Saturday, December 24, 2005

Anonymous GOP Senator Holds up Intelligence Bill

When I wake up in the morning, I go through 9 web sites just to see what is interesting going on in the world. Any articles catch my eye I open it up and read them after my review. CNN, ABC News, Ha’aretz, ESPN, Jerusalem Post, Palestinian Chronicle, Philadelphia Inquirer, ZDNet, and the Drudge Report, that’s normally the run I go through every morning. Thus, I was shocked when as important an article as this one wasn’t listed until Drudge.

Basically, an Intelligence authorization bill, which determines policy and spending for our intelligence community domestically and abroad, was voted for on Friday. The bill is an important piece of legislation, and has been passed on time for 27 consecutive years. The bill included amendments which required briefings on overseas detention sites and the release of classified intelligence documents on Iraq, and apparently because of these amendments one anonymous GOP Senator has held up the bill.

Ok, I must say that it takes a lot of nerve to hold up important legislation like this anonymously. We are at war, and our intelligence policies and budget are key. Perhaps a bit more attention to our intelligence could have avoided the mess we have now in Iraq. For one senator to block this type of legislation, which was expected to pass unanimously, and then not even identify himself is just atrocious. Be a man (or woman….ok, just be an adult) and admit when you’ve done an action like this; you’re an elected official, you owe that much to your constituency.

Posted by Scottage at 6:09 PM / | |