Hastings: Bill Clinton Talked Me Out of Intelligence Post
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James Joyner | Tuesday, May 1, 2007 |
Impeached federal judge-cum-Congressman Alcee Hastings says Bill Clinton convinced him to drop his fight to chair the House Intelligence Committee, reports CQ National Security Editor Jeff Stein.
It was former President Bill Clinton who personally persuaded him to drop his bid for the chairmanship of the House Intelligence Committee last fall, Alcee L. Hastings, D-Fla., says — not incoming Speaker Nancy Pelosi or anyone else.
Breaking a six-month silence on an episode that gave the victorious Democrats fits and Republicans an easy mark, Hastings said there would have been “blood all over the floor” had he pursued the prestigious seat. “Had I had chosen that path, I could have demogogued on a whole set of persons,” said Hastings, the eight-term African-American who reached for the gavel of the Intelligence Committee after the Democrats took control of the House in the November elections.
Interesting.
About the Author: James Joyner is the publisher of Outside the Beltway and the managing editor of the Atlantic Council. He's a former Army officer, Desert Storm vet, and college professor with a PhD in political science from The University of Alabama. He lives just outside the Beltway in Alexandria, Virginia.
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