Dems mull intel panel rules ploy

Democrats on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence are contemplating pushing for rules changes that would diminish the GOP’s power over the panel, in particular by curbing the authority of the majority staff director. Giving the minority more power may affect Democrats’ ability to investigate such sensitive issues as whether the Bush administration pressured the intelligence community to conclude that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. But Democrats say that committee discussions about rule changes would bring the committee into alignment with reforms passed last year. The Democrats’ move could be fraught with peril. It could fail on a party-line vote and end the committee’s dwindling bipartisan goodwill. Link