Dems Lack Intelligence on Global Warming

What should our intelligence agencies be doing? Ferreting out important information to protect our national security, or studying global warming? Since the Dems are now in charge of the intelligence committees, what do you think their priority will be?

Senior House Republicans are complaining about Democrats' plans to divert "scarce" intelligence funds to study global warming.

The House next week will consider the Democrat-crafted Intelligence Authorization bill, which includes a provision directing an assessment of the effects that climate change has on national security.

"Our job is to steal secrets," said Rep. Peter Hoekstra of Michigan, the ranking Republican on the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

"There are all kinds of people analyzing global warming, the Democrats even have a special committee on this," he told The Washington Times. "There's no value added by the intelligence community here; they have no special expertise, and this takes money and resources away from other threats."

Democrats, who outnumber Republicans on the committee, blocked the minority from stripping the warming language from the bill.

Intelligence panel Chairman Silvestre Reyes, Texas Democrat, said the climate-change study is one of several shifts his party has made to intelligence policy.

"We're concerned that global warming might impact our ability to maintain national security," he told The Times, describing the idea as "cutting edge."

"Cutting edge" with a pretty dull blade. There are plenty of other committees in both Houses that can worry about global warming. The Dems have constantly complained about the quality of intelligence in advance of the Iraq war. How about trying to fix that rather than diverting important resources to frivolous pursuits.