may be Jason Leopold, or Larry Johnson, or some such other fool like that, or a friend of theirs; because he spends most of his time, personally attacking Seixon in every way he can!
He also has a Sock Puppet buddy blognamed "Shaman"; who somehow NEVER posts on his own, but shows up, mysteriously, like the psychophant, strap-hanging lackey he is, to proudly annouce every time "anonymous" posts, that "...anonymous has won the debate..."
It's a real Laurel & Hardy routine, just not as funny, and with no where near the intelligence, trust me!
Anyway, he and Shaman attempted to tackle me on several occasions, and after crushing them with facts,they retreated behind their pale Beavis & Butthead immitation routine, and went back to attacking EVERY POST, that every other poster makes, with such intelligent stuff as "...you said "is", and it should be "that which"...and all that other Clintonian Leftist relativism nonsense!
Now, unfortunately, "anonymous" discovered JOM, and is now attempting to fit into the same role over here; it's like that mouth, lippy teenager, who has no experience, knowledge, and couldn't even wipe himself if he had to, but he sure HAS to have the last word!
Take a gander at some threads over at Seixon, if you want to check out the Lunancy that he and "Shaman" attempt to coordinate!
Anyway, somehow, unfortunately, he found his way over to this board; and he thought he was going to take something I said here, take it back to Seixon's, and post it and mock me!
Then, today, he tried to sound educated and intellectual, and posted some typical Leftist nonsense about "American exceptionalism", which the ONLY knowledge he had had of the subject, he had just Googled!
The only problem with these Google "experts" is, that they only can usually find an article, or reference with ONE sentence to support their nonsense Leftist views. So, hoisting him on his own petard, I used his own method (Google); and his only source (Wiki); and used the Exact same article, which he handn't read past the first two sentances, to completely and thorougly disprove his Leftist nonsense!
So of course, he's upset, and so he's trying to carry the "war", back here, because he's upset, and defensive, and being the teenager that he is, he just HAS to have the last word!
Regardless, sorry for the long-winded post; but I had to let you all know what was going on, and you can check out Seixon's for yourself, to confirm the story; and also, to just let you be aware of Who he is, what he is, and his modus operendi...
Posted by: Dale in Atlanta | October 22, 2006 at 06:13 PM
Dale, I suggested that you "think about" what more and more people are trying to tell you. I didn't ask you to "type about it."
Posted by: anonymous | October 22, 2006 at 02:58 PM
Sigh......
With every additional post, you just continue to prove what I just said.....
Sigh......
Go ahead, post another "last word"....
Sigh.............
Posted by: DaleinAtlanta | October 22, 2006 at 06:18 PM
Since you insist (although it may be cruel to feed paranoia:)
Dale, I suggested that you "think about" what more and more people are trying to tell you. No one needs you to "type about it."
Posted by: anonymous | October 22, 2006 at 02:58 PM
Posted by: anonymous | October 22, 2006 at 06:25 PM
http://www.seixon.com/blog/archives/2006/10/save_the_terror.html
Dooooh! You've been "outted"
Sigh...........
Posted by: Dale in Atlanta | October 22, 2006 at 06:39 PM
I shouldn't, Dale, but I'm beginning to feel sorry for you. Have you no friends or family left to help you?
Posted by: anonymous | October 22, 2006 at 06:41 PM
"Dale, I suggested that you "think about" what more and more people are trying to tell you. No one needs you to "type about it."
Posted by: anonymous | October 22, 2006 at 02:58 PM
Sorry,I'm repeating myself,I'm the only one telling Dale about it.I'm a bit strung out my dealer got lifted.
Posted by: anonymous | October 22, 2006 at 06:41 PM
I've never been the same since sharing a cell with....well you know the rest.
Posted by: anonymous | October 22, 2006 at 06:44 PM
And the pseudo-anonymous arrives.
While you're here, try to talk some sense into Dale.
Posted by: anonymous | October 22, 2006 at 06:47 PM
Oh, I see, I didn't get it; you're intemperate and delusional. No sense trying to make sense, under those conditions. Thanks, I'll steer clear of you from now on.
Posted by: hrtshpdbox | October 22, 2006 at 08:38 AM
You're pretty much just an all-around embarrassment to this board, aren't you?
Posted by: hrtshpdbox | October 22, 2006 at 11:53 AM
Posted by: anonymous | October 22, 2006 at 06:50 PM
Sorry, had to go for a couple of minutes there; I have my laptop out on the deck, and we're having a cookout here in lovely Atlanta, drinking beer, watching the Redskins get killed by the Colts on the Plasma TV from the DirectTV satellite, and we're all watching the laptop screen and laughing at you...
Anything else?
A couple of the other two dozen people here want to start posting stuff to you too, just to see how much more junvenile stuff you have to add....
Posted by: Dale in Atlanta | October 22, 2006 at 07:20 PM
Alright, you win; gotta go; the wife just laid down the "law"; gotta help serve the lechon, Lumpia, and adobo chicken....
Posted by: Dale in Atlanta | October 22, 2006 at 07:30 PM
Far be it from me to come between a paranoid and his delusions.
Posted by: anonymous | October 22, 2006 at 07:40 PM
"And the pseudo-anonymous arrives".
You're the one who is a fake as "Christmas in Cambodia",pathetic litte creature,have to pretend to be someone else to have a seperate existence.
Posted by: anonymous | October 22, 2006 at 07:46 PM
If you say so, "anonymous."
Posted by: anonymous | October 22, 2006 at 07:56 PM
But if I (whoever "I" may be) am pretending to be "someone else," and you are pretending to be me pretending to be "someone else," then who are you?
Posted by: anonymous | October 22, 2006 at 08:01 PM
You are only me when you don't take your medication.
Posted by: anonymous | October 22, 2006 at 08:47 PM
That tired old 'medication' line? You folks need some material.
Have a nice evening.
Posted by: anonymous | October 22, 2006 at 11:25 PM
If you aren't on medication,what drives you to talk to yourself on a dead thread?
Posted by: anonymous | October 23, 2006 at 07:01 AM
So Hanauer has just been given back all his classified access.
From Don on October 20, posted above:
"Have you people learned nothing from the infamous Schiavo memo affair-revealed to be written by a Republican staffer when Powerass was just about to go on TV and show how he had proved Dems had written it based on supersecret language analysis?
Hell, I bet there's a post on it in the JOM archives full of your sniveling comments.
In any event, does this poor Dem staffer get habeas corpus rights?"
Posted by: Martin | November 21, 2006 at 08:08 AM