Anyone who has read the biographies of the Rockefellers—including “Titan” (on old John D) and “Great Fortune” on the man known as Junior and his children understands that indeed it is possible to literally go from shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves in a handful of generations. While the Rockefellers aren’t about to do that, it is clear that Jay Rockefeller may well be the result of a grievously diluted gene pool. How else do you explain the fact that as ranking member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, he went to Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Syria in 2002 and told each head of state that President Bush had made up his mind to invade Iraq?
The story came out quite by accident in an interview with Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday last Sunday. Wallace showed a TV clip of Rockefeller declaring in October, 2002 that Iraq posed “an imminent threat”—that phrase was stronger than any words Bush used. Wallace asked: “If anyone hyped the intelligence, isn’t it Jay Rockefeller?”
Rockefeller’s answer: “No, I mean, this question is asked a thousand times and I’ll be happy to answer it a thousand times. I took a trip by myself in January of 2002 to Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Syria and I told each of the heads of state that it was my view that George Bush had already made up his mind to go to war against Iraq, that that was a predetermined set course which had taken shape shortly after 9/ll.”
The embarrassing disclosure amounts to this: Since the second-ranking Democrat on the Senate Intelligence committee went to Syria, which is among the top listed terrorist-sponsored nations, and told Bashar Assad, one of the worst sponsors of terror in the Middle East what Rockefeller believed the U.S. was considering, it should amount to a breach of security. Rockefeller should be investigated by the Senate and should step down from the Intelligence committee basis his own admission. He neglected to mention what he told the leaders at the time and issued only a bland press release detailing his trip. The Senator has expressed himself as “content” and ascribed his meeting with Assad as filled with “happiness.” Assad now faces censure from the United Nations for his alleged involvement in ther assassination of a political opponent in Lebanon.
The Senate ought to insist that Rockefeller’s complete interview with Assad be probed and that until a conclusion is made ought to step down from the Intelligence committee. Rockefeller has long been regarded as wafer-thin in intellectual content and is known as being of marginal intelligence—this assessment from his associates in Illinois when he, to Charles Percy’s great joy, married Percy’s daughter thus linking a Percy with the dynasty—such as it is. Rockefeller is another one of those inheritors of great wealth who seek a public career because of boredom with making money—not that this stumbling bubblehead could make a dime on his own.
Yes, as recent kings and queens of Britain have proven, it is entirely possible to have one’s brains bred out. Can we think of other families? FDR’s kids, John Kennedy’s kids, Bobby’s kids, the Marshall Fields of Chicago. Any further suggestions?
Saddam almost certainly had informants in the Syrian government. Hence, whatever Rockefeller told Syria was probably passed along to Saddam; in which case, Saddam may very well have made his decisions based upon the impression (created by Rocky) that the United States was going to invade Iraq no matter what he did. Could this possibly explain Saddam's seeminly irrational defiance in the face of staggering threats? If so, Rockefeller can someday leave the Senate knowing that he's had a significant impact on American history.
ReplyDeleteWhy wasn't Rockefellar this frank with the American people about Bush's intentions? That Bush had decided on this days after 911. He needs to be investigated for Logan Act violation.
ReplyDeleteThis is all Democratic posturing in advance of the convention when they'll have to contend with the Moveon.org crowd. It's going to destroy the party. It will be 1968 in Chicago without the violence because the sane Democrats are gone. The party will collapse from this.
This Senator should be brought to Justice for Treason. Another example of why Bush must shield his poker hand in order to accomplish the goals of maintaing freedom and Democracy. Hard fought for over the years, but the Liberal Lefties who whine are the ones who have not sacrificed while they whine from the top of their money piles.
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