Increased Security Produces as Many Questions as Answers
posted 4:50 pm Fri August 03, 2007 - Washington
The fears were stoked Thursday when Senate Minority Whip Trent Lott said it would be a good thing for congress to leave town until September 12. His remarks prompted D.C. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton to accuse the Mississippi Republican of playing politics.
Norton was meeting Friday with security officials, but her office has yet to say what she learned in the meeting.
Northern Virginia Republican Congressman Tom Davis was also attending a separate security-related meeting Friday. Beforehand, he said he was not aware of any specific threat. But Davis did criticize his fellow lawmaker for suggesting Congress remain out of session in the interim.
"Staying out an extra week basically says you guys win."
Capitol police sources blame al-Qaida propoganda that promised a big surprise for the beefed-up presence.
Martin Kady, the Congressional Correspondent for The Politico, does not believe Lott was overstating things.
"I don't think he was being alarmist," he said. "As a leader in Congress, the Minority Whip, he does get the reports the public doesn't, intelligence about potential threats."
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