# Good news? Leak Probe...Bad News? Wrong freaking leak! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 8, 2005, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-news-leak-probe-bad-news-wrong-freaking-leak/330092 "2005-11-08T20:29:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![yanceylebeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yanceylebeef/32/12290_2.png) [@yanceylebeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yanceylebeef)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2005, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-news-leak-probe-bad-news-wrong-freaking-leak/330092/1 "2005-11-08T20:29:03Z")
[http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051108/ap\_on\_go\_co/congress\_media;\_ylt=AkrvhbBxIKCqNKAz9NJ\_8yis0NUE;\_ylu=X3oDMTA3OXIzMDMzBHNlYwM3MDM-](http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051108/ap_on_go_co/congress_media;_ylt=AkrvhbBxIKCqNKAz9NJ_8yis0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA3OXIzMDMzBHNlYwM3MDM-) To quote Kevin Drum at The Carpetbagger…“These guys have officially become parodies of themselves. When the White House leaks classified information to at least six reporters then lies about it, First and Hastert can’t be bothered to even hold a hearing. But when Americans finally get a glimpse into the CIA’s secret gulags, all of a sudden, Republicans are worried about whether leaks might undermine our national security.” I’m speechless. These incompetent fuckos need to go. I swear they’d fuck up a wet dream. ylee ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2005, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-news-leak-probe-bad-news-wrong-freaking-leak/330092/2 "2005-11-08T20:36:38Z")
I’m more bemused by the fact that Republicans aren’t outraged by the existence of secret US prisons in foreign countries, but by the fact that this info was leaked to the public. And people wonder why Republicans get compared to fascists… ---
**Author:** ![GraceTX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c4cdca/32.png) [@GraceTX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GraceTX)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2005, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-news-leak-probe-bad-news-wrong-freaking-leak/330092/3 "2005-11-08T20:39:11Z")
> [@yanceylebeef](#): > > I swear they’d fuck up a wet dream. Well sure. would you really want a wet dream that involved Frist, Hastert, Bush, Rove or even Condi Rice in any way, shape or form? _shudders_ Nothing to really add to the OP though. I’ve ceased to be surprised by anything these (alleged) people get up to. The sooner the American populace wakes up to what’s being done in their name, the better. ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2005, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-news-leak-probe-bad-news-wrong-freaking-leak/330092/4 "2005-11-08T20:48:56Z")
I thought it was an interesting tactical move. They’re trying to dilute the term “leak investigation” so that when it shows up in a headline or news story (“Congressional Lead Investigation Progressing”) people who don’t follow the news very closely will think “Oh, I’m glad that’s going well. Good job, Republicans!” ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2005, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-news-leak-probe-bad-news-wrong-freaking-leak/330092/5 "2005-11-08T21:16:13Z")
I’m completely not surprised at Hastert’s involvement in this. After all, he’s the guy who without a shred of irony or embarrassment told Sen. John McCain that he (McCain) had [no concept of what sacrifice in war means](http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/05/19/mccain.hastert/). Yeah, that McCain, who spent years as a POW being tortured, and who wants to keep the US from torturing prisoners in the current conflicts (and beyond). I have no idea what’s going on in that man’s head, and as a resident of his state, I’m embarrassed that he represents us. ---
**Author:** ![yanceylebeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yanceylebeef/32/12290_2.png) [@yanceylebeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yanceylebeef)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2005, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-news-leak-probe-bad-news-wrong-freaking-leak/330092/6 "2005-11-08T21:21:47Z")
Update: ---
**Author:** ![yanceylebeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yanceylebeef/32/12290_2.png) [@yanceylebeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yanceylebeef)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2005, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-news-leak-probe-bad-news-wrong-freaking-leak/330092/7 "2005-11-08T21:24:10Z")
That was weird! Anyway, it appears that Trent Lott has told CNN (sorry no link yet) that it was a GOP Senator who leaked the presence of these secret prisons. these guys are looking more and more like Dortmunders gang every day. Exept without the wit, humility and lovable-loserness. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2005, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-news-leak-probe-bad-news-wrong-freaking-leak/330092/8 "2005-11-08T21:26:42Z")
> [@yanceylebeef](#): > > Update: Darned classified memos. ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2005, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-news-leak-probe-bad-news-wrong-freaking-leak/330092/9 "2005-11-08T21:36:59Z")
> [@yanceylebeef](#): > > That was weird! > Anyway, it appears that Trent Lott has told CNN (sorry no link yet) that it was a GOP Senator who leaked the presence of these secret prisons. And suddenly the calls for an investigation will fall silent. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2005, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-news-leak-probe-bad-news-wrong-freaking-leak/330092/10 "2005-11-08T22:01:10Z")
> [@NurseCarmen](#): > > And suddenly the calls for an investigation will fall silent. Well, of \*course \*- we can’t be investigating a fellow Republican, can we now? The other thing that amuses me is, exactly how did they think this ‘leak’ would damage national security? What’s been revealed: we’re holding al-Qaeda prisoners incommunicado in a bunch of secret locations in Eastern Europe, and doing nasty things to them there. Other than making us look like shit (again), what’s the blowback with respect to actual clandestine operations? Oh yeah - we may have to move these captives to Gitmo or somewhere where we can’t torture them quite so freely. Wow. Color me impressed. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_The\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ba8739/32.png) [@Bill\_The\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_The_Cat)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2005, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-news-leak-probe-bad-news-wrong-freaking-leak/330092/11 "2005-11-08T22:07:24Z")
In pseudo-defense of the Republicans, the “investigation” has been used more as a political tool than a legal one in recent history. It’s a two-pronged attack: (1) It states the problem as a fact (e.g. “investigation into Iraq failure” implies there is, indeed, a failure in Iraq) (2) It implies that something is being done about it (e.g. “investigation into FEMA failure during Hurricane Katrina” gives people a sense of security that something is being done) This is, of course, why the Republicans fight tooth and nail against certain investigations at all. To have an investigation on who leaked Plame’s identity is an admission that Plame’s identity was leaked - it’s better/easier to try and prove she wasn’t undercover, therefore no crime was committed at all. ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2005, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-news-leak-probe-bad-news-wrong-freaking-leak/330092/12 "2005-11-08T22:27:58Z")
> [@yanceylebeef](#): > > That was weird! > Anyway, it appears that Trent Lott has told CNN (sorry no link yet) that it was a GOP Senator who leaked the presence of these secret prisons. Heh. I used to really not like that guy, but ever since Frist’s squeeze play he’s been nipping at their heels pretty regularly. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2005, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-news-leak-probe-bad-news-wrong-freaking-leak/330092/13 "2005-11-08T23:15:02Z")
[Linky](http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-110805prisonleak_lat,0,4572952.story?coll=la-home-headlines) (LA Times) > [@](#): > > Another Republican, **Sen. Trent Lott** of Mississippi, said it may have been Republican senators who leaked the information to the Post. Lott told reporters that the existence of the secret prison system was discussed last week during the Republican policy luncheon, held on Capitol Hill the day before the Post story appeared. Do all of them show up for these policy luncheons? Was the existence of a secret prison system a surprise to them? How’d it get brought up during lunch? Did someone give a dog and pony show, with slides and video and stuff? ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2005, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-news-leak-probe-bad-news-wrong-freaking-leak/330092/14 "2005-11-08T23:43:06Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > The other thing that amuses me is, exactly how did they think this ‘leak’ would damage national security? The same way they always do, Pinky – because such leaks undermine American morale and give aid and comfort to our enemies. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-news-leak-probe-bad-news-wrong-freaking-leak/330092/15 "2005-11-09T01:08:18Z")
> [@Lil' Mahoney](#): > > Well sure. would you really want a wet dream that involved Frist, Hastert, Bush, Rove or even Condi Rice in any way, shape or form? Like he said, that’s fucked up. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-news-leak-probe-bad-news-wrong-freaking-leak/330092/16 "2005-11-09T02:54:43Z")
Oh dear, this could be out of Frist and Hastert’s hands before they even sign their letter demanding an investigation: [CIA Moves Toward Probe of Prisons Story](http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051109/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/congress_media) > [@](#): > > The CIA took the first step toward a criminal investigation of a leak of possibly classified information on secret prisons to The Washington Post, a U.S. official said Tuesday. > The agency’s general counsel sent a report to the Justice Department about the Post story, which reported the existence of secret U.S. detention centers for suspected terrorists in Eastern Europe. > The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity… At least [McCain’s in the clear:](http://atrios.blogspot.com/2005_11_06_atrios_archive.html#113149105933139492) > [@](#): > > S. O’BRIEN: There was a report last week in the “Washington Post” that talked about these secret prisons in Europe. > MCCAIN: Yes. > S. O’BRIEN: Are you aware of these prisons? > MCCAIN: No. > S. O’BRIEN: Not at all? > MCCAIN: I did not know anything about it. But why wasn’t he at the republican power-lunch?