Pete leaks classified information in NY Post Op-Ed

Here's the Op-Ed wherein he continues to spin why Americans should lay down and let their constitutional rights be trampled and attack anyone who disagrees with him, with some fear mongering, and just a dash of "radical jihadists" for flavor. In it Pete says:

The 2008 Intelligence Authorization bill cut human-intelligence programs but directed U.S. intelligence agencies to study global climate change.

Here's the kicker. The budget cuts are in the classified portion of the bill.

Dr. Steven Aftergood of the Federation of American Scientists' Project on Government Secrecy,(wiki), says on Raw Story:

"It looks like Rep. Hoekstra is playing games with classification rules by making his claim publicly,I suggest that he go investigate himself.If you live by secrecy, you die by secrecy," he said. "Rep. Hoekstra has been an ardent defender of the secrecy barriers surrounding the intelligence budget and a harsh critic of leaks. Ironically, he now finds himself unable to coherently defend what he claims is a mistaken budget choice.""

Hmm...leaks for political gain...where have I seen that lately?
Pete your past and present prove...you're a varitable sieve for classified information.

Hoekstra versus New York Times Part 2

There's a lot more to this letter to pick apart.

The only real basis for “fear” here is the scare tactics being perpetuated by the Times

But in the next paragraph there is this veiled idea by Hoekstra

First, the legislation was intended to address significant and substantial intelligence gaps that have arisen at a time of enhanced threat of terrorist attack on the United States. The need for the bill was urgent and obvious.

I'm sorry, no one told me to change my Crayola Terror-Meter up to red. I could swear this would be considered "fear mongering". Wait, no, that must be a media source that doesn't agree with you, right?

It is unfortunate that you choose to compound those difficulties with further politicization, fear-mongering, and the suggestion that we simply dismiss the increased threats to American citizens at home and abroad.

Right.

Politicizing- Here's Pete's chance to speak his piece on the SCHIP bill.
Hmm...all he talks about is FISA.
Or the Implementing the 9/11 Commission Bill.
FISA.
Responsible Redeployment From Iraq Act?
FISA... with a heapin' helpin' of radical jihadists thrown in just for good measure.

Hoekstra can spin it any way he wants. We dismiss the increased threats. We don't believe that "radical jihadists" really hate us and want to attack us. I can go on, and on, and on. Just because Hoekstra, Bush or any other neo-con hack keeps pissing in your ears the same worn out catch phrases doesn't mean they are right. It just means they really want something.

Like your civil liberties. For starters...

Hoekstra berates NYT for "disclosing highly classified intelligence"

More on FISA. Look's like NYT made Pete mad....again.
Here's their editorial that set him off.

Here is Hoekstra's rebuttal to the Executive Editor in which he says:

It has been my practice not to deal with the New York Times after its recklessness in repeatedly disclosing highly classified intelligence programs to enemies who seek to attack our nation and because of what I believe was a lack of honesty and integrity in its dealings with me as Chairman of the Committee at that time.

Now Pete, you don't think we already forgot about you releasing information on nuclear bomb technology did you? I know it didn't get play here in repugmedia land Northern Michigan. So just in case anyone forgot, let's catch you up.

The campaign for the Web site was led by the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Representative Peter Hoekstra of Michigan. Last November, he and his Senate counterpart, Pat Roberts of Kansas, wrote to Mr. Negroponte, asking him to post the Iraqi material. The sheer volume of the documents, they argued, had overwhelmed the intelligence community.

What did the experts think about the information you released?

Peter D. Zimmerman, a physicist and former United States government arms scientist now at the war studies department of King’s College, London, called the posted material “very sensitive, much of it undoubtedly secret restricted data.”

Ray E. Kidder, a senior nuclear physicist at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California, an arms design center, said “some things in these documents would be helpful” to nations aspiring to develop nuclear weapons and should have remained secret.

In Europe, a senior diplomat said atomic experts there had studied the nuclear documents on the Web site and judged their public release as potentially dangerous. “It’s a cookbook,” said the diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of his agency’s rules. “If you had this, it would short-circuit a lot of things.”

So following that he posted this press release stating:

The approach carries with it risks, but such risks are minimal. It will enable us to better understand information such as Saddam's links to terrorism, weapons of mass destruction and violence against the Iraqi people.

Minimal?

Some of the first posted documents dealt with Iraq’s program to make germ weapons, followed by a wave of papers on chemical arms.

To Pete, compalints about the site “Didn’t sound like a big deal,We were a little surprised when they pulled the plug."

So Pete, I guess that makes you the pot, and New York Times the kettle?

Hoekstra says telecomms' wiretapping involvement is "Patriotic"?

Here's the link to the story.

So... We were all bummed that the Dems caved and passed this legislation. We thought "Hey, at least it's only 6 months." Well, if Shrub and Hoekstra have their way it will only get worse. Here's what the preznit wants:

"When Congress returns in September the Intelligence committees and leaders in both parties will need to complete work on the comprehensive reforms requested by Director McConnell, including the important issue of providing meaningful liability protection to those who are alleged to have assisted our Nation following the attacks of September 11, 2001,"

WOW that's vague! So what he's saying is that we know what they did is unconstitutional, so we're not admitting they did anything illegal, but we want to go reverse in the way back machine and make it legal before we say they did it. Riiiiight.

But our intrepid Congresscritter has something to say in an interview with Paul Gigot for Wall Street Journal's: Journal Editorial Report on Saturday night:

"These are companies who were doing the patriotic thing....They were helping the U.S. government, the American people, get the information that we believe we needed to keep us safe. They voluntarily participated, and now that the program is exposed, they've been open to all kinds of lawsuits."

(read as:voluntarily broke the law)

Patriotic! 9/11! Terror! Terror!

Parrot Pete says following passage of the bill:

"he would use momentum from Congressional Republicans’ efforts to fix FISA to push for comprehensive reform of the law to...obtain retroactive liability for parties who may have aided the government."

Thanks Pete, I wasn't using my civil liberties anyway...

What the ACLU thinks about the FISA program.

Appropriations? We don't need no stinking appropriations!

Let's take a look back....say the last 2 months and see what Pete Hoekstra thinks about recent appropriation bills. We will examine the bill, it's effect on the district and what Pete said and how he voted. Sounds like fun you say?

First up is HR 2643 Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2008.

Jun 27 - The effort to transfer Camp Swampy into the Huron-Manistee National Forest will receive $215,000 in a House appropriations bill approved today.

"Adding the 1,017-acre tract will help combine tens of thousands of acres into a much larger landscape," said U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Holland. "It represents an opportunity to preserve a beautiful area of land for future generations. House approval represents the first stage in a long federal appropriations process, but I intend to work to ensure that it remains in the final bill," Hoekstra said. "It would mark the final installment in a long-term effort to acquire the property and bring it under federal protection."

Now you ask how did Pete vote? He must have said Aye!?! Nope. Sorry. But what about the opportunity to preserve a beautiful area, and the federal protection? Hang on, we'll get to that.

The next piece of legislation is HR 3043Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2008.

Ooooh. Look at what our district gets!

West Shore Medical Center in Manistee would receive $150,000 to help expand and renovate the community hospital in a bill passed by the House today.(July 19th)

Right in my hometown! Tell me what else!

A $200,000 federal appropriation has been reserved for Muskegon County’s Access Health..

Gosh! What did Pete say about these wonderful appropriations?

“West Shore Medical Center provides services that help to ensure the health of the rural community and benefit the local economy,” said U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Holland. “Its expansion and renovation will create a ripple effect that positively impacts local contractors, suppliers and other businesses and services throughout the region.”

It even creates more jobs? Sweet! What about Muskegon?

“Access Health is a national model for providing accessible and affordable health care coverage to the working uninsured,” said U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Holland. “The success of Access Health helps federal policymakers to better understand how to reduce health care costs while achieving better health outcomes.”

That sounds fantastic! He had to vote for this. It's good stuff! Just look at all the help it will give! Well you say? How did Pete vote? Sorry folks, he voted no again. I'm sure there is a good reason why Hoekstra wouldn't want our district to get the help it needs. You know... because the Michigan economy is doing so well and all.

Maybe third time is a charm. Let's look at HR 3074
Departments of Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2008.

This is a dandy. Just look...

Grand Haven Harbor Transit would receive $250,000.
Yates Dial A Ride would receive $250,000.
The Muskegon Area Transit System would receive $250,000.
Michigan would get $43.8 million for transportation and housing projects total.

Whoopee! Come on Pete! You know this is good! Aww man. I guess not good enough. But on your website you said:

“Harbor Transit provides a source of public transportation on which residents and tourists in Grand Haven, Spring Lake and Ferrysburg rely for mobility,” said U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Holland. “The federal funding would enhance a long-standing federal, state and local partnership that has helped to improve the local quality of life.”

and then you said:

“Reliable public transportation provides freedom and access to personal, educational and professional opportunities,” said U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Holland. “The federal contribution would help to expand the local system’s scope in the rural Yates Township community.”

and then:

“The Muskegon public transportation system offers personal freedom by creating countywide accessibility,” said U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Holland. “Muskegon Area Transit has long offered local residents a source of mobility that provides access to area jobs and recreation and reduces emissions into the environment.”

So let's sum this up. Pete voted against:

- Adding 1,017 acres to a National Forest and put it under federal protection
- $150,000 to help expand and renovate a "rural" hospital
- $200,000 for a program that provides health care to the working uninsured
- $750,000 for public transportation in his district
- $43.8 million total for transportation and housing projects in Michigan

Call me crazy, but I think I see a trend here. Pete Hoekstra likes to take credit for all sorts of legislation that helps his district and state on his government website and in the press. But when it comes to votes, Pete Hoekstra does NOT support his district or state. Pete Hoekstra votes against you and what your community needs,PERIOD.

Pete is a no vote on Agriculture Appropriations

Hoekstra is currently touring the district on his annual "Remember when this got me elected? I'm just like you!" bike tour titled "Agriculture: Helping to Drive the West Michigan Economy". But this past Thursday (Aug. 2) Pete was a no vote on H.R. 3161: Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2008, joined by fellow hack Michigan republicans Walberg, Knollenberg, Miller and McCotter. But wait! In a recent interview about the bike tour he proclaims:

“Agriculture has historically played a significant role in supporting the economy and shaping the character of West Michigan," Hoekstra said. "The health of the local industry greatly impacts the ability of our region to compete and succeed in the dynamic new free market economy.”

It gets even better! The bill contains $750,000 for research on combating Phytophthora capsici, a non-native fungal-like pathogen that lives in soil and causes plants to rot.(Read as: "health of the local industry") Of that amount, Michigan State University will receive $495,000 for research to combat the pathogen. In a press release on the bill Pete says:

"Phytophthora poses a threat to one of the biggest drivers of the West Michigan economy. It is capable of ruining a crop year or infecting an entire farm, rendering it useless."

In the same press release Roger Victory, president of the Ottawa County Farm Bureau says:

“We need to build upon the significant advances in disease management to develop measures that will help to eradicate it before it ruins more growing seasons.”

So if you are a farmer, and see him on his media stunt, you might want to ask him that if he's so concerned about your industry, why can't he vote to support you? Or at least show up.

Pete Hoekstra says: torture = not torture

Pete Hoekstra never ceases to amaze. Just when I think he has said the most idiotic thing I can think of...he tops it!

July 08, 2007 Rep. Hoekstra on Iraq, Interrogation Methods HUME: I want to draw you out on something that has become an issue in the campaign. It came up particularly in the debate that Fox News did in questions to Senator McCain and others. And that is this question of what the administration, CIA and people who are involved in it called enhanced interrogation techniques. Senator McCain says -- he is in a position, presumably, to know what they are. He believes they're torture. You're familiar by virtue of your --I'm not going to ask you to describe any classified information, but you know what the methods are. Do you believe they're torture? HOEKSTRA: I don't believe they're torture, no. I thought we had all agreed this was.... oh nevermind..... Here's the full transcript.

Pete says stay vigilent, votes no on Homeland Security Bill

On July 17th Pete said:

"Our counterterrorism efforts have been effective in constraining al-Qaida's capabilities, but their intention and efforts to carry out spectacular attacks in America have not stopped. The NIE underscores why we cannot grow complacent or relax our vigilance against the radical jihadist threat." - Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Mich.

The bill passed the House 371-40 on July 27th. Hoekstra was the only Congressperson from Michigan voting against the bill. Pete likes to talk about "radical jihadists" every chance he gets. It's his fancy new catch phrase he started using after the surge debate. Too bad he's busy beating us over the head with it instead of voting to strengthen our state and country's security. So maybe Pete changed his mind about the threat of "radical jihad" in 10 days. But just 5 days before the vote he said:

"I work under the assumption that the United States and the West are at risk and with the knowledge and belief that al-Qaida and other radical jihadists want to attack the United States and want to attack Europe. The heightened threat level means to some there is an increase in activity that makes an attack more likely today than three or six months ago."

So which is it Pete? Do we need Homeland Security or not?