Bid for Prewar Iraq Files Raises Political Heat
By SCOTT SHANE
Published: December 9, 2005
WASHINGTON, Dec. 8 - Democrats pressed their demand on Thursday for White House documents on prewar intelligence on Iraq in the House Committee on International Relations, with one member only slightly outdoing his colleagues by repeatedly accusing President Bush and his top aides of lying about the threat posed by Saddam Hussein.
Republicans indignantly rebuffed the accusations, their arguments ranging from the Founding Fathers to Pearl Harbor to Vietnam, but boiling down to an assertion that the Democrats were exploiting the war to angle for cheap political advantage.
After two hours of often bitter debate, there was a standoff as Republicans on the committee failed, at least for the moment, to kill the Democrats' resolution demanding documents. With one moderate Republican, Representative Jim Leach of Iowa, joining the Democrats, and two other Republicans not present to vote, the committee deadlocked in a 24-to-24 tie.
The resolution, proposed by Representative Maurice D. Hinchey, Democrat of New York, asks the president to turn over drafts and documents related to his October 2002 speech in Cincinnati and his State of the Union address in January 2003. Democrats want to find out why the president omitted from the earlier speech any reference to allegations that Iraq was seeking uranium in Africa but included such a claim in the State of the Union address.
The discussion on Thursday reflected seething public emotions about the war, which have recently generated a White House campaign to persuade Americans there is a workable plan for victory.
Representative Gary L. Ackerman, Democrat of New York, offered the fiercest comments from his side, referring to "the president who lied" and "the lying administration." Scolded by other members, he refused to back down. "They misled and lied; I'll say it again," Mr. Ackerman said.
The Republican committee chairman, Henry J. Hyde of Illinois, fired back by reading from The Congressional Record remarks by Mr. Ackerman in October 2002 before he voted in favor of the Congressional resolution authorizing the use of force against Iraq, "We cannot simply hope that U.N. inspections will rout out Saddam Hussein's weapons of terror."
Mr. Hyde resorted to German in his three-word diagnosis of the Democrats' quest: "Politics über alles."
Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Republican of Florida, declared that some Democrats "do not want us to win in Iraq" for fear that it would give the administration a political victory.
When his turn came, Representative Donald M. Payne, Democrat of New Jersey, said he was "shocked" by her accusation.
"That is probably one of the most dastardly statements I ever heard a member of Congress make," he said.
On eight previous occasions, Democrats have used the same parliamentary tool, a "resolution of inquiry," to obtain prewar documents or other information. Rules require that a committee take up such a resolution, forcing at least a limited debate. But the eight previous resolutions have all been voted down in committee.
Having failed in his attempt to kill the latest resolution, Mr. Hyde said the committee would take it up again on Tuesday or Wednesday. Mr. Hinchey, the sponsor, said he was pleased that his quest for prewar information "will live to see another day."
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Published: December 9, 2005
WASHINGTON, Dec. 8 - Democrats pressed their demand on Thursday for White House documents on prewar intelligence on Iraq in the House Committee on International Relations, with one member only slightly outdoing his colleagues by repeatedly accusing President Bush and his top aides of lying about the threat posed by Saddam Hussein.
Republicans indignantly rebuffed the accusations, their arguments ranging from the Founding Fathers to Pearl Harbor to Vietnam, but boiling down to an assertion that the Democrats were exploiting the war to angle for cheap political advantage.
After two hours of often bitter debate, there was a standoff as Republicans on the committee failed, at least for the moment, to kill the Democrats' resolution demanding documents. With one moderate Republican, Representative Jim Leach of Iowa, joining the Democrats, and two other Republicans not present to vote, the committee deadlocked in a 24-to-24 tie.
The resolution, proposed by Representative Maurice D. Hinchey, Democrat of New York, asks the president to turn over drafts and documents related to his October 2002 speech in Cincinnati and his State of the Union address in January 2003. Democrats want to find out why the president omitted from the earlier speech any reference to allegations that Iraq was seeking uranium in Africa but included such a claim in the State of the Union address.
The discussion on Thursday reflected seething public emotions about the war, which have recently generated a White House campaign to persuade Americans there is a workable plan for victory.
Representative Gary L. Ackerman, Democrat of New York, offered the fiercest comments from his side, referring to "the president who lied" and "the lying administration." Scolded by other members, he refused to back down. "They misled and lied; I'll say it again," Mr. Ackerman said.
The Republican committee chairman, Henry J. Hyde of Illinois, fired back by reading from The Congressional Record remarks by Mr. Ackerman in October 2002 before he voted in favor of the Congressional resolution authorizing the use of force against Iraq, "We cannot simply hope that U.N. inspections will rout out Saddam Hussein's weapons of terror."
Mr. Hyde resorted to German in his three-word diagnosis of the Democrats' quest: "Politics über alles."
Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Republican of Florida, declared that some Democrats "do not want us to win in Iraq" for fear that it would give the administration a political victory.
When his turn came, Representative Donald M. Payne, Democrat of New Jersey, said he was "shocked" by her accusation.
"That is probably one of the most dastardly statements I ever heard a member of Congress make," he said.
On eight previous occasions, Democrats have used the same parliamentary tool, a "resolution of inquiry," to obtain prewar documents or other information. Rules require that a committee take up such a resolution, forcing at least a limited debate. But the eight previous resolutions have all been voted down in committee.
Having failed in his attempt to kill the latest resolution, Mr. Hyde said the committee would take it up again on Tuesday or Wednesday. Mr. Hinchey, the sponsor, said he was pleased that his quest for prewar information "will live to see another day."
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