GOP Rep.: House Dems Need Babysitter

By: Daniel Carty
Topics: Domestic Issues

(CBS)

The ranking Republican on the House Intelligence Committee said the flap between Democrats and CIA Director Leon Panetta over whether the intelligence agency lied to lawmakers is "bizarre" and shows the Democrats lack leadership.

"[Republicans are] just kind of sitting on the sidelines. We're trying to focus on national security policy, national security issues, and the Democrats, from my perspective, are looking for some adult supervision. There's no leadership here at all. … This is very, very bizarre," Michigan Rep. Peter Hoekstra said on CBS' "The Early Show" Thursday.

Back in May, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi accused the CIA of lying to her about the use of waterboarding as an interrogation technique during briefings in 2002.

Panetta responded saying it was not CIA policy to mislead Congress, but in recent letters Democrats allege Panetta told lawmakers last month that the agency had in fact concealed information repeatedly since 2001.

Republicans have said those letters, along with threats from President Obama to veto an upcoming intelligence bill, are calculated to give Pelosi political cover on whether she knew of waterboarding back in 2002.

"It's very strange. They sent that letter on stationery making sure that letter was available to the press but also making sure we on the Republican side didn't get the letter," Hoekstra told "Early Show" co-anchor Harry Smith.

"Also the letter that [Rep.] Sylvestre Reyes sent to Leon Panetta was slipped under my door after hours and it was given to the media well before we ever received it. So to me, it looks like they're working on the political equation. They're not trying to foster a bipartisan consensus on national security."

Hoekstra added that while he has also been misled during CIA briefings, the agency usually provides enough information to lawmakers for oversight.

"What you will find is by and large in the vast majority of cases, when we are briefed by the CIA, we get the information that we need to do the job. Sometimes it's difficult to pull that information out of them, but if Congress does its job, I think we can get the information that we need."

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by chevyhotrod July 9, 2009 1:43 PM EDT: by slownewsday_05 July 9, 2009 8:43 AM PDT
"Moron's"
by chevyhotrod July 9, 2009 6:34 AM PDT

Pretty funny when someone tries to call other people "morons" while showing off their own incorrect grammar...

slownewsday...learn how to read, I did not call anyone anything, I was quoting your friends. Is that all you got, notice you did not refer to the facts as laid out, you libs just like to insult others. Go figure.

by johndevinejr July 9, 2009 8:34 AM PDT
And you are a republican failure

17%

johndevinefr, are you quoting the unemployment rate that your Dear President Obama is headed for? I never said I was a republican. I am no failer, I do not rely on the government for anything. My wife, 3 kids and myself live very comfortable thanks to hard work and a great work ethic. May be you should stop insulting others and rely on facts. 53% voted for Obama, 46% voted for McCain. Don't rely on MSM poles, they never get it right. The silent majority is going to jump up and bit you in the $SS, if the government doesn't get you first.; Reply to this comment


by wogerwabbit July 9, 2009 12:35 PM EDT: The republicans are losing it... LOL! They even lie to themselves now. How pathetic.; Reply to this comment


by shrillary July 9, 2009 12:09 PM EDT: Anyone that thinks Pelosi and friends are not natural born liars is probably one of the intellectually limited voters that keeps them in office. Do you actually believe Leon Panetta of all folks was less than truthful in his original very public support of the CIA? Or that his public letter was not vetted by the administration before it was released? Get real.

There is doubtless a still hidden story here though and my guess is that it is another piece of Pelosi duplicity (or oversight irresponsibility) that she is desparately trying to keep hidden. Why? Because it has been longstanding national security policy to notify and brief ONLY the ranking Republican and Democrat on the committee on particularly sensitive matters. This means Pelosi has been privy to LOTS of stuff other house members were not.

This policy was established because even those House members on the Intelligence committee could not be trusted to keep there mouth shut on matters of intelligence and national security. Many of us have good reason to believe House members in general and Democrats in particular have been too willing to sell out their country for momentary political advantage or Press attention they otherwise would not merit. Note that a willingness to talk about security matters is a ticket to your own WO or NYT reporter AND ALL THE POLTICAL FAVORS THAT SUCH CONTACT MIGHT GIVE YOU.

This is what the House "Intelligence Bill" (opposed by the Obama administration as it would be by any responsible administration) is all about. MORE DEMOCRATS WANT SECRETS TO SELL!; Reply to this comment


by red1952 July 9, 2009 11:42 AM EDT: No, actually the babysitters were needed in '91 when the CIA was lying their you know what off to Congress and the American people. Oh, I forogt, Congress was lying to us too. But Americans have short memories by the looks of some of these posts. Are we really ready to go back to the way repubs run things. God help us!; Reply to this comment

by ABM_21 July 9, 2009 11:42 AM EDT

It's very strange. They sent that letter on stationery making sure that letter was available to the press but also making sure we on the Republican side didn't get the letter," Hoekstra told "Early Show" co-anchor Harry Smith.
---------------------------------------------------------------
That's because Republicans didn't need to see it. They have long since proven they are incapable of leadership. This is nothing more than a desperate attempt on their part to try to get back into the good graces of the American people. Since the flaps with Sanford and Palin have come and gone, they are frantically searching for something---anything---that can derail the Obama express. This, they hope, is that tool. IF the CIA did not fully inform Congress on all of their activities, that gives credence to Pelosi's claim that she was not informed about torture. If Panetta himself stated 'that the agency had in fact concealed information repeatedly since 2001', then there is some need to reign in rogus forces at the CIA. They are as much to blame for this unnecessary war with Iraq as Bush is.
This is not the magic bullet conservatives think it is...as if they could think.

Reply to this comment


by johndevinejr July 9, 2009 11:47 AM EDT: The conservatives should nominate Sarah Palin as thier leader. She is the best they have. The absolutely perfect person to represent republicans.
And just because she quit, doesn't make her a quitter. I'm sure that will resonate with repubs.


by johndevinejr July 9, 2009 11:31 AM EDT: by goduke150 July 9, 2009 7:44 AM PDT
Not sure where you got that number, but I have links against it.

Whenever a repub doesn't like reality, they simply make up facts.; Reply to this comment


by johndevinejr July 9, 2009 11:28 AM EDT: And in case you haven't noticed, Obama is basically following the Bush military plan in Afghanistan.

Another lie that is completely the opposite of reality. Bush totally ignored the real problem in Afghanastan as Obama pointed out time after time, and prosecuted a war based on lies in Iraq.

Iraq is another republican disaster we have to clean up after, along with the economy, GITMO, stopping illegal wiretapping, reinstituting the Constitution of the United States after the barbarian repubs trashed it because they were to frightened to follow it.

What a bunch, republicans have lost all concept of reality.
Good thing we have run them to the sidelines where they can't continue to damage America.

Stunning stupidity, combined with pompous arrogance has gotten the repubs were they belong, on the 17% sideline.; Reply to this comment


by johndevinejr July 9, 2009 11:18 AM EDT: by -----One-American----- July 9, 2009 8:00 AM PDT
Obama and the Democrat's grip on power depends upon how well they decieve the public - and, according to recent polls, it looks like the public is catching on to the lies of Obama and the Democrats.

Now that the lies of the Democrats are turning into higher debt, higher taxes, higher unemployment, and lowered national standing in the world - the Democrats are about to recieve their just rewards for their continuous deception.

Of course you forget to mention that the republicans caused the problems that we have.

Fortunately repubs do not recognize the stupidity of their ideas and continue to believe in nonsense.
I hope they continue to advance their idiotic and obviously failed policies. These policies are what made them into a marginal 17% party.
The fewer republicans we have influencing policies, the more honesty and freedom we will continue to have.; Reply to this comment


by DoubleHappiness88 July 9, 2009 11:04 AM EDT: Americans have not gotten TRUTH from The CIA since 1950.

What we have gotten is inaccurate information and lies to cover the bad intelligence. What is more, **Central INTELLIGENCE Agency** is a misnomer.; Reply to this comment


by hwy71so July 9, 2009 11:00 AM EDT: Yep, the democrats are the kids running the nursery.; Reply to this comment