... Little loaves and fishes

[pecunium]

I have no time to make commentary on this, though it speaks for itself, and what it says isn't pretty.

Harry Reid just introduced an amendment to the homeland security appropriations that would prevent anyone who discloses the identity of a covert CIA operative from having a security clearance. There will be 90 minutes of debate, and then a vote.

Here is the text of the so-called 'Frist Amendment': "Any federal officeholder who makes reference to a classified Federal Bureau of Investigation report on the floor of the United States Senate, or any federal officeholder that makes a statement based on a FBI agent's comments which is used as propaganda by terrorist organizations thereby putting our servicemen and women at risk, shall not be permitted access to such information or to hold a security clearance for access to such information."


(from Talking Points Memo).

Comments

[pecunium.livejournal.com]

Here they get an actual clearance. I suspect some of the vetting is streamlined, but those who can't get clearances (and it happens) are prevented, as a result, from sitting on certain committees.\

The only person vetted by election is, technically, the president, as the authority to classify, as well as to clear, resides in that office. The president therefore can grant a clearance, irrespective of investigation, and can remove classification.

If they wanted to they could use that to defend Rove, by the President saying he de-classified the data. Mind you that would open other cans of worms.

TK

[sethg]

There's a famous remark attributed to Henry Kissinger: "I never leak. I declassify."