Jeff Stein and the Jane Harman Story: Why Just Now?

[chill_wind]

Days ago a DUer posted this transcript Q & A for the CQ Politics writer who brought out the Jane Harman story.
This was almost immediately after President Obama released the last damning torture memo and over a series of a few short days,
walked back comments by Rahm and made it clear he would let AG Holder determine how to do his own job.

In an online interview, Stein was questioned about the very interesting timing of the release of this story--

I'm reposting the links, because it got almost zero attention by DU, and I find myself continuing to be very cynical and dissatisfied with answers herein:

03:30 PM, Monday, Apr 20, 2009
Wiretapping Rep Harman
with Jeff Stein, CQ Columnist & National Security Editor
Jeff Stein is an investigative reporter of long standing, specializing in U.S. intelligence, defense and foreign policy. In Sept. 2002, he launched CQ/Homeland Security. An Army Intelligence case officer in Vietnam, he is now CQ.com National Security Editor and writes the weekly SpyTalk column. An occasional contributor to the New York Times and Washington Post, Jeff was deputy foreign editor for UPI during the 1980s. He appears frequently on CBS, CNN, MSNBC, Fox, the BBC and NPR as a commentator on national security issues.

Rep. Jane Harman, the California Democrat with a longtime involvement in intelligence issues, was overheard on an NSA wiretap telling a suspected Israeli agent that she would lobby the Justice Department to reduce espionage-related charges against two officials of the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee, the most powerful pro-Israel organization in Washington.





# Claire from Washington DC: Why are your sources coming forward now? There must be some reason why they have waited almost three years.

# Jeff Stein:

Thanks. I've seen a lot of speculation about that online.



The fact is, there is no "timing" to any "leak."



No sources "came forward," so to speak.



I learned about this quite a while ago and was just recently able to turn my full attention to it. Total coincidence.


(see full transcript)



# Sandy from Brooklyn: Why is all this stuff coming out now?

# Jeff Stein:

No special reason.



The story was not "planted" on me to influence any other events -- in particular the looming AIPAC trial or things related to the NSA's warrantless wiretapping program. I've known about it for some time but just not been able to pull it together until now for various reasons.

http://innovation.cq.com/liveonline/54/landing

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x5498314

********************************************

What do you think about his answer?

He continues to work it in this newest update:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3850212

[MADem]

1. I don't know what to think. All I know is that it's too soon to get out the noose.

I think there's a lot we don't know about this whole imbroglio. I don't have my head wrapped around all the details, yet, I admit that, but something just doesn't seem right to me. We have this dire innuendo that Harman said specific things that some are construing as damning in some fashion. Harman is saying "Release those tapes, ya baaastids!" That's part of why I don't know what to think.

I'm not going to join the torch and pitchfork brigade, even though that is the easy thing to do. After all, no one has even asked the "What did she know, and when did she know it?" questions. I'm not afraid to wait for more details. There's just too much in this story that makes me wonder if everything is coming out, or if what is coming out is accurate--"true" may be one thing, but "accurate" is something else entirely, often as not. Maybe I've read/seen too many political thrillers, but I can't get rid of a nagging feeling that something's awry, here.

Total coincidence, or set up of some sort? I just don't know.

[chill_wind]

3. I am with you on this, MADem.

Here's another good Marcy Wheeler et al diary on the questions. Initially she seemed disinclined to question the timing very much, but she keeps uncovering more:

About Democratic Complicity: the Early Briefings on Torture
By: emptywheel Sunday April 26, 2009 8:47 am

Leen links to two articles suggesting the Democrats are reluctant to have a truth commission because of their own complicity in torture.

Now, I don't mean to be an apologist for Democrats on torture--because I do believe the Constitutional Speech and Debate clause must take precedence over national security guidelines that limit briefings to the Gang of Four or Eight. But before we start attacking Democrats, let's establish what we know about briefings that happened before the waterboarding of detainees. Between the public spat between Porter Goss and Nancy Pelosi, Jane Harman's letter to Scott Muller, and the SSCI Narrative, we can establish that the only Democrat who was briefed in time to prevent waterboarding and told it had been and was going to be used--Jane Harman--wrote a letter raising concerns about the techniques.

full diary: http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/

She has done several other back diaries on this over the last few days, if anyone is interested.

[MADem]

5. That IS interesting.

"....we can establish that the only Democrat who was briefed in time to prevent waterboarding and told it had been and was going to be used--Jane Harman--wrote a letter raising concerns about the techniques. "

[stillcool]

2. Weird..he learned about it a while back...

and just recently was able to turn his full attention to it? This kind of an explosive story?

[chill_wind]

4. Does it pass the smell test?

It smells like very strong intimidation ops to me...

[stillcool]

6. It's like watching tennis...

The only way it will be settled is if the tapes are released. The thing about scoring political points, or managing public perception is that the truth has no relevance. By the time the facts are known, the damage has already been done.

[chill_wind]

7. ?