November 16, 2005 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—SENATE 26069 Ambassador, sent to Africa to deter- charges that he deliberately misled U.S. In- Mr. SCHUMER. It is only an addi- mine whether assertions by the admin- telligence. ‘‘We are heroes in error,’’ he told tional 3 or 4 minutes. We have 81⁄2 left, istration about yellow cake uranium the Telegraph in . so it would be an additional 5. coming from Africa to were true, He goes on to say: Mr. ENZI. OK. reached the conclusion they were not. As far as we’re concerned, we’ve been en- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without When he published that conclusion, he tirely successful. That tyrant Saddam [Hus- objection, it is so ordered. was attacked in the press by Robert sein] is gone and the Americans are in Bagh- f dad. What was said before is not important. Novak in a column where Mr. Novak SAMUEL ALITO said two White House sources had told The Bush administration is looking for a scapegoat. We’re ready to fall on our swords him that Joseph Wilson’s wife Valerie Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, 1 if he wants. month ago, I expected to be on the Sen- Plame was a CIA agent. In fact, she was an undercover agent That was not the end of the story. ate floor sometime about now engaged whose identity was being protected. Now that he has misled the Americans in a debate over the pros and cons of But the White House, in an effort to into invading Iraq, now that he has us President Bush’s nominee to the Su- preme Court. Of course, I thought it discredit its critics and to silence in a position where our American would be Harriet Miers we would be de- them, attacked Joe Wilson’s wife Val- forces are there, he is trying to build bating. But that never occurred. As the erie Plame and, in the process, dis- up his political fortunes. In May of last Senate takes up the nomination of closed the identity of a CIA agent. year, Iraqi security forces raided his Harriet Miers’ replacement, Judge There is a question raised as to wheth- home for documents, accusing him of Samuel Alito, we should all contin- er that violates the law. The fact that passing American secrets to the Ira- ually bear in mind how we got to this people work in covert activities and nians and endangering American point because recent history goes a risk their lives for America is some- troops and security. He is currently long way in explaining why the Amer- thing we should never take for granted. under active investigation. ican people want us to examine every The law is designed to protect them. You might expect this man would be in hiding. He is not. He is in Wash- portion of Judge Alito’s record with But the White House decided, for polit- great care. ical reasons and in order to protect ington. He is not being served with a subpoena. He is being served lunch. Do Harriet Miers’ nomination was against the disclosure that they were blocked by a cadre of conservative crit- manufacturing intelligence to justify you know whom he has visited with in the last week, this man under active ics who lambasted her at every turn. the war, they would attack Joseph Wil- Why? Because they were not satisfied son’s wife Valerie Plame. For that ac- investigation? Vice President CHENEY is one; Secretary of State Condoleezza that her judicial ideology matched tion and for the statements he made to their conservative extremism. They the FBI and the grand jury, Mr. Libby Rice; Secretary of Defense ; the National Security Ad- were not certain that her legal philos- was indicted. The investigation con- ophy squared with their political agen- tinues. viser, ; the Treasury Secretary, John Snow. And he is under da. In the end, Harriet Miers’ nomina- f active investigation by the FBI for tion was blocked before she could ex- having sold American secrets to the plain her judicial philosophy, before Iranians. she could have a full and fair hearing Mr. DURBIN. The last issue, which is to answer the doubters, before she I don’t understand this. It seems to one that is topical, relates to a man by could have an up-or-down vote on the me that if this man is suspected of en- the name of Ahmed Chalabi. What a Senate floor. She was blocked by con- dangering our troops, he should be fascinating man he is. Ahmed Chalabi servatives and Republicans, not Demo- called in for questioning, if not more. is an Iraqi exile, now back in Iraq after crats. She was not given an up-or-down Instead, he is being called in for a cup the fall of . What an vote by many of the same people who of coffee and a cookie. That is what interesting history this man has. are clamoring for an up-or-down vote this administration thinks is playing In 1992, Ahmed Chalabi was convicted on Samuel Alito. of bank fraud and embezzlement of straight with Iraq. The standards seem to change with over $230 million for a bank he was run- The American people know better. I the nominee. Many of the very people ning in . To escape the sentence am glad yesterday, by a vote of 79 to who denied Harriet Miers an up-or- of 22 years in prison, he fled to London 19, we told this administration their down vote are now saying that there is and then to the United States, and cer- policies in Iraq have to change. an imperative to give Samuel Alito tainly that wasn’t the last we heard of It is long overdue for the Vice Presi- one. So before we even begin examining him. He created something called the dent of the United States to hold a Judge Alito’s record, a natural cause , which ingra- press conference and answer questions. for concern is that he was picked to tiated itself with the Bush administra- It is long overdue for him to speak placate a group of vocal and hard-right tion to the point where the Bush ad- truth to the American people, to be activists who have been lobbying for ministration paid to Ahmed Chalabi’s candid about the misuse of intelligence him for many years. Many of those who Iraqi National Congress $39 million. leading to the invasion of Iraq, to be now call for an up-or-down vote are the Then Mr. Chalabi gave us misleading candid about his role in disclosing the same ones who denied that vote to Har- information about the situation in identity of Valerie Plame to Lewis riet Miers. Iraq, saying there were mobile biologi- ‘‘Scooter’’ Libby, to be candid about Anyone who thinks that this nomina- cal weapons labs, which turned out to his role in terms of meeting with oil tion is a foregone conclusion is sadly be false, information from a source company executives to create this En- mistaken. There are too many ques- named ‘‘,’’ of all things, one ergy bill, and to be honest about his re- tions still to be answered, too many of most discredited sources of intel- lationship with Ahmed Chalabi. The doubts still to be alleviated to say this ligence we have ever had who happened American people deserve straight- nomination is a slam dunk. The most to be the brother of one of Chalabi’s forward, honest answers. important thing we must look at is aides. It turned out that the informa- I yield the floor. Judge Alito’s judicial record. And at tion he was feeding us all along about The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- least on first perusal, there are reasons Iraq, by and large, was false. ator from New York. to be troubled. In case after case after Mr. Chalabi was unrepentant when he Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask case, Judge Alito gives the impression was confronted with this. From the unanimous consent to speak for 15 min- of applying meticulous legal reasoning, London Daily Telegraph, in an article utes to complete my statement. but each time he happens to reach the on February 19, 2004, I quote: Mr. ENZI. I object. We have the pen- most conservative result. That is why Mr. Chalabi, by far the most effective anti- sion bill scheduled on a very tight time he apparently dissented more than Saddam lobbyist in Washington, shrugged off schedule. most judges in his circuit.

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