Ben Smith on The Politico is updating his accounting of 2008 candidates, apparently Senators only, who actually took the trouble to read the full version of the National Intelligence Estimate before voting for or against the IWR.
I seem to remember Rep. Dennis Kucinich saying he had read it, but have not confirmed. It is said that three or four Representatives did go to the “secure room” to read the document, so it’s very possible. Following is my own list, which includes Smith’s collection, but it should be remembered that high security level committees (such as Intelligence and Foreign Relations) very likely had access privately to the NIE that would not have required a visit to any locked room. A log was kept of the names of those Senators and Representatives who did, but that remains classified. It’s not clear if Ted Kennedy read the NIE. He says he “went through the classified parts.”
Biden (Read Yes; Voted Yes) (chair, Foreign Relations Committee)
Clinton (Read No; Voted Yes)
Dodd (Read No; Voted Yes)
Edwards (Read No; Voted Yes; Co-sponsored) (Intelligence Committee)
Kucinich (Read Yes?; Voted No)
McCain (Read No: Voted Yes)
Others:
Allard (Read Yes; Voted Yes)
Bayh (Read Yes; Voted Yes)
Bunning (Read Yes; Voted Yes)
Byrd (Read Yes; Voted No) (Armed Services Committee)
Dayton (Read Yes; Voted No)
Durbin (Read Yes; Voted No) (Intelligence Committee)
Feinstein (Read Yes; Voted Yes) (Intelligence Committee)
Graham (Read Yes; Voted No) (chair, Intelligence Committee)
Hagel (Read Yes; Voted Yes)
Rep. Jane Harman (Read Yes; Voted Yes) (House Intelligence Committee)
Hatch (Read Yes; Voted Yes)
Kennedy (Read Yes; Voted No) (Armed Services Committee)
Leahy (Read Yes; Voted No)
Levin (Read Yes; Voted No) (Intelligence Committee)
Mikulski (Read Yes; Voted No) (Intelligence Committee)
Roberts (Read Yes; Voted Yes) (Intelligence Committee)
Rockefeller (Read Yes; Voted Yes) (Intelligence Committee)
Shelby (Read Yes; Voted Yes)
Stevens (Read Yes; Voted Yes)
Warner (Read Yes; Voted Yes)
Wyden (Read Yes; Voted No)
(The list has been updated based on a survey done by The Hill, 6/19/07.)
