Breaking: House Dems Will Investigate Secret CIA Program

[babylonsister]

http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/house-republicans/breaking-house-dems-will-investigate-secret-cia-program/

Breaking: House Dems Will Investigate Secret CIA Program


This release just out from House Intel committee chair Silvestre Reyes, which says that House Dems have decided to probe the secret CIA program that had been concealed from Congress and was revealed the other day by CIA director Leon Panetta, is a big deal:

“After careful consideration and consultation with the Ranking Minority Member and other members of the Committee, I am announcing an official Committee investigation into possible violations of federal law, including the National Security Act of 1974.

“This investigation will focus on the core issues of how the congressional intelligence committees and Congress are kept fully and currently informed. To this end, the investigation will examine several issues, including the program discussed during {CIA} Director {Leon} Panetta’s June 24th notification and whether there was any official decision or direction to withold information from the Committee.”

This is interesting for a couple of reasons. First, it suggests House Dems are bucking the Obama administration. Recall that Obama’s intel chief, Dennis Blair, went out of his way earlier this week to say he didn’t think the secret program was illegal, which seemed like an effort to tell Congressional Dems to back off. But here Reyes is clearly stating a probe into “possible violations of federal law.”

Second, it means House Dems are ignoring the insistence by some Republicans and conservatives that continuing to raise questions about the CIA’s conduct is bad politically for Democrats. House GOPers have repeatedly sounded the refrain that the continued focus on the CIA by House Dems is very, very bad news for Nancy Pelosi, because it plays into GOP efforts to paint her and Democrats as weak on terror.

It seems Dems are forging ahead and ignoring the GOP’s well-intentioned advice.

[camera obscura]

1. Great news!

[Spazito]

2. Excellent news!

Recommended.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

3. Reyes was very cautious a few days ago -

when asked if his committee would investigate, he said he had to consult with his colleagues, and without consensus, he would not proceed.

So, it looks like Reyes has behind him the people he needs.

Excellent. A nice, cautious, strictly proper procedural progression. A slight glimmering of evidence of a Democratic spine in Congress.......................................

[babylonsister]

5. Yes, the spine! I've longed to see it! This could get interesting

though I imagine they'll keep us in the dark.

[redqueen]

4. Good.

Let's hope something good comes of it.

[EFerrari]

6. leveymg found this article about this "secret program" from Oct 2001:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6086742

[babylonsister]

8. Thanks. I hadn't seen that. nt

[BlooInBloo]

7. WOOT!

[timeforpeace]

9. Good. Their review might conclude that the program should have been put into effect long ago.

Killing al-Qaeda leaders. It's so crazy it just might work.

[Spazito]

14. The war in Afghanistan was ALL about killing al-Qaeda leaders...

according to the bush administration, which the stated very publicly many, many times, so that, obviously, is NOT what the secret program was about.

[rocktivity]

10. CUE THE VONAGE THEME!

And thanks to Rachel Maddow for making Sheldon Whitehouse look like an idiot for suggesting that while there was a crime, Cheney hadn't broken the law!

:woohoo:
rocktivity

[City Lights]

11. Great news!

Let's hope they don't sweep everything they find under the rug and tell us there's nothing to see.

[Kadie]

12. Yes!

K&R

[librechik]

13. wait a second--were you being sarcastic when you said the GOP were well-intentioned?

cuz they are the evil-est critters on the planet. Good for the Dems!