Dec. 23, 2005
EDITORIAL: Rockefeller Has Never Made a Ripple...Until Now
An old West Virginia saying about some people not amounting to
much must have been uttered originally with politicians in mind.
These strange creatures who long so much to believe that we
sit at home, mesmerized by their every word, their every chuckle
into the camera, when really, we just want them off the screen to
get back to our ball game, soap opera, or reruns of Dobie Gillis
A better example of "nada" from a lifetime's effort on behalf of
West Virginians is U.S. John D. "Jay" Rockefeller IV, D-WV. He's still
so...inappropriate as a West Virginia elected official. He doesn't
act like us, talk like us, believe like us...so that is why he's no doubt
happy to be in D.C. 98 percent of the time, because I doubt seriously that
he thinks to have many of us up for port.
Now Jay has gone and done it, though, and while it was just a matter
of time, still it comes as a surprise. As a ranking Democratic member
of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Jay is privy to some serious
intelligence that few others have. He now says that he wrote himself
a letter (see it below), expressing some of his reservations about the
direction of some
of the war on terror. But in producing the letter--one only he knew about--
it has begged the question nationally, "How did the New York Times know
about his reservations unless he told them?"
Now Jay is in the hot seat, because he looks like a "Chatty Cathy" on one of
the
most important Senate committees in history. If he had serious concerns,
why didn't
he bring them up two years ago? Why wait--if he thought something dire was
going on--
and why make it look like a partisan hack Democrat hit job on the President,
instead
of a reasoned concern?
West Virginians have long tolerated Rockefeller and were just glad that he
got out of the
Governor's Mansion after what will truly be remembered by anyone (except)
those who made a killing during his eight years in office) as the "worst of
times," with skyrocketing unemployment across the Mountain State.
That wasn't all Jay's fault, but he sure didn't make the problem better or
go away, and we have been stuck in this hole ever since. Anytime you hear
someone suggest that Rockefeller was a "great Governor," look them up later
and you'll find that they were either a top Democratic official during
Rockefeller's reign or one of the voters who got $20 in exchange for a
straight ticket vote for Jay's Democrats.
Nobody else is as easily bought here in West Virginia, thank goodness.
Here is Jay’s letter to Dick Cheney:
July 17, 2003
Dear Mr. Vice President,
I am writing to reiterate my concern regarding the sensitive intelligence
issues we discussed today with the DCI [Director of Central Intelligence],
DIRNSA [Director, National Security Agency], and Chairman Roberts and our
House Intelligence Committee counterparts.
Clearly the activities we discussed raise profound oversight issues. As you
know, I am neither a technician or an attorney. Given the security
restrictions associated with this information, and my inability to consult
staff or counsel on my own, I feel unable to fully evaluate, much less
endorse these activities.
As I reflected on the meeting today, and the future we face, John
Poindexter's TIA project sprung to mind, exacerbating my concern regarding
the direction the Administration is moving with regard to security,
technology, and surveillance.
Without more information and the ability to draw on any independent legal or
technical expertise, I simply cannot satisfy lingering concerns raised by
the briefing we received.
I am retaining a copy of this letter in a sealed envelope in the secure
spaces of the Senate Intelligence Committee to ensure that I have a record
of this communication.
I appreciate your consideration of my views.
Most respectfully,
Jay Rockefeller