Obama Congressional Ft. Hood Investigation Political Theater: Hoekstra vs White House

Barack Obama has asked Congress not to investigate Nidal Hasan, the Fort Hood killer.  Citing the possibility of turning the Fort Hood assassinations into "political theatre" and "political stagecraft," he wants the results of his own investigation, before Congress steps-in. Rep. Pete Hoekstra has exposed the lack of forthcoming requested information from the White House. It will be interesting to see if Hoekstra's House investigation is shut-down by ranking Democrats.

Pete Hoekstra vs White House

The first question: does Congress have any power, at all anymore - what happened to separation of powers? The second: how do we trust an investigation Obama oversees?

To think that the President will not head the oversight once the intelligence is all in, is to be naive. We trusted the FBI and the Military to separate the terrorists from patriots, and now funerals are underway for 14 dead.

Obama turned his attention home and pleaded for lawmakers to "resist the temptation to turn this tragic event into the political theater." He said those who died on the nation's largest Army post deserve justice, not political stagecraft.

This week, the ranking member of the the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-MI) asked for documents related to the Fort Hood killings:

...the administration is in possession of critical information related to the attack that they are refusing to release to Congress or the American people," Hoekstra said.

But Obama said he [Hoekstra] and other intelligence committee members had been "briefed," Hoekstra says that is not true. So, were the Democrats briefed, and Republicans not?  Afterall, Congress is nothing but closed-doors to Republicans these days.

Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-MI) is blasting President Obama for withholding from the Congressional intelligence committees information on the Fort Hood killings suspect, while at the same time acknowledging the leaders of those panels -- including Hoekstra himself -- have indeed been briefed on Nidal Malik Hasan.

House Democrats dismissed Hoekstra's concerns. Of course they did. In February 2008, Hoekstra spoke at the Heritage Foundation about the importance of "recognizing the threat of terrorism, but the Democrat leadership told him "the threat is not real." See that short video clip here.

The Atlantic's Marc Ambinder thinks Hoekstra "compromised a sensitive National Security Agency collection program" when he released the information that Hasan had email contact with an American-born Muslim jihadist now operating out of Yemen. While some intelligence agencies are concerned about Hoekstra's interview with the Washington Post, a Hoekstra spokesman confirmed "the congressman had not received any classified briefings about the Ft. Hood attack."

It has to be embarrassing to the entire intelligence community - that soldiers and civilians are dead because they put political correctness ahead of safety. I hope it hurts their hearts, as well. If Hoekstra had not spilled the beans, we might never have known of a Hasan-al-Qaeda contact.

Congress makes a hobby of leaking information that should not be leaked, but...was Hoekstra briefed or not? National security is not a partisan issue. If Republicans are being shut-out of briefings, it needs to stop. Hoekstra's comments are obviously inconvenient for Liberals, who want the Muslim-jihad angle hushed. Hoekstra needs to keep pounding, or we will never know the truth.

Related and background:

Democrat Congress defends CIA on Ft. Hood: Hoekstra Accuses Obama of Withholding Info

Pete Hoekstra Dems said there is "no threat" of Terrorism

Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-MI) at the Heritage Foundation over a year ago, spoke on the importance of recognizing the threat of terrorism, but Democrat leadership told him "the threat is not real."

In the short video below, Hoekstra is speaking in February 2008 about the importance of renewing FISA, which we did in July 2008. Nevertheless, just 1-1/2 years ago, Democrats believed there is no real threat of terrorism.

Today, Hoekstra, who is the ranking Republican on the House intelligence committee, says the White House is withholding investigative documents relating to the Fort Hood assassinations.

 Pete Hoekstra - Democrats said "no threat" of terrorism (video)

Related and Background:

Obama tags Congressional Ft. Hood investigations "political theater" and "political stagecraft."

Congress Defends CIA on Ft. Hood Murders: Hoekstra Accuses Obama of Withholding Info 

Democrat Congress Defends CIA on Ft. Hood Murders: Pete Hoekstra Accuses Obama of Withholding Info

There is a different tone coming out of the House of Representatives today. Speaker Pelosi called the CIA liars a few months back, offered no proof, then managed to sweep the controversy under the rug. Today as House Republican Pete Hoekstra calls for an explanation and the preservation of documents, he also accused Obama of withholding "critical" information. The House Intelligence Committee, chaired by a Democrat, dismissed Hoestra's concerns. See an astonishing video below. See update below.

Pete Hoekstra

Rep. Hoekstra went even farther and effectively said the President was not truthful when he claimed that Hoekstra and other intelligence committees had been "briefed:"

Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-MI) is blasting President Obama for withholding from the Congressional intelligence committees information on the Fort Hood killings suspect, while at the same time acknowledging the leaders of those panels -- including Hoekstra himself -- have indeed been briefed on Nidal Malik Hasan.

In his statement, Hoekstra repeated Obama's plea that we not "jump to conclusions" about Nidal Hasan, the alleged Fort Hood killer:

...but the administration is in possession of critical information related to the attack that they are refusing to release to Congress or the American people," Hoekstra said

Hoekstra said he was concerned that more information had been provided, piecemeal, to the news media by anonymous sources than had yet been provided to the Committee. He criticized the Obama administration for not being more immediately forthcoming with details and specifically requested information, and for restricting the limited information provided so far to the so-called "Gang of Eight."

So perhaps the Gang of Eight is the problem? No. Hoekstra is a member of the Gang of Eight. Members are Nancy Pelosi, John Boehner Harry Reid, Mitch McConnell, Silvestre Reyes, Pete Hoekstra, Diane Feinstein and Kit Bond. So what is going on? Was Hoekstra appropriately briefed as Obama claims or was he not? And how about Pelosi and Reid? What do they know?
 
This is the height of hypocrisy - the culmination of evil. The administration and Democrats are salivating over Eric Holder's investigation into CIA so-called torture of Guantanamo prisoners - after promising the Bush administration that they would drop that atrocious idea.

But today, with the Fort Hood memorial tribute still on the calendar, they have no concern that intelligence and the U.S. Army may have put troops side-by-side with a radical jihadist - with red flags flaring.

Democrats know Americans are fed up with their politically correct posture - that we know Americans are dying in this country, in Afghanistan and still yet in Iraq because military fears the wrath of Congress, and the administration loathes any attempt to profile or point a knowing finger at an extremist. In the video below, Hoekstra speaks about preventing terrorism and keeping soldiers safe...February 2008. Listen as he talks about homegrown terrorism. Democrats told him the "threat is not real."






Pete Hoekstra "threat not real" (video)

Update 11-10-09:

Michelle Malkin is talking about the presentation Hasan gave at Walter Reed Army Medical Center as a student, and she is calling for the entire presentation to be released. From Hasan:

The title of Hasan’s power-point presentation was “The Koranic World View As It Relates to Muslims in the U.S. Military.” It consisted of 50 slides. In one slide, Hasan described the presentation’s objectives as identifying “what the Koran inculcates in the minds of Muslims and the potential implications this may have for the U.S. military.”

FOX News is reporting that it was the FBI "that blew off" Hasan's many emails to Anwar Al-Alwak. This report says the FBI "knew for nearly a year berfore his murderous Fort Hood rampage" that he had repeatedly contacted al-Qaeda:

...they simply chalked up the chilling e-mails between Hasan and a radical imam and other terror-tied Islamic figures to his "research" as an Army shrink.

Mike Rogers Health Care Forum: Mike Rogers Detroit Health Care Forum Video

Two Michigan Congressmen Mike Rogers (R-Mich-8th) and Pete Hoekstra (R-Mich-2nd) attended a health care forum debate in Detroit recently. Rep. Rogers' statements, seen in the video below, are going viral around the Internet. See the video below

Before an audience of about 400 people, the forum was sponsored by the Michigan Business and Professional Association, and the Michigan Food and Beverage Association.

Rep. Hoekstra (R-MI) said the Democrat bills are "bad for business" and creates "a loss of freedom."

I want to go to a more user-driven system,” Hoekstra said. “This is the direction we should go in. We can’t afford to allow the federal government to take over 18 percent” of the economy.

I'll let Rep. Rogers speak for himself, because he does it very well in the video below. Just some food for thought first: I heard someone say this morning on Fox that AARP will make $400 million from premiums alone, from the Democrat health care bill, if passed into law. We know that figure will not stay static. Many people think that AARP is a non-profit, but they are not. AARP is far-left and dangerous. If you have an AARP card in your wallet, consider not renewing.

Rep. Mike Rogers - Health Care