I recall during the Panama Canal fight that the Senate ratified the
Treaty but implementing legislation, which only takes a simple majority
vote, had to pass the House of Representatives. A Democrat said that
legislation would pass over his dead body. The FBI raided his offices in
time for the vote and, by coincidence or otherwise, he was silenced.
I do not believe in most conspiracy theories. However, perhaps we have a
conspiracy here. Certain people in the Pentagon who were fearful that
Weldon might pursue the Able Danger investigation may have worked with
the FBI to achieve the perfect political storm for Weldon. I repeat, if
Weldon really did something wrong, he should be held accountable.
There was a time when the FBI was held in high esteem. Sure, J. Edgar
Hoover had his files which caused President John F. Kennedy to
unexpectedly retain him as Director of the FBI. For the most part,
however, the FBI could be trusted. It did not involve itself in
politics unless Hoover felt the security of the country was at stake.
That was not very often.
Mind you, the average FBI agent is honest, hard working and decent. The
agent wants to do the right thing. Perhaps management has become
political. A President needs to be able to trust the FBI. Now that
Congress has removed the artificial barriers which prevented the FBI
from sharing information with the CIA, intelligence ought to operate
better. But politics must give way to an honest review of things.
Curt Weldon has been courageous in setting up contacts between Members
of Congress and Members of the Duma in Moscow. There may be people who
do not want that kind of achievement, preferring Russia as an enemy.
Weldon has worked to see that Russian legislators visit this country and
have a chance to learn about us. That work has been meritorious, so far
as I can discern.
A Member of Congress or an opposing candidate should conduct a campaign
on issues. If Representative Weldon has legal problems they should be
addressed, but as long as the investigation is not hindered they should
be addressed entirely outside an election context.