Sen. Grassley sees terrorist nabbed by Nov. 2 vote
He doesnt bother to attend secret CIA briefings of his fellow senators because he seldom learns anything he hasnt read in the newspapers, but Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is convinced the U.S. will track down the elusive mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks before November.
Obviously, hell be caught between now and the election, Grassley said Monday when asked if hes disappointed that Osama bin Laden hasnt been killed or captured.
I think theyre on his trail now in a way they havent been all year, Grassley said. It will happen because we will be able to divert more resources [to hunting down bin Laden].
Grassley, whos an overwhelming favorite to win a fifth term in November, declined to say why hes so confident that bin Laden will be brought to justice. But it certainly didnt come from one of those secret CIA briefings.
I think its legitimate for me to question all of our intelligence information because that I never learned anything from those briefings that I hadnt learned in the newspapers. If they dont know anything more than theyre telling us, whats the use of having an intelligence agency, and why bother to brief us?
Although President Bushs re-election prospects would no doubt be boosted if bin Laden is found, Grassley said Democrats may have a better chance if Sen. John Edwards (N.C.) wins his partys presidential nomination rather than the current front-runner, Sen. John Kerry (Mass.).
I would say that Senator Kerry is more of a threat than [Howard] Dean but less of a threat than Senator Edwards because of the latters strength in the South, he said.
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