Feinstein Under Fire

House Republicans want an investigation of the Democratic senator's remarks about a secret U.S. military facility inside Pakistan.

« Return to Article

Discuss

Member Comments

  • Posted By: Rihan53 @ 03/28/2009 3:17:48 PM

    To Vigilance it has been proven that proper spelling isn't required by a majority of people, amazing isn't it ever watch kids text each other. Iv'e served our country for 28 years even though I was misdiagnosed with a permanent disqualification (heart murmur) So your medical excuse doesn't impress me. Campaign lies are inadmissable as policy once elected. Oh and an Honest Politician (Oxymoron) is one that stays bought.

  • Posted By: Rihan53 @ 03/28/2009 2:54:11 PM

    As for the Wasington Post and New York Times they are infamous for anti American Reporting, To Bad Congress is too Scared to declare wars, when we interfere in foriegn affairs. Then the owners and reporters could be inprisoned or shot when they get our children killed to make a buck.

  • Posted By: Rihan53 @ 03/28/2009 2:47:59 PM

    The US Military has a Moto learned from a History of leaked information "Loose Lips Sink Ships" Diane has always let her mouth overload her Political Sense, thats why her friends palmed her off on Congress after she made a mess in Frisco. There is also the practice of "promoting someone to their highest level of incompetence". Both Gov'ts need Plausible Deniabity She should be removed from the Commitee as a Security Risk.

  • Posted By: distantsmoke @ 02/25/2009 7:56:55 PM

    "Stupid rabid Republicans", what a nice way to engage in a debate. But Liberals don't want debate. They are right, the rest of us are wrong, and we should just lie down like good wh*res and take it. Of course, I could adopt the same attitude. If it's acceptable for you to assume you are right, then it is acceptable for me to assume I am right. So here goes.

    Telling the world about Drone missile attacks on a nuclear power is SUICIDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Wny? Because these attacks can be used in propaganda by the Taliban to get elements of the Pakistan military to release it's nuclear weapons to Al Qaeda, who wil in turn use them on us. And of course we made d*mn sure they know all about it. There secrets are safe from us, but our secrets have to be published in world wide headlines by Democrats.

    These stupid rabid Democrats are going to get us all bloody killed. Why? They think they can benefit from it.

    ONE NUCLEAR EXPLOSION WILL DEFINITELY RUIN YOUR WHOLE DAY

    I'm sure gary goldbladt will agree with my post as much as I agree with his.

    Webster's definition of Treason:
    ***1 : the betrayal of a trust : treachery ***
    2 : the offense of attempting by overt acts to overthrow the government of the state to which the offender owes allegiance or to kill or personally injure the sovereign or the sovereign's family

    Read it and weep

    • Posted By: Vigilance @ 02/26/2009 9:06:03 AM

      You are a TERRIBLY scared person.

      This probe isn't about protecting American lives, in my opinion. The Republicans are worried about the public outcry when everyone finally realizes how dishonorably they've waged war for the last eight years, nothing more and nothing less....

      • Posted By: distantsmoke @ 03/01/2009 9:27:45 PM

        The American media published the fact that we were using his satellite phone to track Osama bin Laden, not a nice man. As soon as the reports were published ObL ditched all his satellite phones. I wonder how many people have been killed by his followers since then? All those lives can be placed at the feet of the American media and whoever gave them the information.

        Diplomacy is a game like poker. When you play poker do you show all your cards to the other players in an effort to be fair?

        I assure you the Pakistan governement knew what we were doing in their country. We don't even overfly another country without permission, least of all set up bases.

        But was it really necessary for every Tom, Dick and Harry in the world to be told that the information was fact by an American government official? Hmmmmm..........

      • Posted By: bmd12345 @ 02/26/2009 1:12:41 PM

        Troll

    • Posted By: purple_state @ 02/26/2009 9:43:22 AM

      So you're telling me that no one in Pakistan knew that the missiles blowing people up from time to time were being delivered by the US until this senator committed "treason"? Do you not think that after one or two missile strikes that Al Qaeda figured out who and where the missiles were coming from? Or that the Pakistani military didn't know before now and is more then likely helping facilitate these strikes? My point is that if any part or personnel in the Pakistani military were going to hand over a nuclear device or material it would have happened long before now. Because even if we never admit to conducting the attacks every one in the world knows who's behind them.

      All this senator really did was slip and say what every one knew and no one would admit. Every once of Islamic blood split does more damage to our national security then any amount of intel leaked to the American press.

      • Posted By: reinadelaz @ 02/26/2009 12:17:52 PM

        You did see the quote where Panetta said the game plan is not going to be changed, didn't you? A US Senator who is capable of such a 'slip,' does not need as much access to military information as this woman has. Intentional or not, public disclosure of classifed infromation is not good policy. If President Obama cannot or will not get congressional Democrats in line, he will regret it on election day, 2010.

    • Posted By: Osama Bin Login @ 02/26/2009 11:30:23 AM

      "Wny? Because these attacks can be used in propaganda by the Taliban to get elements of the Pakistan military to release it's nuclear weapons to Al Qaeda"

      That will never happen. The Pakistani military is rabidly secular, and wouldn't piss down AQ's throat if their hearts were on fire. However, we may have lost our only means at striking at the tribal belt, and that's bad enough.

    • Posted By: Vigilance @ 02/26/2009 9:23:57 AM

      "Telling the world about Drone missile attacks on a nuclear power is SUICIDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
      Wny? Because these attacks can be used in propaganda by the Taliban to get elements of the Pakistan military to release it's nuclear weapons to Al Qaeda, who wil in turn use them on us. "

      Then maybe we should stop the goddamned drone attacks, or at least go back to only using them in 90% or better confidence situations? You don't think the fact that maybe we're killing innocent Pakistanis from thousands of miles away with robot drones might be the REASON their military might be considering using nukes against us?

      You know why I'm not worried about a Pakistani nuke *yet*? Because their rockets don't have intercontinental range. You need a delivery system to make a nuclear bomb explode.

      Now, you know why I *will* shortly be worried about Pakistani nukes if we don't stop waging war like soulless, selfish mercenary bastards? Because eventually they'll realize that what they should be doing is putting one in a briefcase (yes, it can be done with a small weapon) and then sending a martryr over on a small boat, or some sort of similar plan that circumvents our air security.

      Quite honestly and frankly, what I just posted is far more of a security breach of intelligence than anything Feinstein said. So yell at me, or try to get me prosecuted for high treason if you like. But what I posted isn't a secret - anyone who's studied nuclear warfare is aware of the existence of "briefcase bombs", as they've been termed, and the possibility of their use.

      What we have to do in order to prevent this is START WAGING WAR WITH HONOR again, which will help stop the destabilizion of that nuclear-armed nation! We need to return to the 90% confidence rule, and apply diplomatic pressure to Musharraf, instead of thinking we can murder and maim our way out of this conflict.

  • Posted By: NewsWkDickG @ 02/28/2009 11:32:21 AM

    I believe the Republican Party has lost its way and has simply become the party of puppets who irresponsibly patronize and placate a few who pull the strings and then boldly they just give the majority an abundance of subterfuge to hide and rationalize the total neglect and to manipulate public opinion. There seems no doubt that anyone who is capable of being unbiased and objective would readily recognize the belligerent and totally arrogant gross dishonesty of the last eight years and which actually continues in the Party's current unified and stubborn obstructionist efforts, all without ever offering any solutions or conscience. Some may wish to ignore the self-indulgent behavior, which is rationalized as being 'conservatism' and concentrates strictly on money, as they feel it actually benefits them and to them, without even dwelling on all of the drastic and significant problems created by this behavior, I emphatically ask the following questions. Who of us really believes the current Republican Party would ever turn against their powerful and influential patrons and: Establish the regulations and enforcements needed to check the abuse on Wall Street?; Establish the oversight and control necessary to check the abusive run-away greed, dishonesty and self-indulgence in the financial sector?; Interject to check the run away costs in the medical field and thereby cut Medicare, Insurance and individual expenses?; Establish the real controls and enforcements needed with polluting industries to check Global Warming and environmental degradation?; Do anything to discourage the exportation of American jobs and taxes?; Do the necessary spending to turn around our drastically decaying infrastructure?; Raise taxes on the very wealthy and close corporate tax loop holes to equitably increase revenue?; Have any real concern for America's lagging educational performance?; Do away with the drastic unproductive government spending established by the Bush administration that favored Special Interests and a select few?; Be transparent, honest and open to sincere bipartisanship in complete contrast to the last eight years?; and more, all to turn things around, benefit the people and avoid the catastrophe we would be heading for when continuing with more of the same?. If, like me, you see with clarity that the current Republican Party is not apt to do any of that and you really seek the return of a conscience driven and responsible Republican Party, you then recognize that, as voters, we need to completely reject their current behavior and encourage needed drastic change.

  • Posted By: ThePrairiePrankster @ 02/27/2009 2:23:39 PM

    Feinstein demonstrated very poor judgment.

    • Posted By: 40YearR @ 02/27/2009 8:13:11 PM

      Yup. But I wonder how many who cared thought they were flying in from Afghanistan.

    • Posted By: 40YearR @ 02/27/2009 8:10:37 PM

  • Posted By: jupitor @ 02/26/2009 10:06:40 PM

    if this was already a knowledge being spoke about in several sector of the public audience, than it simply is a Political game the republicans are playing for embarrasment purpose's. As I understand by this article that this info was a well known fact, and it may not have been wise to speak out loud about it, but in no way jepardize any security measures sense it was was out in the plublic forum for all to read about. She should have a sit down immediately and talk about what she should or should allow in the public forum, and if this some how should not have been said , but was common knowledge from this time on should choose her words and information more wiselyl.

  • Posted By: innerjuju @ 02/26/2009 9:18:02 PM

    Mr. Lavelle, no offense to your job as a spokesperson but if Sen. Feinstein is now using the news as her intelligence gathering source instead of what she is being provided as Chair of her committee I think that says EVER so much about HER intelligence so don't demean ours. It's statements like yours where elected officials try to downplay things they have said, to attempt to sweep them under the proverbial rub. If she released or said something she shouldn't have either own up to it, apologize and if it has compromised an essential program then she should resign her Chairmanship- that is if she isn't tried for treason.

  • Posted By: proverbs1712 @ 02/26/2009 7:16:37 AM

    Once again the Democrats show that they are simply incapable of understanding the real world. It is difficult to justify the question itself let alone the disclosure of a top secret information. The operation of the drones inside of Pakistan supports the action contrary to its public position. This embarrasses their government and inflames the already significant opposition. In one stupid question Feinstein may have undone one of the most vital foreign policy advances since 9/11, the agreement of the Pak government to allow US overflights in the Afgan action. This is now in jeopardy especially if the current is toppled. As a result, she may have just lost Afghanistan. There is no way she should be on that committee or even on the committee. Americans will die because of her incompetence. .

    • Posted By: Vigilance @ 02/26/2009 8:58:29 AM

      "As a result, she may have just lost Afghanistan. "

      If THIS makes us lose in Afghanistan, we deserve it.

      Honestly, what an overexaggeration. You obviously suffer from fits of nerves and anxiety and have no place commenting on military matters.

      • Posted By: Osama Bin Login @ 02/26/2009 11:28:03 AM

        Don't be so damned partisan. Feinstien ran her mouth in a manner that can do serious harm to what's left of the stability of Pakistan, and may have closed off one of our only ways of hitting Al Qaeda in the tribal belt.

        Just because she's a democrat doesn't mean you have to defend this level of idiocy.

        • Posted By: Vigilance @ 02/26/2009 12:58:05 PM

          I'm not trying to defend it - I think Feinstein needs to retire. But this is too minor and the whole controversy too stupid to deserve an official censure, IMO.

          Has the Pakistani military asked us to remove the base, officially, yet? And, really, do you think we don't have the strike capability to reach into Pakistan if we need to anyway?

          In my opinion, all these Predator strikes are of VERY dubious value in truly seeking a solution to this conflict - our use of them without confirming the identity of the targets to a 90% confidence level is a very bad idea. It makes us look bad, to use a popular cliche - in my opinion, that is because it IS bad. It's a cowardly, indiscriminate, relatively soulless way of waging warfare, and the brutality of it all swells the ranks of and the support for the Islamic hardliners.

          Bush should never have rescinded that rule, but...I don't know. I'm not going to go off on him again, but in my opinion, the man is a dishonorable killer who somehow thinks of himself as the military savior of America, when the reality is that his policies have just escalated all these conflicts and given Hamas and Hezbollah and similar organizations fuel for grudges for years to come.

          I'd support censuring Feinstein, I suppose, if you really think it's important. I apologize for the ad hominem attack at the end of that..."majority" must be rubbing off on me.

          • Posted By: Osama Bin Login @ 02/26/2009 2:36:04 PM

            "I'm not trying to defend it - I think Feinstein needs to retire. But this is too minor and the whole controversy too stupid to deserve an official censure, IMO."

            It absolutely is. This isn't Abu Graib or Gitmo we're talking about here. It was a legitmate military operation which she has compromised with her big mouth. She should resign or be removed, as per article I of the constitution.

            • Posted By: Vigilance @ 02/26/2009 2:49:49 PM

              As you may have noted, I don't know that I feel like a secret military base controlling armed drones which may or may not be killing foreign nationals who we are only half-sure are guilty of anything to be a "legitimate" military operation.

              It's not the kind of thing I want to sign off on as a taxpayer, certainly.

    • Posted By: Vigilance @ 02/26/2009 8:57:28 AM

      Oh, stop doomsaying. This isn't news to anyone who's been paying attention. I generally figure we have illicit military bases all over the world at any given point, given the Pentagon's attitude of entitlement these days.

      Our soldiers are well-trained and can deal with Feinstein's little slip. Do you have that little faith in them?

      • Posted By: Osama Bin Login @ 02/26/2009 11:25:49 AM

        It was not a "little slip". Feinstien should be censured by congress at the very least.

  • Posted By: NewsWkDickG @ 02/26/2009 2:46:47 PM

    What will they try next to fault the Democrats and ignore their own guilt? Some say to stop bashing Bush and move on but I strongly suspect that those are the Republicans who have no honest answers for the Bush-Cheney fiasco that has cost us so much and who just want to sweep it under the carpet. The problem with that is two fold: one, it really hasn't become fully apparent just how totally bad, very likely even criminal, that many things were and that should really be fully known and even prosecuted; and two, there are those who strongly supported and now excuse what occurred and even those who actually want to continue with more of the same and that needs to be fully recognized and never tolerated. Personally I can't stand BS and dishonesty and I recognize that those negative behaviors are the habits of self-indulgent people who then literally destroy the ability to ever cooperatively accomplish anything, anything other than what satisfies their sociopathic desires. The Bush-Cheney administration was arrogantly and stubbornly focused on their own private agenda to benefit Special Interests and a select few who returned overt and covert support, contributions and promises for after office (kickback) compensation, while Bush-Cheney unconscionably gave only apathy, the costs and an abundance of subterfuge to the average American. All was done with a bold and belligerent dishonesty as they thumbed their noses at everyone and just did whatever they wanted with the full support of the Republican Party. That should never be excused, never forgotten and never tolerated again. To ever again be effective for the benefit of the American people the Republican Party needs to purge itself of that mentality, of those who advocate more of the same and of the current obstructionist behavior they dishonestly rationalize. I personally want the Republican Party to return to being its former self but the only way that will ever happen is if we the voters reject what they have become!

  • Posted By: Partoftheplan @ 02/26/2009 2:35:04 PM

    Just as the repulbicans dont have a clue neither does the democratic leadership. seems both groups do not really care for the American public, just do as we tell you and not as we do.

  • Posted By: Anticrisis @ 02/26/2009 1:58:39 PM


    Why do you think a base needs to be secret? So it's not reported on every news channel from here to Beijing? You media-types need to get with the program. Somehow this is a big deal, but actually questioning our own gov't about the overwhelming need to attack another country outright doesn't register...trying to make up for lost time?

  • Posted By: MCGILL @ 02/26/2009 12:41:53 AM

    Feinstein,Biden,Frank with all of these about the only nice thing you could say is incompetence it is the dumb asses that put them in office that should be held responsible.

    • Posted By: reinadelaz @ 02/26/2009 12:35:10 PM

      I agree. The GOP should have given us a better alternative for VP, and they better get their act together for 2010 or we all may be doomed! Jindal and Palin are not going to cut it. There must be some intelligent conservatives to draw from.

      • Posted By: JoanR @ 02/26/2009 1:35:47 PM

        Interesting.The Democrats choice for VP was a blathering idiot who has been in the senate since Henry Clay's heyday and it didn't seem to matter to Obama's drones or his media cheerleaders at all. The Country is now beginning to learn to its sorrow that when you follow the advice of Oprah Winfrey and a lot of third rate comedians on election day you end up with a bad joke in the Oval Office

  • Posted By: silvercreeklady @ 02/26/2009 1:16:46 PM

    loose lips sink ships!

  • Posted By: waltjones @ 02/26/2009 7:08:45 AM

    I read the papers...Barbara Feinstein wasn't telling anyone anything they shouldn't have known. Republicans would better serve both their contry and their party by thinking, rather than bleating,,It serves no purpose and is annoying.

    • Posted By: reinadelaz @ 02/26/2009 12:21:08 PM

      You read the papers? Why do you not know her name is Dianne?!

  • Posted By: paulte @ 02/26/2009 11:29:55 AM

    You would think that a Senator in charge of an intelligence committee would be more judicious in her speech about matters of security which require some secrecy! But what else can you expect from a Liberal, a Democrat & a Feminist all rolled into one? Three strikes and you're out!

  • Posted By: Osama Bin Login @ 02/26/2009 11:22:44 AM

    1. What the hell was that dizzy twit Feinstien thinking?

    2. Who the hell told her?

  • Posted By: Lee Holmes @ 02/25/2009 7:41:15 PM

    High time. The Democrats attempt to defray her idiocy by pointing out that such a report appeared in the WaPo prior to Feinsteins damaging leak. However,the question begs.

    Since lamebrains in the media have gotton it so wrong and so often before [the WaPo itself running a string of retractions just on Sarah Palin alone],why would one invest the perception of veracity in a DC rag,when a top member of the Senate Intelligence Committee can do it for them?

    But Feinstein is no traitor [despite steering millions in Iraq War profiteering contracts to her billionare husband one Richard Blum,while on a Senate Armed Services sub-committee on Iraq Reconstuction which she later stepped down from].

    She is an idiot.

    • Posted By: Vigilance @ 02/26/2009 10:51:19 AM

      Feinstein's no traitor - just getting old and confused, I think. Time for her to pass the torch to someone younger.

  • Posted By: Vigilance @ 02/26/2009 9:04:35 AM

    I live in California...Feinstein is not the best we've had. I sent a letter to her about the abuses at Abu Ghraib and elsewhere and got one back about the second Patriot Act. It was informative, but it didn't give me a lot of faith in her office. It might be getting to be time for her to pass the torch.

  • Posted By: Against-Ignorance @ 02/26/2009 1:23:21 AM

    And her comments are relevant how? President Obama has stated from early his campaign that he will go after Al-Qaeda in Pakistan whether the Pakistanis like it or not. All Feinstein has done is mention that we have the capability to do what our president has already stated he is ready to do. Damn, and I thought the prattle of Bobby Jindal's speech last night took the GOP to a new low.

Reply

Report Abuse

Enter comments if any for reporting abuse