As most of you know now Silvestre Reyes is the incoming chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. He’s been on the panel since 2001. WTF has he learned about al Qaeda in the past five years on the inside? Nada, zip, nothing. You and I know more about this major threat to America than he does.
WTF? and this is after he’s just come back from a tour of Israel and Lebanon presumably on taxpayer money.
Let’s not play the partisan card here. There are plenty examples of ignorance in the leadership of the US government including Bush. What is alarming here is how idiots can achieve such heights of power in America. This particular incident however is glaring , an embasrrassment to the world, and dangerous to the future security of America never mind the rest of us.
What I don’t know is how this idiot got this office.
I am also appalled. Is there no screening process, no applications for these chairmanships? Is it just whoever the Speaker is feeling warm and fuzzy toward?
Ultimately, things like this are not too alarming to me. After having met a number of politicians and worked in a few offices, I can tell you most of them know jack shit about the details. Not because they are not smart, or because they are lazy, just that they don’t have much time to do much else except raise money. I work on the hill now, and I see the how the division of labor works. The congressman attends banquets, galas, and some hearings. The staff, particularly the Legislative Director, looks at the issues and assigns people to do all the pertinent research. That’s not to say all congressmen are uninformed, and in particular, the one I work for works very hard to stay on top of the issues, but it’s just not that vital to the job they do.
Despite what most people think, their job is mostly comprised of doing the things needed to get re-elected, helping others in their party get re-elected, and participating in the legislative process. That last part doesn’t mean they need to know a bunch of facts and figures, just that they need someone on their staff that does. Most of them don’t write their own speeches, they don’t read/write bills, they don’t sign their own documents, they don’t read their own mail, and they often don’t go to hearings. Why would anyone think they would have a mastery of the facts regarding any issue? It’s like expecting the CEO of Toyota to explain how that new Lexus model parks itself. Granted, Reyes flub is more newsworthy given his position, but his not knowing Al-Qaeda is a Sunni organization will not significantly hinder his ability to participate in the legislative process. I would be shocked if he didn’t have at least 3 people working for him that could tell you everything you wanted to know about AQ, and would tell him what to do before he votes, or says something (else) stupid.
Yes, but this is mostly tabloid fodder. I would bet if you quized most politicians on the “basic facts” of the issues their committee deals with, they would fail. It’s really not that hard to find things people are ignorant about. Does Reyes’ ignorance really mean America is less safe? Do you question his intelligence or competency? Honestly, do you really think this is a huge issue. It would be nice for him to be less ignorant, but in the grand scheme of things, he is just a the public face, and his staff is doing all the legwork. He will persumably do what they tell him to do. That is the reality of leadership. Whether it’s SC justices or CEOs of major companies.
I guess when your paycheck comes from participating in the charade, it behooves you to defend the indefensible.
I’m sure you’re right about how things work. The real question, however, is: Shouldn’t things be different?
In my opinion, a legislator serving on a committee like this should, at the very least, have a basic understanding of the main issues and players involved. It’s not enough to argue that “they have people for that stuff.” It’s a cop-out.
And some people want to eliminate the Senate! I’m never surprised what claptrap comes out of the House-- from either party. I trust that Jay Rockefeller isn’t ignorant on the subject.
There’s a difference between not knowing the details and not knowing fundamental facts. Every American who reads the newspaper should know who Hezbollah is and that Al Qaeda is a Sunni group. A level of ignorance that profound is inexcusable.
As a former Hill staffer, I must take a little bit of issue with brickbacon’s comments. On most issues most elected officials do not have much detailed knowledge, as he/shes says. However, for a chairman should not be so ill-informed, especially on basic questions such as this. I know that on many issues my boss didn’t know all the details, but on the issues he cared about he could talk for hours about them with a high degree of accuracy.
Most politicians focus on one or two issues during their tenure. On those issues they become experts. Reyes, as Intelligence Chairman, has chosen national intelligence as his issue. It’s pathetic he doesn’t know the rudimentary details of the subject. And while it’s true that his staff members most assuredly are experts, that doesn’t excuse his lack of basic knowledge.
This is a guy Chairing the House Intelligence committee who aparently doesn’t even watch the TV news once a week. I don’t expect Representatives to have every detail at their fingertips. But shouldn’t they read a news story once in a while? Or have their staff prepare a wikipedia-level article on the goings on in the middle east that this guy can read in his limo while traveling between fundraising events?
The analogy doesn’t even make sense because you’re talking about knowledge of the engineering of a competing company’s car. Here, we’re talking about knowledge readily obtainable within the very committee he’s served for 5 years.
How about these questions:
Do the majority of the cars you produce have V4 or v6 engines?
In what city is Toyota’s major production facility?
You’d expect the CEO to answer these, right? You’d be pretty damn disappointed if he couldn’t. And these are closer to what was asked of the Senator.
A Senator’s “job” (one that you don’t even shred crocodile tears in your straightforward explanation) might be to look pretty, make money, and get re-elected. But they’re assigned to committees and attend those committees for a reason: to learn, to represent, to vote. I’m sorry if that’s too idealistic for you.
It’s not just members of Congress who are appallingly ignorant of basic facts about Islam (such as the difference between Shiite and Sunni Muslims). Bassem Youssef, the highest ranking Arab-American FBI agent, is suing the bureau for discrimination. Some of the top anti-terrorism officials in the FBI couldn’t describe the difference between the two sects, when asked during depositions taken as part of the case.
