Is Graham's combativeness against Bush changing anybody's opinions?

[writestuff13]

Does this article convince anybody to vote for Graham in the primaries?


http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/6404678.htm



Posted on Mon, Jul. 28, 2003

Graham says Saudi statement shows need to declassify Sept. 11 report section
By The Associated Press

WASHINGTON - Citing the Saudi ambassador's claim that his country has ''nothing to hide,'' Sen. Bob Graham called Monday on President Bush to declassify a 28-page section of the congressional report into the Sept. 11 attacks dealing with foreign support for the hijackers.

Releasing the report ''will permit the Saudi government to deal with any questions which may be raised in the currently censored pages, and allow the American people to make their own judgment about who are our true friends and allies in the war on terrorism,'' Graham, D-Fla., said in a letter to Bush. Graham, who co-chaired the inquiry, is a Democratic presidential candidate.

After the report was released last Thursday, Saudi Ambassador Prince Bandar bin Sultan issued a statement saying that ``28 blanked-out pages are being used by some to malign our country and our people.''

''Saudi Arabia has nothing to hide. We can deal with questions in public, but we cannot respond to blank pages,'' he said.

Citing those comments, Graham said Bandar ``has joined in asking that the pages be declassified.''

There was no immediate comment from the White House or the Saudi embassy.

House and Senate members released the full, 850-page report finding a series of errors and miscommunications kept U.S. authorities from pursuing clues before the attacks. The 28-page section dealing with ''sensitive national security matters'' was almost entirely redacted.

The information is widely believed to center on Saudi Arabia, birthplace of Osama bin Laden and 15 of the 19 hijackers. Saudi Arabia has vehemently denied supporting the hijackers.

In discussing the classified section this weekend on ''Fox News Sunday'' Graham said high officials of a foreign government ``made substantial contributions to the support and well-being of two of these terrorists and facilitated their ability to plan, practice and then execute the tragedy of Sept. 11.''

He declined to identify the country, citing laws against divulging classified information.

The top Republican senator on the inquiry, Richard Shelby, said Sunday on NBC that 95 percent of the classified pages could be released without jeopardizing national security.

[sfecap]

1. No. Doesn't change mine.

I like Sen Graham.

I don't think he can beat the chimp.

[newsguyatl]

3. no

good he's speaking out more... others should follow suit... i hope it's not just his political desires causing him to speak more loudly...

so he should keep it up... we need all the strong voices we can get in the senate...

but as for a presidential run, he has NO chance...

sorry, i like the guy, but he'd get chewed up and spit out...

[lkinsale]

5. Just as equal time...

and this is opinion of course, just like the two opinions above...

I think Dean is the one who would get chewed up and spit out. Rather like Russert did to him. Graham handles Russert and the whole pundit crew without problems. Ditto the South Carolina debates, in which Dean choked and Graham did not.

This is not Dean bashing. I will vote for Dean if he is nominated. But I don't think he has a chance to beat Bush, so I'm supporting the one I think does.

Kerry, Edwards and the rest of the candidates I have not seen enough of in high pressure situations to have an opinion on how they handle themselves.

*****

On edit: (Full disclosure!) ;)

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[Jim Sagle]

7. Dean spit Russert out, not the other way around.

[Kahuna]

10. How did he do that? I watched the show and simply felt..

Dean got bitch-slapped, but he took it like a man.

[demnan]

2. Hey, Graham was so super cool on Bill Maher

Sure, I'd vote for him. He was a good Governor, Senator,etc. He's starting to hit his stride. But I consider all the Dems people I would support. I'm loyal to my party.

On the other hand, Dean has the energy with the youth and I'm going there.

Graham has always been a respected figure and I'd happily go to the polls to support him and work for him.

[FreeperSlayer]

4. He doesn't change mine...

Bush is still scum.

[tpub]

6. doesn't change my mind

I still think he'll make an excellent VP!

[billbuckhead]

8. Reality is that Graham has won statewide in FLA 4 times and Dean's........

Reality is that Graham has won statewide in FLA 4 times and Dean's from an agrarian New England state smaller than half a dozen FLA counties. More people move to FLA every year than live in Vermont.

[GBD4]

13. Wrong

Bob Graham has won statewide FIVE times! :)

1978
1982
1986
1992
1998

[JackSwift]

9. No

Graham has health issues which Democrats need to be cautious about. Just because the pubbies ignore this kind of thing doesn't make it responsible. That being said, he is an asset to the campaign and I'll cheerfully support him if he gets the nomination.

[ringmastery]

12. health

Graham doesn't have health issues. Nothing compared to Cheney anyway. Graham's never had a history of heart attacks. He had a valve replacement, a procedure that many men have his age to prevent heart disease. He made a full recovery and is in tip top condition according to his doctors.

If we are going to play the health card, shouldn't we be talking about Kerry's prostate cancer?

[samurai_jack]

16. creative distortion

Graham's doctors say he is in much better health now compared to before his surgery. But yet, he has health issues? Oh, please,...you're simply trying to justify a pretty blatant age bias...

[GBD4]

17. Additionally

He has looked very energetic on the campaign trail. If he was so ill he wouldn't be able to take cross-country flights day after day and campaign on 4 hours of sleep. The "problem" the doctors corrected was discovered almost ten years ago, and the surgery was declared preventitive before embarking on a Presidential campaign.

[Rowdyboy]

11. I see an uptick in positive response here from serious posters...

That has to be good for Graham. I have been for him from the day he announced so he has only solidified my decision.

[DrFunkenstein]

14. He Has A Bill Moyers Kind Of Vibe

Like a really nice guy committed to the best Democracy can bring, able to say wild things and sound credible. I can't say he is my choice for the top spot, he voted the wrong way on one too many bills, but I think he is rock solid as a #2 man.

[samurai_jack]

15. hmmm

what bills would those be?

[blm]

18. He's beginning to dispel some of my earlier

suspicions. That's for sure.

[ringmastery]

19. He's the real deal

http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/07/30/graham.intel.report/

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. Bob Graham, D-Florida, is asking the Senate Intelligence Committee to make public a classified section of the congressional September 11 report that deals with Saudi Arabia's alleged ties to the September 11 hijackers.

Graham, a Democratic presidential candidate who, as former Intelligence Committee chairman, helped produce the report, has telephoned the current committee chairman, Pat Roberts, R-Kansas, and vice-chairman Jay Rockefeller, D-West Virginia, to suggest that they use an existing but untested process by which the Senate can publicly disclose classified material despite the objections of the White House.

[lkinsale]

20. Welcome ringmastery!

I think he's the real deal too! Come by and check out the Graham chat!

******

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