Republican senators react to report of Cheney telling CIA not to inform Congress

[babylonsister]

Run time: 06:29 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaPzaYlPyP8   Posted on YouTube: July 12, 2009 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: July 12, 2009 By DU Member: babylonsister Views on DU: 3319

 
http://thinkprogress.org/2009/07/12/gop-cheney-congress/

GOP Responds To Cheney’s Concealment Of CIA Program With Strawmen And Shrugged Shoulders


Earlier this week, seven House Democrats on the Intelligence Committee released a letter revealing that CIA Director Leon Panetta had “recently testified to Congress that the agency concealed information and misled lawmakers repeatedly since 2001″ about an unidentified CIA operation that was an “on-again, off-again” effort until Panetta stopped it in June. The New York Times reports today that former Vice President Dick Cheney gave “direct orders” for the program to be concealed from Congress.

On the Sunday shows this morning, several Republican lawmakers attempted to defend or divert attention away from the revelation about Cheney. “I don’t think we should be jumping to any conclusions,” said Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-AZ) on ABC’s This Week. Kyl claimed that Cheney’s alleged actions were “not out of the ordinary”:

snip//

On Fox News Sunday, Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) said that while he agrees that “the CIA should brief the Congress,” any mention of Cheney is just the Obama administration trying to “blame the Bush-Cheney administration” for everything. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer that he doesn’t “know whether it was appropriate,” but dismissed the concern by saying, “the CIA is in the secrecy business.”

Also on CNN, Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH) said that it “is wrong if somebody told the CIA not to inform the appropriate members of Congress,” but tried to cast the debate as an “attempt” by Democrats “to basically undermine the capacity to protect and develop intelligence.”

On NBC’s Meet The Press, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) said he doesn’t “know what the details of this are” and that Cheney “should obviously be heard from if the accusations are leveled in his direction.” “If I know Washington, this is the beginning of a pretty involved and detailed story,” said McCain, adding that he doesn’t know if there should be “a, quote, investigation.”

[Faygo Kid]

1. They are unmitigated scum. Fascists. Traitors. They hate our country.

Can I say it strong enough? They would have cheered Dick Cheney if he had eliminated Bush and declared martial law.

There, I said it.

[olegramps]

16. Their not one Republican, not one, that I would ever again vote for.

They have proven time and time agin that they put their party before the welfare of our nation.

[graywarrior]

2. Er, er, er..ah ah ah I have no way of knowing, we have no way of knowing

stutter stutter stutter.

Man, I am so glad to not be a republican right now.

[tridim]

3. They're all scared shitless

There's "there" there.

[TankLV]

4. The repukes are LYING - STILL - and they have been for over EIGHT YEARS now...

and all their lies are starting to unravel.

Everytime, EVERY FUCKING TIME - a Good Democrat (but I repeat my self here) tryies to say something about these EVIL Criminals - especially during these past 8 years - the repukes, en masse, have all closed ranks and tried to paint is as if the Democrats are being "partisan" or "vindictive" or some other such crap, when it is THESE REPUKES who are doing THAT WHICH THEY ACCUSE OTHERS OF DOING!!!

From locking out ONLY the Democrats from LAWFUL MEETINGS in Congress, to not letting them have any debate on proposed legislation or even get to vote on it "because we (repukes) have all the votes", and on and on over the past 8 years and more - it's now a PROVEN PATTERN of LYING, CHEATING AND DECEPTION and especially putting the REPUKE PARTY and REPUKES ABOVE EVERYTHING ELSE - EVEN COUNTRY!!!

this is going to get a lot more acromonious and worse before we BEGIN to get better...

[MindMatter]

5. Bitzer nailed it

when he asked, "If VP Biden ordered the CIA to keep a program secret from the intelligence committees, would you think that is appropriate?" And of course the response was predictable hypocrisy, saying essentially, no, it would be emphatically wrong if Biden did it, but if Cheney did it, we he probably had a good reason.

[Enthusiast]

19. Well, that's because Democrats can't

be trusted with national security issues. :sarcasm:

[quidam56]

6. BUT

It was never implimented... ( lasted eight years ) but, but ,but

[ljm2002]

25. And if it was never implemented...

...then what did Leon Panetta just shut down???

[bertman]

7. I get nauseous watching those Republican traitors try to cover up for the fascist bastard.

[TatonkaJames]

8. Cheney's face was all over the news for weeks

bashing the current administration, now he can't be contacted by anyone.
Freakin coward lying POS.
But who didn't know that already.

[Enthusiast]

20. Tatonka, that was smoke and mirrors

Welcome to DU.

[AlbertCat]

9. Reasonings

Let's see....


"It is not unusual for the VP to be this involved" (Name some other VPs who actually run things at the CIA)

"It was just a little secret program that never really got off the ground" (so it must be kept from Congress?)

"If it's top secret, they may not have to tell Congress" & "The CIA is in the secrecy business" (Uh....that's why it's only told to a few members of Congress. Besides, the law doesn't state any degrees of secrecy that are exempt from the law, does it?)

"The Dems want to tell everybody everything!" (No they don't and this is not what we are discussing. We aren't asking about future legislation, we're talking about what Dick Cheney did while in office)

and last, but not least:

"Uh uh uh....I'd have to know the facts before we investigate the facts" (Uh... John, Honey Bun, try to make sense even when you're saying "I dunno!" And BTW, Biden is the VP. Cheney is the former VP)

"

[felinetta]

10. I just knew it would be the Democrats fault! Just a few weeks ago,

Fox blamed the liberals for the nut going to the Holocaust
museum and murdering a guard. They never can admit their wrong
and take responsibility.  They really are infantile.  And now
Dick is hiding again.  

[burning rain]

11. What, no-one claimed that it was vitally important not to inform Congress,...

because treacherous Democrats would tip off America's enemies? Michele Bachmann, answer your page!

[earcandle]

12. Don't you need an investgation to get the facts of the case? I think McCain is doubletalking.

[florida08]

13. they are worried about the former administration

This is more than just taking one for the team..am beginning to wonder how many republicans knew about this the way they're circling the wagons. Underminding the CIA morale? What about american morale? We don't trust any of you. We know you're lying thru your teeth just the way Cheney did and the CIA..good grief

[dd20045]

14. made it to about 3:30

then had to turn it off. could not take any more foolishness or stupidity

[florida08]

24. I understand

believe me. I can only give them 1 video a day.

[tomm2thumbs]

15. 'the only way we'll get that information is through intelligence gathering' ?? what about torture?

Judd Gregg seems to be talking out of all five sides of his mouth now - who knew?

[ExPatLeftist]

17. Hahaha loved that last guy

If we want to find out the truth about what Cheney did, we should sit down and have a chat and ask Cheney. It's dat simple!

Fucking morons and hypocrites, all.

[Enthusiast]

18. Iran-Contra, all over again.

This is what you get when you look the other way. Cheney and his cohorts have always gotten away with breaking the law.

[LaPera]

21. Republicans are BORN liars & theives, greedy & hateful only the truly uninformed vote for them as

well as the racist, the selfish & the uneducated pea brains who believe the republican party, of and for the wealthy, the war imperialist & the corporate fascist will actually help any person, other than themselves, the wealthy.

[phantom power]

22. I'm tired of Congress hiding behind "We weren't cleared." Clear them all.

If I can get Top Secret clearance, then we can goddamned well clear every member of Congress. Let's end this bullshit game right now.

[fascisthunter]

23. true fascist scum... never again should republican politicians claim to be proud americans

truly warped people