To the Point

Republican Hubris and Intelligence Reform

When Republicans took over Congress in 1994, they promised to set higher standards than the Democrats who-d been running the show for decades. Now more entrenched than ever, the Republicans are accused of arrogance and abandoning principle, even by some conservative supporters. Aside from intelligence reform, this week-s lame-duck session of Congress has only one piece of official business, to remove one line from the 1,000-page omnibus budget bill. That one line would allow two committee chairs and their assistants to examine anyone-s income tax returns. We speak with reporters who cover the Congress about the sneaky language in the budget bill and protection for Tom DeLay in case he-s indicted. Will his own party make President Bush an early lame duck, despite last month-s re-election? Segment #2: Is Intel Reform Bill Missing Point of Terrorist Threat? Once reluctant, President Bush is now pushing hard for the 9/11 Commission-s recommended reforms of America-s intelligence apparatus, but two House committee chairs have now been joined by Virginia Senator John Warner in raising questions about the bill as it-s written. Senator Pat Roberts of Kansas said on TV this weekend, -There was a global intelligence failure- We-ve got to change that.- That-s now conventional wisdom about the need for reform by creating a powerful new intelligence director to cut through what today-s New York Times calls, -the gridlock.- But as we hear from a foreign policy editor and former CIA agents, support for structural change in not unanimous. Making News: Gunmen Attack US Consulate in Jeddah There was a three-hour gun-battle today at the US consulate in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah. Several people were killed after attackers got several hundred feet inside the heavily guarded compound and reportedly took hostages. Rasheed Abu Alsamh, who is covering the story for Arab News, an English language newspaper based in Jeddah, calls the attack a "wake-up call from al Qaeda."