Senator Schumer also spoke.

The senate will not continue until they resolve this issue to the satisfaction of the democrats. Republicans can end it with a majority vote. But each day, any member can call for a closed session with a second by another member. Democrats will do this every day.

This is about the Cabal at the WH, Cheney and Scooter Libby.

None of the cable TV shows have noticed this yet!

CNN is showing part of Reid's speech.

Republicans are saying this is politics as usual.

Frist says that democrats are using "scare tactics". We have been "slapped in the face". "This is a pure stunt".

Frist immediately went to Trent Lott, the former leader.

Kit Bond said "this is the dirtiest trick he has ever seen on the senate floor"

Frist said "this is an afront to me personally".

No one will answer the questions from the democrats.

Lott said this is a stunt.

Kyl says that this should not intercede with deficit reduction debate. "This has something to do with settling an old score in the intelligence investigation" A "Claim" that the republican administration used intelligence to go to war".

Santorum says that "this shows how much democarts hate cutting spending". This purely political. The is pre-2004 politics. They can't move on. They have no agenda.


What a jerk!

Frist is attacking Reid!

He said Daschle never did this stunt.

Frist says that this might be democarts' getting back about Bush's Supreme Court nominee.

"lack of respect and civility"

Frist says he does not trust Reid.

Frist says that the democrats are in the "gutter".

He would not answer a question from a reporter as to why Phase 2 has not been done.

He said Reid never told him that this was a problem. Frist said we will work through the issue. He did not answer two more reporter's questions why Roberts has not done Phase 2 yet.

Once the reporters started asking questions, the republicans lost their rhetoric and they departed quickly.

CNN is the only news show covering this.

C-span 2 also has it.

No one is at the hall mike right now.

Watch Reid's speech on C-span 2 --- now.

move all comments here

http://www.commongroundcommonsense.org/for...ST&f=16&t=41467

This all out war. The republicans will never agree to investigate the WH.

MSNBC is now reporting on this closed session.

Reid: "We need a thorough investigation". The republicans senator on the intelligence committee is not doing anything he promised.

Senator Roberts promised Phase 2 at least 5 times in the last 3 years. Democrats last complained in Sept 2005.

Dick Durbin is at the hall mike now.

Senator Levin is now speaking. Phase 2 foot dragging.... unfinished part is sensitive to the administration. "There is a lot of evidence that the administration went way beyond the intelligence." Roberts put it in writing to do Phase 2 but has not done it yet.

A reporter asked why the democrats are "filibustering" evidence at the Phase 2 hearings. Levin says there have not been any meetings or votes.

Reporter: "aren't you politicizing Fitzgerald's investigation?"

Sounds like the reporters are with the foot dragging republicans.

Reporter: "are you doing this because you don't like Alito?"

Reporter: Senator Lott says this is unprecidented; how do you think this will result in a compromise?

Durbin: Reid's staff did notify Frist's staff as the debate started.

So Frist is a liar when he said he had no notice.

Chris Matthews is on MSNBC dissing the democrats for not making a case against the war in Iraq.

C-span 2 is re-airing Frist's remarks.

CNN is reporting that democrats are ready to go to war on this and the Supreme Court nominee. They are fed up with republican tactics.

This bears repeating as C-span re-airs Frist and his cabal...

Frist says he needs to get back to preserving our "freedoms".

If that was the case, then why are they not outraged that an intelligence officer was outed by WH staff and the VP?

Frist would "not get into the substance" of the democrats' request about the intelligence investigation.

CNN is taking emails about this now.

MSNBC is reporting that the closed session will end in about 10 minutes.

Senator Kit Bond is on C-span 2 now (taped).

He said the war is justified based on what Clinton said in 1998, Senator Kerry in 2002, and Senator Rockefeller in 2002.

Bond said that this is a stunt. The democrats did not advise the other side. Reid made charges about Roberts which could not be answered.

Reporter: why has Roberts' not done Phase 2?

Bond: we investigated the Plame leak and Wilson's activities. Wilson lied that Cheney sent him; his wife sent him. Bond blames Wilson and his wife for the leak.

Bond: there are extenuating circumstances why the Phase 2 investigation is not done. They have a lot of names to investigate....


------------

C-span is reporting that

When back in open session, Senator Pat Roberts will make a statement on the floor of the senate. Rockefeller will also make a statement. Roberts also may make a statement in the hall.

Fox News is not reporting on this at all.

CNN is pressing the main reason - why did we go to war?

Republican talking points are: democrats want to rehash old news; democrats have no new ideas

Even if Roberts gives in to have the investigation, they will probably take another year to do it.

Democrats Force Senate Into Iraq Meeting

Updated 3:43 PM ET November 1, 2005
http://dailynews.att.net/cgi-bin/news?e=pr...8djt7b80&src=ap

By LIZ SIDOTI

WASHINGTON (AP) - Democrats forced the Republican-controlled Senate into an unusual closed session Tuesday, questioning intelligence that President Bush used in the run-up to the war in Iraq and accusing Republicans of ignoring the issue.

"They have repeatedly chosen to protect the Republican administration rather than get to the bottom of what happened and why," Democratic leader Harry Reid said.

Taken by surprise, Republicans derided the move as a political stunt.

"The United States Senate has been hijacked by the Democratic leadership," said Majority Leader Bill Frist. "They have no convictions, they have no principles, they have no ideas," the Republican leader said.

In a speech on the Senate floor, Reid demanded the Senate go into closed session. The public was ordered out of the chamber, the lights were dimmed, and the doors were closed. No vote is required in such circumstances.

Reid's move shone a spotlight on the continuing controversy over intelligence that President Bush cited in the run-up to the war in Iraq. Despite prewar claims, no weapons of mass destruction have been found in Iraq, and some Democrats have accused the administration of manipulating the information that was in their possession.

Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, was indicted last Friday in an investigation that touched on the war, the leak of the identity of a CIA official married to a critic of the administration's Iraq policy.

"The Libby indictment provides a window into what this is really all about, how this administration manufactured and manipulated intelligence in order to sell the war in Iraq and attempted to destroy those who dared to challenge its actions," Reid said before invoking Senate rules that led to the closed session.

Libby resigned from his White House post after being indicted on charges of obstruction of justice, making false statements and perjury.

Democrats contend that the unmasking of Valerie Plame was retribution for her husband, Joseph Wilson, publicly challenging the Bush administration's contention that Iraq was seeking to purchase uranium from Africa. That claim was part of the White House's justification for going to war.

Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss., said Reid was making "some sort of stink about Scooter Libby and the CIA leak."

A former majority leader, Lott said a closed session was appropriate for such overarching matters as impeachment and chemical weapons _ the two topics that last sent the senators into such sessions.

In addition, Lott said, Reid's move violated the Senate's tradition of courtesy and consent. But there was nothing in Senate rules enabling Republicans to thwart Reid's effort.

As Reid spoke, Frist met in the back of the chamber with a half-dozen senior GOP senators, including Intelligence Committee Chairman Pat Roberts of Kansas, who bore the brunt of Reid's criticism. Reid said Roberts reneged on a promise to fully investigate whether the administration exaggerated and manipulated intelligence leading up to the war.

Copyright 2004 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Senator Schumer is talking in the hall now.

Republicans resorted to name calling like they did with Wilson and his wife. They should answer the request for Phase 2.

"it looks like they will finally do it"

No more closed session if this happens.

http://www.intelligence.senate.gov

Phase 1 report

Mort Zuckerman - US News and World report --- says on MSNBC that the intelligence was not politically manipulated. The intelligence was wrong. Democrats are being political.

He blames Wilson for lying.

Senate is back in session. Frist is speaking.

Next 30 minutes - Phase 2 investigation will be discussed.

CNN, MSNBC and Fox are showing this in addition to C-span 2.

Frist: "I have absolute confidence in our intelligence committee and its chairman."

Each leader will appoint 3 members and meet on 11/14/05.

Democrats: Rockefeller, Levin and Feinstein.

Senator Roberts is speaking - "totally unfortunate situation"; "we have agreed to do what we agreed to do"

Roberts says the committee is already doing this work. This is an unfortunate stunt.

Torie Clark, former Bush/Pentagon war press secretary, says this is a stunt and she disagreed with Wolf Blitzer that most of the people believe that Bush/Cheney lied/misled us about the war.

James Carville says the democrats believe that republicans did foot dragging and got fed up.

I can't wait for Rockefeller to give the truth. Roberts sounds nervous and defensive.

Mort Zuckerman agrees that Republicans have played hardball politics for the last 5 years and they probably brought on this breakdown in trust and communication.

Roberts read a letter supposedly from democrats 1-1/2 years ago --- democrats said we will "pull the plug" if the republicans don't finish this investigation. The best time to do it is next year (2005). Roberts said now they have pulled the plug.

Rockefeller is speaking in the Senate.

Reid is speaking in the hall - on CNN and MSNBC.

Reid press conference:

Reporter: Do you regret voting for the war?

Reporter: Why did you not tell Senator Frist before you took this action?

Reporter: Does this have to do with the supreme court nominee?


Reid: this republican majority does no oversight.

Reporter: what is you relationship with Senator Frist?

Reid: My relationship is up to Senator Frist; I am the democratic leader and he has to work with me. I'll work with him. If Senator Frist is upset that I followed senate procedure, then I can't help that. [papraphrased]