Feingold Calls Out Intel Chief For Saying Dems Want To Imprison Bush

Senator Russ Feingold is calling the Director of National Intelligence out for telling what seemingly amounts to a massive exaggeration if not downright fabrication of the recent FISA debate in Congress.

In a speech at Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina this past week, Vice Admiral Mike McConnell told a crowd that, during the debate over the FISA Amendments Act of 2008, members of Senate called for the outright abolition of the Intelligence Community and even the jailing of President Bush.

"We had a bill go into the Senate. It was debated vigorously," said McConnell. "There were some who said we shouldn't have an Intelligence Community. Some have that point of view. Some say the President of the United States violated the process, spied on Americans, should be impeached and should go to jail. I mean, this is democracy, you can say anything you want to say. That was the argument made. The vote was 68 to 29."

And yet, as Feingold notes, and as a review of the press coverage details, neither of the events McConnell refers to actually happened. The debate over FISA was spirited as Feingold and a minority of senators maneuvered to remove a provision granting telecommunications companies immunity for helping the government with warrentless wiretapping.

But as Feingold wrote in a letter to McConnell: "I am not aware of any Senator saying or suggesting that 'we shouldn't have an Intelligence Community' or that President Bush 'should be impeached and should go to jail.'"

In addition to penning the note to McConnell, Feingold has asked the Intelligence Director to produce actual evidence "of all statements made by Senators during the debate that you believe support [your] assertions."

A spokesman for Feingold said there was no timeline for when they expected a response.

Here is the complete text of Feingold's letter:

The Honorable J.M. McConnell Director of National Intelligence Washington, D.C. 20511

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Dear Director McConnell:

I have received a copy of your March 28, 2008, speech at Furman University. In it, you described Senate action on the FISA Amendments Act of 2008, stating:

"We had a bill go into the Senate. It was debated vigorously. There were some who said we shouldn't have an Intelligence Community. Some have that point of view. Some say the President of the United States violated the process, spied on Americans, should be impeached and should go to jail. I mean, this is democracy, you can say anything you want to say. That was the argument made. The vote was 68 to 29."

As you correctly noted, the bill was the subject of vigorous debate. Many members of the Senate expressed serious concerns about the lack of checks and balances included in the legislation and the potential impact of the new authorities on the privacy and civil liberties of Americans. Many Senators were also concerned that retroactive immunity for companies alleged to have cooperated with the President's warrantless wiretapping program would undermine the rule of law.

However, I am not aware of any Senator saying or suggesting that "we shouldn't have an Intelligence Community" or that President Bush "should be impeached and should go to jail." I would therefore appreciate your providing a list of all statements made by Senators during the debate that you believe support these assertions. If there are no such examples, you should issue an immediate correction and an apology.

While all sides of this debate deserve to be heard, to falsely attribute statements to United States Senators serves only to mislead the American people. It also undermines your credibility and that of the position of Director of National Intelligence.

Sincerely,

Russell D. Feingold
U.S. Senator

Comments

[J E Mugford]

I agree. We do not want to impeach him. but.... I do want to see him put on trial for his crimes. Impeachment is a minor thing, trial for conspiracy to commit treason is not. Let's focus on making sure trying Bush, Cheney and the rest for the maximum penalty under the law (law that Bush would wish to sign away if he could). Conspiracy to commit treason, Conspiracy to commit murder, Murder under color of authority are all charges that should be considered. We need to ensure that all the culprits are held to account for the barbarous, illegal and terrorist acts that they have perpetrated both here and abroad.

[jqcitizen]

Anyone out there see former National Security Advisor, Gen. M. Hayden (USAF), now the head of the CIA, contradict himself? Hayden is not a liar, he is just another example of using the uniform to undermine the Constitution. He follows his leader.

I predict that the "Jet pilot" of Alabama National Guard fame, will give Hayden the curse of the 'Medal of Freedom' .

[globality]

I want to send Bush to Jail

How about you ?

[drkazmd65]

Dear Senator Feingold,...

The Senate Committee might not have said that Bush should be imprisoned,....

But a lot of us Democrats sure have been saying that. I think he and Dick would look really snazzy in Orange numbered jumpsuits,...

[FCBarca]

Exactly why is it wrong to assert that Bush should be both impeached and jailed?...I say send him to the Hague

[shivadas]

McConnell is a liar... so fire him. Man up Senate. Fire all the liars. God forbid that an American calls Der Fuhrer a liar or a criminal. It ain't illegal if the President does it. Oh, wait.....

[DickTater]

The Main Culprit here is the Corporate Media. They will not utter the word IMPEACH. There are plenty of crimes. If our media will not serve as watchdog, then we have no watchdog. The govt. can and will collapse into a CoverYourAss instrument...they are all equally guilty in the crimes, the coverups, or the lack of action to correct these constitutional breaches.

So, our govt. just goes into cruise mode. No talky, No Telly. Me No Seeum. Crimes, that's just fringe lunatics talking.....

While our media does nothing either. If the impeachable offenses EVER saw the light of day, EVER got talked about, EVER got bandied around on the networks....then we could have guests talking about them, constitutional scholars debating it, lawyers and watchdog groups rallying some momentum. However, in our present state, if the media ignores something it may as well NEVER happened. And that is where we are now. The Media controls our dialogue, what we see, what we hear, in essence; The Truth. And the truth could not be in worse hands.

[BPCentrisAmerican]

Why is this putty faced tool that the aliens left, running around pushing the GOP political fear agenda anyway, is being a party hack part of his job description? When can he find time to do his job, you know protecting the nation, while giving political speeches. The Attorney Gernal is running around pitching immunity for the telecomms, stating that prior to 9-11 intelligence officials intercepted calls from Afghanistan to a number in the US, but could not act because the tools weren’t in place. Excuse me, all they needed was a FISA warrant, if they did ignore the intercept and could have prevented 9-11 than that would make the DOJ and the Administration complicit in the deaths of more than 3,000 people, the other possiblabilty is that the Attorney General is a liar.

I seemed to remember that a diligent FBI agent was ingnored because she wanted to get a FISA warrant to check out the 9-11 hijacker training in a simulator in FL. The flight school reported it to the FDA and FBI, because few private pilots with little or no flight experience use a simulator to train for a heavy aircraft and pay in cash, not to mention having little interest in the landing part. FISA would have granted the warrant yet her supervisior did not OK the request. Do you feel safe, I don’t.

[springsm]

Maybe this is called, CMA.

[TheRealMacDaddy]

Damn...I didn't know I was a Senator! I've been saying since 2003 that GeeDub should be impeached and go to jail...The only thing that kept me from screaming it from the rooftop was then we'd be stuck with Dick Vader.

If the Senators on that Committee actually did say those things, then I would have to say they were just representing their constituencies.

[PhantomAviator]

Whatever.

Why be suprised at the ravings of a facist?

Bush is a traitor who should go to prison, much like Ronald Reagan who betrayed his country and sold anti-aircraft missles to our sworn enemy Iran. Missles which at the time of the sale could shoot down an F-15.

But like Nixon, our memories of Regan fade...like the bitter memory of Bush will fade.

Nixon=China (great Statesman); Reagan=won the Cold War (strong); Bush=The Warrior;

or is it:

Nixon=crimminal; Regan=Traitor; Bush=The Whore of Babylon;


.

[BlackWidowPilot]

I happen to be a Military Historian. A *long memory* is the curse of our breed.

The Busheviks are the enemies of everything good and decent in America and Americans.

Leland R. Erickson

Citizen

[El.Kabong]

From article:
But as Feingold wrote in a letter to McConnell: "I am not aware of any Senator saying or suggesting that 'we shouldn't have an Intelligence Community' or that President Bush 'should be impeached and should go to jail.'"

That is not to say or suggest that Bush shouldn't be impeached and jailed, nor is it completely untrue that his impeachment and jailing is a perennial "happy place" in the communal mind of honest folk. Morevover, it would be disingenuous to say or suggest that if Bush were to be impeached and jailed, 70% of the American population, 95% of the world population and The Almighty Himself would not rejoice in a manner never before seen in the history of time. Arab and Jew would embrace; Sooner and Cornhusker would walk arm in arm; Mongeese would jump rope with Vipers; Van Halen would peacefully reunite; The Heaven's would open up to reveal a new Rainbow: 47 colors in 5 dimensions representing a promise to the peoples of the world that ass hat of this magnitude will never, ever occupy a place of world prominence again!

Rather, it's just stating a point of fact that it wasn't mentioned in this context.

But now, while thinking of it, perhaps we should put it back on the table.

I'm just sayin' or suggestin'.

-ek

[westreal]

If we respect the laws and the constitution then they HAVE to go to jail. After a trial of course. Wait a minute. Let's send him to Egypt for "questioning". Then have a secret tribunal decide if they're guilty. And just for sh!ts and giggles we'll leave Guantanamo Bay open for about 50 years and let them rot there.

Water boarding for everyone!!!

[jsar70]

We want Bush in jail. No argument here.

[CommanderWhitehead]

And the down side...of jailing the guy...who is directly responsible for 4,000 dead (and between 23,000
and possibly as many as 100,000 wounded) American Service men and women, nearly one million Iraqis, as well as the mutual destruction of our armed forces and the sovereign nation of Iraq, the gutting of our Constitution as well as our adherence to the Geneva Convention, and the wholesale destruction of our economy...would be what?