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Democrats see GOP looking for a scapegoat on intelligence flap
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Some of the toughest critics of CIA Director George Tenet are Republicans. And that has some Democrats mighty suspicious. They think GOP lawmakers are trying to insulate the White House from criticism over prewar intelligence relating to Iraq. "The credibility of the president is on the line," charged Sen. Richard Durbin, a Democrat from Illinois, who took to the Senate floor Thursday to charge that the White House pressed the CIA to include questionable information about Iraq's nuclear ambitions in President Bush's State of the Union address. The White House has rejected that charge, insisting that had the CIA advised the administration to take out a disputed reference to Iraq seeking uranium from Africa, it would have been excluded. Tenet says he takes responsibility for any misinformation that made its way to the president's desk. And Republicans are not about to let him forget it. "I think it's time for George Tenet to walk the plank," said Sen. Richard Shelby, an Alabama Republican who has been a harsh critic of the CIA. "Ultimately, that is up to the president of the United States. That's who he works for." Democrats insist the blame for any faulty intelligence -- and how it was presented to the public -- goes higher. "Director Tenet took the blame, was terrific about it, (but) in my mind remains the question of whether in fact that's where it should stop. I tend to think not, and we have to face up to that," said Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D- West Virginia. A mother's prideYou'll have to excuse House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. Sure, she's one of the most powerful women in Washington, but she's also a mom. There she was, talking with reporters about British Prime Minister's Tony Blair's visit to Washington and the controversy over Iraqi intelligence, when she slipped in a plug for her daughter's acclaimed HBO documentary "Journeys with George." The documentary, an offbeat look at George Bush's 2000 presidential campaign, was among the recent Emmy nominees. "I thought you were going to ask me how many Emmy nominations Alexandra Pelosi got this morning," Pelosi said apropos of nothing as she took questions from reporters Thursday . Holding up her hands to indicate the number, Pelosi continued, "Six. Six Emmy nominations. Isn't that great?" The California Democrat got some laughs. Birthday boyThe House of Representatives isn't exactly known for being a harmonious place, but members burst into song this week to honor one of their own. Former President Gerald Ford was in town this week, celebrating his 90th birthday. He dropped by the House chamber, where he once served as Republican leader, and was warmly greeted by lawmakers. They gave him a standing ovation and serenaded him with "Happy Birthday." How's that for bipartisan politics?
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