Why did only 6 Senators read a CIA prepared report on Iraq prior to the vote to go to war?

Question

This is inexcusable to me. I might suggest that our Senators have cynically become a body of governing light weights.

I read about this in a cover story on Hillary in the Sunday NYT magazine a few weeks ago. This information was contained in an article covering Hillary's various positions on Iraq. Hillary did not read the report, by the way.

Answer 1

hmm, got a link? The vote to authorize Bush's imperialistic unprovoked war based on lies took place in October, 2002.

The CIA report I read showing Saddam didn't have crap for WMD's (despite the contrary written bullet headline lies) was released in 12/2002.

If the congressmen had that report in 10/02 and didn't read it, it was most irresponsible.

Answer 2

I assume that the Bush Adminstration did the same thing with the CIA report as they did with the Patriot Act legislation....delivered it to the Senate right before midnight of the day before the vote.

If you look into it, only 1 or 2 senators read all 400 pages of the Patriot Act before voting on it.

Answer 3

If you know for a fact that only 6 Senators read this report, and
was made available to all. It is more than inexcusable, it is dereliction of duty and charges should be brought against all.
Yes, I know it would only be a spat on the hand. If they're
going to be there they ought to at least have someone in their
office go over it with them. If the truth were known they probably "DID NOT WANT TO KNOW" that gives them an
out as far as deniability.

Answer 4

I don't want to burst your bubble but, MOST senators don't read the bills put before them. To be fair, it would take a LONG time if they had to read every single bill in its entirety before they could vote on it. This would mean they would get even LESS done than they already do lol which is saying something. For this particular bill, I suspect that many of the senators had already made up their mind that they were going to support the Iraq war resolution which stated that congress would give the power to the president to PROTECT america, not that they were going to launch a war in Iraq - simply because at the time, the atmosphere was one of agreeing with the administration or be labeled a traitor, non-patriotic, or worse, a terrorist sympathizer.

Answer 5

Bills are written with an index and a short outline on the front of the bill or reports. This is what they have read. As a paralegal , my boss read the index and from my opinion on the information and goes by that. He does not open the bill or report - we the staff do the reading and write the out line and index. It would take them a long time to read any thing over one page. We joke that maybe our boss doesn't know how to read.

Answer 6

Sounds like business as usual.

My guess would be those 6 were to drunk to go to dinner with a lobbyist so they looked at the CIA report.

Go Team Senate Go

Answer 7

Most Senators made their decision based on what was politically advantageous at the time. Not surprising at all.

just wondering, do you know which 6 read the report?

Answer 8

Senators don't typically read all of the information on which they vote. They have staffers read it and then brief them on it. It is a sad state of affairs, especially regarding something as important as going to war. I worked for the federal government and someone inserted a significant pay raise for congressional staffers and no one every found out who did it. It was swept under the rug and the pay raise was never taken away.

Answer 9

Probably because they knew it was a forgone event. The powerful insiders were going to make it happen and do for their friends. All would get a piece of the action if they kept their mouths shut.

Answer 10

Well, to decide you have to think and re-think if your opponent is stronger or capable of fighting you. If opponent is negligible militarily, it is a no-brainer. At least, may be those Senators thought it is a no-brainer. And the lure of trillions of gallons of oil was also there.