Central Intelligence Agency Director Leon E. Panetta has told lawmakers that the agency "concealed significant actions" from Congress, according to a letter released Wednesday from seven Democratic lawmakers.
The letter also contends that Mr. Panetta said CIA officials have misled Congress since 2001.
……CIA spokesman George Little said, "It is not the policy or practice of the CIA to mislead Congress." Mr. Little said the CIA itself "took the initiative to notify the oversight committees" about the lapses. Mr. Panetta brought the issue to lawmakers' attention on June 24.
It may not be the "policy or practice"….but it happens, the "misleading" of Congress, that is……you know, the "lapses."
House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi was pilloried by Republicans and their lapdogs in media when she stated unequivocally that the CIA lies to, and misleads Congress on a regular basis.
The Bush/Cheney torture regime had been coming under heavy criticism after Obama's release of Bush's Office of Legal Counsel's "Torture memos" which "legalized" the illegal practice of torture. Eyewitnesses started talking about Guantanamo. More evidence emerged about Cheney's purpose in torturing detainees….to coerce false confessions linking Iraq with al-Qaeda, thus producing a "justification" to start an unjustifable war.
Cheney and his daughter Liz began appearing every other day on teevee to spout their lies of cover-up. It was during that time that Pelosi challenged the truthfulness of Bush's CIA in briefing Congressional figures about "enhanced interrogations." It was then that Pelosi, not Cheney, as planned, became the focus of the media's attack.
The media narrative switched from the clear evidence pointing to Cheney as the mastermind and main figure in the push for the illegal torturing of detainees, a war crime and felony,…..to some unintelligible attack on Nancy Pelosi. During a brief press conference, Pelosi had said that the CIA misleads Congress on a regular basis and stated that she was never told during 2002 briefings that the CIA had already used "enhanced interrogations" methods, such as waterboarding.
Republicans attacked using their access to the media's sh*tstorm button. Pelosi was targeted as an evil-doer. She had the audacity to say that the Divine and Immaculately Conceived CIA "lies to Congress on a regular basis." Calls for investigations into Pelosi ensued. What did she know and when did she know it? It was all high-bullsh*t at it's finest….but it took the focus off of Cheney and Bush….and that was it's purpose.
Now, as we can see from Leon Panetta's private meeting with Congressional representatives,…yes, the CIA has not been completely honest with Congress, having "concealed significant actions" from them. Exactly what Pelosi had said earlier.
I'm sure that as I type this, new and improved media sh*tstorm ammunition (with 50% more mendacity) is being created and smeared around to suggest that Panetta didn't say what he said, if he ever said it in the first place. I watched Andrea Greenspan Mitchell last night tell Olbermann that this was all about 7 Democrats and their blind loyalty to Nancy Pelosi.
Naturally, Andrea had on some new, colorful and chic Knee Pads.
{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }
You know when Panetta said "It is not the policy or the practice of the CIA to mislead Congress" my first thought was maybe not in "your" CIA but I would not be surprised to learn it was the practice of the Bush CIA and lo and behold here we are.
I'm glad the Reverend is finally taking this issue seriously (or at least somewhat seriously). It is serious. When the GOP'ers called for an investigation into Pelosi's allegations, the Reverend pooh-poohed the entire idea as a distraction (and you still are, somehow. Weird). I guess it's only when Democrats speak that it draws the Rev's attention. Now, magically, the Rev thinks the issue is real. I suppose that's progress, kinda.
Our whole government needs to be investigated. From the top all the way through to the mayors of our cities.
Amen.
What's to be taken seriously? Should we take seriously the evidence suggesting that the CIA was taken captive by Darth Vader's dark "stovepipe" lords, and intelligence was cherry-picked to backfill a pre-determined end?
Anything serious there?
"When the GOP'ers called for an investigation into Pelosi's allegations, the Reverend pooh-poohed the entire idea as a distraction (and you still are, somehow. Weird). I guess it's only when Democrats speak that it draws the Rev's attention. Now, magically, the Rev thinks the issue is real."
It is a distraction, and will remain one. The "issue" of investigating Pelosi is not just a distraction, it's also an attempt to obstruct justice by changing the subject away from the Bush/Cheney war crime of conducting a secret, illegal, torture program while simultaneously defrauding Congress and the American people for the purpose of attacking and occupying Iraq.
There's plenty of evidence right now to proceed to war crimes tribunals. The blatant Republican and media-swarm hysteria directed towards Pelosi approached Barnum and Bailey-style cartoonishness. Colbert and Stewart fodder.
The issue remains: Will the U.S. have the fortitude to hold war criminals, thieves, oath breakers, Constitution shredders, traitors, and liars to account.
Obama says no. All Republcans say no. The media says no. The Village says no. So all that's left is….umm….the American people.
Without a thorough accounting of all that I've mentioned and more, the nation can look forward to a new time, with a new GOP president…..who will take what Bush/Cheney did and make it look like it was kids playing, in comparison.
A nation which cannot or will not hold it's highest leaders in government accountable for executive branch crimes exponentially worse than anything Nixon did, is a country in irreversible decline.
Did anyone read the article? Reps on the committee say the dem letter inaccurately portrays Panetta's comments. Who knows, because at this point it's just politicians being politicians and covering for their own.
But I'm shocked the Reverend would post on such a meaningless issue.
You're full of it. Pelosi is a liar.
The US never tortured anyone. The terrorist swine that were waterboarded or deprived of sleep, etc. gave up valuable info that prevented dozens of attacks.That's not torture, that's interrogation of pigs. The swine we're dealing with torture, maim, kill and then hide within civilian populations. They wear no uniforms and swear loyalty only to there heretical views of Islam.
Bush and Cheney had it right. They are not prisoners of war, they are terrorists. They deserve no protections. Even the dummy obama has figured some of it out.
So, Rev, you're still saying that the CIA lying to Congress is no big deal ? I can't keep up. Why did you write the post then ?
One correction. The Republicans didn't want to "investigate Pelosi," as you claim. They wanted to investigate Pelosi's ALLEGATIONS (or have her retract them). That's a pretty big difference. Call me crazy, but I still cling to the "distraction" that the CIA lying to Congress is an "issue." A big one.
And thanks for the anti-Bush tirade. I've never heard you say anything like that before
It's a "meaningless issue", and I'm "full of it".
And a pleasant day to you, too.
GOP committee member on with Lawrence O'Donnell last night admitted that Panetta told the committee the CIA had misled and lied to Congress.
King got this right…
"When the GOP'ers called for an investigation into Pelosi's allegations,"
The GOP didn't care about CIA lying….they cared about Pelosi SAYING that the CIA lied.
Then you turn it on it's head by saying it's all about the CIA lying to Congress….
"So, Rev, you're still saying that the CIA lying to Congress is no big deal ?"
The CIA lied and misled Congress, Pelosi said as much, Panetta agreed with Pelosi, and the GOP's distraction has muddied it up enough where even King forgot what he was talking about.
Another correction, Rev. Pelosi's allegation that the CIA lied to her about waterboarding has already been disproven. Panetta didn't agree with Pelosi about that, he disagreed. But that isn't the controversy. Pelosi just lied about that to cover her own butt. It was Pelosi's general comment that the CIA lies to her all the time that prompted the GOP to call for an investigation or a retraction. I don't deny there's politics involved in it (as there is from both sides all the time on everything), but when the Speaker of the House says something like that, it SHOULD be verified or withdrawn. There shouldn't be any disagreement along partisan lines here.
The letter the 7 Dems just sent and other Dem allegations about the CIA misleading Congress (as recently as last month) should also be investigated. The truth should be found out. The Dems are basically accusing the CIA of treason. If nothing is done, and no investigation is launched, then that means those Dems are just playing political games, which would be disgraceful.
I'd also like to add that I got a real kick out of you calling liberal Andrea Mitchell a "Knee-Padder," (as in, a shill for that imaginary GOP media you have built up in your mind). That was classic.
A brief summary – Andrea Mitchell, the liberal reporter who has been a longtime member of liberal NBC. Andrea Mitchell, who has a show on the most liberal cable network, MSNBC. Andrea Mitchell, frequent guest on Rachel Maddow, Hardball With Chris Matthews, and Meet The Press.
Yeah, she's practically Karl Rove, lol.
This is so not right…
" when the Speaker of the House says something like that, it SHOULD be verified or withdrawn."
Why? Because poor, poor CIA agents who broke laws don't want their feelings hurt? It's ridiculous.
Andrea Mitchell is a veteran Villager. She's quick to repeat the GOP's talking point of the day, and she always sneers at true liberals. Listen closely to the stuff she says.
No, because the CIA shouldn't be lying to Congress and if they are it should be stopped, Reverend. It could cost Americans their lives and freedoms. The same costs could occur if the CIA is ignored because the speaker is ignoring their warnings and telling congress the agency is just lying.
The only way to stop the CIA from lying to Congress is to do away with the CIA. Is that what you're suggesting?
Both Republicans and Democrats, you know, in a bi-partisan manner, are on the record saying that the CIA doesn't tell the truth to Congress.
Funny stuff, this…
"It could cost Americans their lives and freedoms."
Ironic much.
What's ironic about it Reverend?
One of your Leaders, Richard Cheney, browbeat the CIA, stovepiping and cherry picking their work in order to mislead Congress and the American people,…..and you say that if it's true that the CIA lies to Congress…."It could cost Americans their lives and freedoms."
That's what's ironic.
It's not ironic at all. If that's what happened it should be revealed, but I've been reading your rants about it for the last couple years and haven't seen any hard evidence at all.
Pelosi could get to the bottom of it if she wanted to, so could Obama.