Posted on 05/13/2009 10:17:02 AM PDT by jazusamo
Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.), an influential Republican member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has threatened to call House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) before the Senate investigation of abusive interrogation techniques used during the Bush administration.
“I don’t want to retry Nancy Pelosi, that’s not my goal but if you’re going to accuse these people in the Bush administration of being evil and committing a crime, then if she was told about [interrogation tactics] I want to know what she was told,” Graham said during a break in a hearing on Bush-era interrogation practices.
Graham spoke to reporters during a Judiciary subcommittee hearing entitled “What Went Wrong: Torture and the Office of Legal Counsel in the Bush Administration.” Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), the chairman of the Judiciary subcommittee on Administrative Oversight and the Courts, convened the hearing.
Liberals have pressed for Democrats to move forward on an inquiry on whether Bush officials violated domestic and international law by torturing terrorist suspects.
Democratic leaders have resisted the rush to investigate, however, amidst questions of whether Democratic leaders such as Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (Nev.) were briefed and acquiesced to such techniques.
Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), another leading Republican on the issue of torture, has said that Pelosi should have objected to interrogation practices when briefed on them when she served as member of the House Select Committee on Intelligence.
Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), a former member of the Intelligence Committee who sits on Judiciary, appeared briefly to remind colleagues that lawmakers have few options to discuss or oppose policies they learn of during classified intelligence briefings.
Durbin said that Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), the former chairman and vice-chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, believed he had little recourse to oppose the Bush administration practice of conducting warrantless surveillance. Rockefeller authored a hand-written memo stating his opposition to the practice, but the note did not become public until much later.
Pelosi received a briefing on interrogation by CIA officials when she served as ranking Democrat on the Intelligence panel in 2002 but she has asserted that she was never told that waterboarding and other harsh practices were used, only that intelligence officials thought them legal.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence, however, has since released information calling Pelosi’s assertion into question. A DNI chart released earlier this month asserting that Pelosi received a briefing in September of 2002 where she was given a description of interrogation methods used on a suspected terrorist prisoner.
Pelosi has claimed a different recollection of the briefing.
“Trying to understand what she was told is almost impossible, her story changes almost every day,” said Graham.
Whitehouse said Wednesday’s session was the first of what he hoped would be several Judiciary hearings on torture. Those other sessions have yet to be scheduled.
“Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), a former member of the Intelligence Committee who sits on Judiciary, appeared briefly to remind colleagues that lawmakers have few options to discuss or oppose policies they learn of during classified intelligence briefings.”
One of the few options you do have is to leak info that makes the political opposition look bad. Senator “Leaky” Leahy was a master of this. He endangered national secuity to score quick political points.
I agree, our son was Army and in Gulf War I. As you can imagin I followed it very closely and respected Powell but that changed in a hurry the last few years.
“Why is Gramanesty broadcasting this instead of actually doing it?? Looks fishy.”
Because the Republicas are the minotiry on the commitee, so they can’t actually force the commitee to call anyone. Duh!
If the Dems start calling Bush era Republicans, he can make the case that Nancy Pelosi (and other Democrats) should also be called as witnesses.
He is getting this out into the public’s mind now to intimidate the Democrats. The Dems would never allow one of their own to be called before the commitee, but if they start this circus trial, they make be put in a position (thanks to Grahm calling for it now) to do just that.
Is this limp-wrist RINO up for reelection in 2010?
He needs to be kicked out no matter what.
WHY NOT?? SHE CERTAINLY WOULD DO IT TO YOU!
WHAT DID SHE KNOW AND WHEN DID SHE KNOW IT?
“Trying to understand what she was told is almost impossible; her story changes almost every day,” said Graham.”
Guess it depends which way she parted her hair that day.
None of the RATS including Durbin can convince me if they thought waterboarding was illegal and objected to it at the time they couldn’t have done something about it to stop it. They went along because it was getting results and saving lives.
Too many nightmare-ish double entendres in the title...
Let’s face it, Lindsay is a better woman than Nancy Pelosi will ever be!
Point taken... But IMHO we should keep beating on Pelosi at least to the point where "we need glasses", even if not going all the way...
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Yep! Go after her and her lies. I want the world to know what Nancy knew and when she knew it!
The Bushes practically created him, first by GHW Bush turning him from a Colonel to general to the head of the Joint Chiefs and then GW making him the first black secretary of state. For him to betray them so completely had to come from somewhere.
BRING IT ON, Lindsey!
I want to see those Republicans take the initiative on these issues - They have got to fight back (or they'll never, ever see another dime from me.)
More idle threats from the ball-less wonder.
I won’t believe this until I see her in the Senate chambers, cameras blazing, sweat down her brow and hearing her recite her 5th amendment rights.
Something to think about: You think Obambi and certain DEM senators are setting her up to get rid of her? Perhaps they view her as a liability.
Just listening to that whiney pansy Whitehouse is torture.
If the Dems start calling Bush era Republicans, he can make the case that Nancy Pelosi (and other Democrats) should also be called as witnesses.
He is getting this out into the public’s mind now to intimidate the Democrats. The Dems would never allow one of their own to be called before the commitee, but if they start this circus trial, they make be put in a position (thanks to Grahm calling for it now) to do just that..
Ok,Now as for the Rats I would not really care who they call at this stage.
Steny Hoyer already, reluctantly agreed that the congressional briefings would be looked into, also.
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