I have come to see very little difference between CIA chief Leon Panetta’s reported attempts to intercede in a Dept. of Justice investigation into Bush/Cheney Era war crimes and illegal torture by members of the CIA, and the reported attempts of folks like former Sen. Pete Domenici (R-NM) and former Congresswoman Heather Wilson (R-NM) to similarly inject themselves into a DoJ investigation (in their case, to force one over phony “voter fraud” allegations and other politically-based investigations of Democrats) leading up to the U.S. Attorney Purge under George W. Bush.
Why should the Director of Intelligence have any say within the DoJ and/or White House administration, over what and who is investigated when crimes have allegedly been carried out?
The fact that he has been attempting to do so — as reported recently, including as late as today by the New York Times — seems clearly inappropriate, and should lead to his immediate dismissal or resignation as far as I’m concerned…
Reports the Times today:
It’s one thing to argue against the release of certain documents, such as the 2004 CIA Inspector General’s report [PDF] on our government’s use of torture, or against the release of photographs said to document abuse of detainees, etc., as reported elsewhere previously. I’d disagree with him, but he’s in his rights to argue within internal administration deliberations against such things on behalf of his department. It’s quite another matter entirely to attempt to stop, or affect in any way, an independent Dept. of Justice investigation into possible crimes. If he’s done that, he should be forced to resign.
Am I wrong? If so, why?
By the way, Fox “News” and other wingnut outlets are helping to float the rumor that Panetta may be resigning under protest of the recently-announced lawful DoJ investigation. If he does, great. Let him come out and talk about it and voice his objections publicly. That would be the appropriate way to voice his concern, as opposed to attempts at exploiting his insider status, to skew the wheels of justice. I don’t believe he’ll do that, but that would be fine by me.
On the other hand, it seems to me he should resign or be fired for his outrageous attempt at obstructing justice if, in fact, the reported allegations of him attempting to do so are actually true. For any Progressive who argued for accountability of Domenici, Wilson, and the others who inappropriately attempted to politicize the Justice Department (Rove, Gonzalez, et al) when they attempted to affect legal investigations one way or another from the inside, to argue differently now in the case of Panetta seems rather hypocritical to me. But perhaps I’m missing something. You’ll let me know.
Although I agree that the term Fox News is an oxymoron, I generally don’t believe anything I see/hear on mainstream media news sources.
That’s why I’m here.
Hey, America, turn it all the way up to eleven!
Please excuse my off topic post…
OBAMA! you got some splainin’ to do !
Ralph Nader nailed it…
Faux news is known for reporting their wishes and tooth fairy dreams as news.
What I read above is that Panetta sent one of his legal guys to make a case to their legal guys. He’s sticking up for his troops. There was plenty of unfriendly fire when Obama appointed him in the first place, because he is not an intelligence “insider”. The guy has a tough job leading a tough agency. He has to have their confidence that he is willing to fight for them.
Improper influence would be in some way interfering with the independence of the Dept of Justice in making a decision based on the merits of the evidence. Panetta has a very fine line to walk, but I don’t see that he has done a bad job so far redirecting the Agency. Our real pressure should be on Holder for keeping his team focused on “justice is blind” and on Obama for insuring that Holder knows that he is expected to do just that.
I also don’t mind if the wheels of justice grind slowly, meaning that this administration has lots of irons in the fire, and politics is a factor in getting some really important issues taken care of. Global warming and health care legislation are the two with the most obvious benefits to our nation. There is no sense that the Obama Justice Department is on a hunt for Bushies, and that is good. If they continue to move forward in a deliberate fashion on known or likely criminal offenses, then we should let them choose the appropriate pace. There will be no justice served, if the Republicans are able to brand it as a partisan witch hunt.
This is a mine field. I’m for giving our team time to figure out the best way to clear it.
Sunny Steve – The reports include screaming matches between Panetta and Emanuel at the WH, and his top attorney being sent to the DoJ “to head off the investigation” and “persuade aides to Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. to abandon any plans for an inquiry.”
That sounds like obstruction of justice to me. Were you cool when Karl Rove attempted to persuade DoJ not to investigate Republicans during the Bush Administration?
Ray McGovern asks, “Do you think the wardens will let George Tenet wear his Presidential Medal of Freedom over the orange coverall?â€
If Panetta really has at heart the best interests of the CIA as an institution, as well as the nation, he’ll help rid the CIA of the torturers and their abettors. It’s the very least required to give the CIA some semblance of respectability.
Why did the CIA, or Blackwater or whoever waterboard Kalid Sheik Muhammed 183 in one months time? Someone, (Cheney?) told them to. Why? A clue is that the 9/11 commission’s fairy tale is footnoted heavily with KSM “confessions”.
Also, keep in mind who Holder was working for when nominated: Covington and Burling, a firm who represented the RNC and Bush in the 2000 coup.
They paid Holder 2 million last year.
Was this even brought up in the confirmation hearings does anyone know? I just recently heard about it. You can be sure Obama knew well who he was putting in charge of “Justice”.
And what about all the state AG’s put in by Bush, even the ones replacing illegally fired ones….why are they still in office?
Just trying to connect some dots.
It should be called “Fax News”, because the wealthy, corporations, the military industrial complex, and Republicans “Fax” the “news” over to them…
99, does Chris have a brother named Dia? 😛
Doesn’t matter if Leon quits or not, it’ll be someone worse I’m sure that will replace him.
He has to defend his troops, doesn’t he?, or he might as well resign.
Obstruction of justice is a felony. This behavior is what we thought we were getting rid of when we elected Obama. I’m with Brad: either uphold your oath of office or get out.
The perpetrators remain the same. Only the faces we see have been changed to protect the guilty…
Leon Panetta used to be a congressman from my area of California. He is a good man. Before calling for his head maybe it would be wise to ask him directly why he is taking the position that he is on this. Could it be that he knows something that you don’t, (God forbid)? If after he makes such an explanation, provided he is allowed to speak freely, you don’t think it’s adequate then call for his head.
I know, I know, the left is falling all over themselves to try prove to the Repugs that they wont tolerate bad behavior from anyone, not even fellow Dems, so they are in overtime, attacking any and everyone in the new administration which they just voted in, even President Obama for not being leftist enough. In so doing they are doing the Repug’s, and creeps like KKKarl Rove’s, work for them. Oh and maybe some bloggers enjoy the notariety they get from making news.
Actually the CIA is torturing to try to trace the Tarp funds. They really are helping us!
So you see : Torture = good.
Investigative journalist = bad.
“She said what?”
“I’m goin’ to Texas. They got big long roads out there.” – Chris Rea
Flo! You nut! 😛
I think Chris is marvelous and such a brother would be such a bummer!
LOL
I think the reason Panetta is trying to stop any investigation into the CIA is not because he’s trying to protect the CIA but because he’s trying to protect Democratic members of Congress that lemmingly went along with it and kept their mouths shut. I say investigate and publicize the names of those Democratic members of congress that shat on the Constitution alongside the Rethugs – doesn’t their oath of office also say they’re supposed to uphold and protect the constitution? Well, they didn’t (which, by the way, is treason) and should be made to pay for that.
Please, brother, can we please, at least here on this awesome, nominally nonpartisan site refrain from such juvenile terms as “repugs”. It falsely implies the other side is much better. That is a false dichotomy of hegelian proportions. Both parties work for the same masters. Both should be outlawed and their leaders imprisoned.
I expect such immature verbiage at such middle school playgrounds as DemocraticUnderground or Prisonplanet, but Brad is running a class joint here. Do you also use “repuke”? Do you still say “nanny-nanny boo-boo”?
Try not to buy into the oligarchs divide and conquer strategy. Truth, with honor and dignity, will win in the end.
S in PA said:
I’ve got no problem with that, of course, but just checking, you are calling for a full investigation of the felonious and treasonous (by your definition) Republicans who actually wrote, implemented and still defend those illegal policies, correct, S in PA?
Comment #17…S in PA
ABSOLUTELY!
Dem enablers should be investigated and prosecuted also. If that’s what it takes to rid us of government mandated lawlessness then so be it.
I say this investigation roots out all of the facist thugs including those Dems that sold their backbone to enable the Bushies thuggery…fine.
This isn’t partisian my friend…
Fire all the clinton pawns in the Obama administration. WE voted for change , not more of the bush/clinton cabal.Clintonites are as bad as the bushes. Maybe worse, because they disguise themselves as democrats. In reality, they oppose all progressive legislation. The Third Way is totalitarian govt.