Boehner: I Only Want To Declassify Those Documents That Help My Party And Me Politically
Boehner: I Only Want To Declassify Those Documents That Help My Party And Me Politically
Last week, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) asked President Obama to release several classified memos referenced in a recent interview by former Vice President Dick Cheney, claiming that the memos could show that the Bush administration’s torture program was effective in gathering intelligence.
Over the weekend, however, McClatchy reported that the CIA Inspector General (IG) found in a still-classified 2004 report “that there was no conclusive proof that waterboarding or other harsh interrogation techniques helped the Bush administration thwart any ’specific imminent attacks.’” The IG concluded that “waterboarding was riskier than officials claimed and reported that the CIA’s Office of Medical Services thought that the risk to the health of some prisoners outweighed any potential intelligence benefit.”
In response to the McClatchy piece, Greg Sargent asked Boehner’s office if the Minority Leader would be requesting that Obama also declassify the 2004 IG report. Boehner’s office responded by suggesting that such a request would be “cherry-picking for political purposes“:
Decisions about whether or not to release information regarding our bipartisan efforts to gather intelligence on the terrorist threat over the past eight years should be based on what’s best for our security, not cherry-picked for political purposes. The American people deserve to make their judgments based on the full set of facts.
In refusing to endorse releasing any documents that might demonstrate that his support for the Bush administration’s use of torture was misguided, Boehner is himself ensuring that Americans won’t be able to “make their judgments based on the full set of facts.”
More to the point, Boehner’s accusations of “cherry picking” come on the same day that he called for the CIA to release classified documents showing when and what Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) knew about the Bush administration’s use of torture. As Glenn Thrush reports, in calling for the Pelosi details to be released, “[t]he GOP is hoping to spotlight the fact that Pelosi and other Democrats raised few objections when told about details of the Bush administration ‘enhanced interrogations’ of terror suspects.” In other words, Boehner wants to declassify the documents for the “political purposes” that Boehner’s spokesman decried earlier today.
To be sure, the public should know exactly what and when the congressional leadership knew about the Bush administration’s use of torture. But the public should also know what the CIA’s IG had to say about it as well. Anything less is not the “full set of facts.”
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not cherry-picked for political purposes
And Boner doesn’t think that Cheney asking for 3 pages out of a 12 page document be released isn’t “cherry picking for political purposes”.
If our government does agree to release the memos that Cheney is asking be released, they need to release the entire memos, not just the parts that Cheney wants released.
April 27th, 2009 at 5:12 pmAs far as shedding light on the truth is concerned, whatever happened to the Republican mantra of “What are you worried about if you have nothing to hide?” mmm…we don’t hear much of that any more.
April 27th, 2009 at 5:16 pmBoehner is still suffering from that Cow gas problem. Dick Cheney owns John Boehner and he has to do and say what he is told by Darth Cheney or he’ll lose his money for his tan, nails and hair as well as his alcohol.
April 27th, 2009 at 5:17 pm“Boehner: I Only Want To Declassify Those Documents That Help My Party And Me Politically”
It must be the cow gas that affecting Boner’s brain. He makes no sense. Repub = Retarded.
April 27th, 2009 at 5:19 pmBoener is applying his standards for releasing classified documents based on purely political reasons, but it would appear that there were other reasons certain information was blocked. The attached below is quite illuminating.
Hastert: Source Said Negroponte Blocked Me From Getting Briefed On Harman Wiretap
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/04/hastert_source_said_negroponte_blocked_me_from_get.php
April 27th, 2009 at 5:20 pmLet’s just chop down the cherry tree then, shall we?
Shine daylight on everything. If a Democrat is complicit, we’ll prosecute them too.
April 27th, 2009 at 5:21 pmThis is why a complicit Congress should be left out of the investigative process.
An independent investigator should do the job and take any criminal behavior through our federal court system. Legal judgments are needed to prevent the next unitary executive from pulling a Bush.
April 27th, 2009 at 5:21 pmMasters of Projection!
April 27th, 2009 at 5:24 pmFaww-Uuhrr…!!!
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April 27th, 2009 at 5:25 pmBoner has always “Cherry Picked” information when ever it is the Repukes interest or would do political harm to the Democrats. SOS!
April 27th, 2009 at 5:31 pmVery hypocritical. Wasn’t it Boehner who accused Obama and the Democratic Party of making this a political issue?
I’d say release all of the information so we can watch Boehner and the rest of the thuglicans scurry for cover.
April 27th, 2009 at 5:34 pmThat follow-through tells you that boner shoots about 95 . . . from the whites.
April 27th, 2009 at 5:34 pmAmen @ normalasf…
It shocks me (as much as one could be shocked at this point) that Republicans think that we’d obviously shy away from prosecuting criminals if they happen to share our party affiliation.
It genuinely shocks me that some Dems seem to do exactly that.
As for the meat of the post, this kind of behavior just has to fall under a definition of mental illness doesn’t it? I accept that this kind of thing happens, but I still cannot even fathom how one could live with such blatant cognitive dissonance.
April 27th, 2009 at 5:35 pmBoehner thinks cow farts are to blame for global warming, too. Why are we listening to him?
April 27th, 2009 at 5:37 pmAh! Another Boner story. I was wondering when Boner was going to make an appearance. Now come on people – let’s think about this. He’s in the political dog house right now so, he needs all the help he can get. Ohio is turning BLUE buddy! He better start looking for one of those green jobs soon …..
Isn’t irrelevancy a b!tch!
April 27th, 2009 at 5:37 pmBoehner and the GOPers are just self-serving jerks! Only what suits them, only what is good for them…screw the country!!
April 27th, 2009 at 5:37 pmHe’s not saying it shouldn’t be released, he’s just refusing to comment on that one in particular, while issuing a blanket:
I would say that his statement that everything be released would cover that one as well.
April 27th, 2009 at 5:39 pmOh come now, that’s willful naivety. You know exactly what he means when he promotes one thing and deflects another (or refuses comment).
April 27th, 2009 at 5:42 pmnormalasf Says:
Let’s just chop down the cherry tree then, shall we?
Shine daylight on everything. If a Democrat is complicit, we’ll prosecute them too.
Bingo! This is one of the differences between the GOP supporters and Dem supporters. A GOP supporter doesn’t give a rat’s ass if the GOP politician has done, even if it’s dead wrong. The GOP supporter will defend to the point of ignorance. The Dem supporter, on the other hand, can see right from wrong. Also, the GOP supporter can’t see this fundamental difference and thus believes that Dem supporters are weak. It’s sad, but true.
April 27th, 2009 at 5:43 pmCherry-picked info was stove-piped up the chain to produce a result that sent our Troops into Iraq based on false and misleading info!
April 27th, 2009 at 5:45 pmNow they’re against cherry-picking?
I wouldn’t want to be in the stove-pipe industry right now, if you know what I mean!
You know, if you guys keep pointing out Boehner’s hypocracy….
You’re going to make him cry, just like Glen Beck.
April 27th, 2009 at 5:46 pmHis real first name is Pullsa.
April 27th, 2009 at 5:49 pmBoehner: I Only Want To Declassify Those Documents That Help My Party And Me Politically
Funny, same thing the MSM wants, i think, unless they get as excited as most people are about getting to the bottom of it all, in gory detail.
April 27th, 2009 at 5:56 pmSuppose Pelosi did know about their intention to torture captives. What options did she have to prevent or stop it from happening ? I really don’t think she could have done much except strenuously object.
April 27th, 2009 at 6:00 pmI say let everything out.
You know if it actually *did* work, we would have known it by now–there would be a siren on Drudge.
I’m sure the Cheney “evidence” is more of the same–complete bs.
April 27th, 2009 at 6:08 pmYeh, well, the democrats werent the majority in the house and senate when all this stuff started.
April 27th, 2009 at 6:11 pmHey Boner,
I’ll shove that golf club up your ass, since it isn’t any worse than waterboarding…then you can tell me if it felt like torture. How does a hypocritical jack ass like that get elected to public office is beyond me.
April 27th, 2009 at 6:15 pmHe’s not responsible for what he says: he’s speaking under the influence.
April 27th, 2009 at 6:26 pmIf she was prevented classified information and told what had been ordered by other there isn’t much she could do. BUT it has always been suspect that she refused to consider impeachment. If her lack of action is a reflection of her personal political goals and not just because she couldn’t speak then she should go down with the GOP.
April 27th, 2009 at 6:27 pmPerry logan Says:
His real first name is Pullsa.
Or is it really PAULA?
April 27th, 2009 at 6:29 pmPaolo Says:
He’s not responsible for what he says: he’s speaking under the influence.
…Of Rush Limbaugh’s oxycontin supply.
April 27th, 2009 at 6:29 pmhe’s playing to the redstate types that make up the base. i posted this link to a story about a redstate poster and commenters hoping for american death. one commenter said he hopes an attack comes in “a really blue city in a really blue state.”
http://blahgblog.wordpress.com/2009/04/21/disgusting-rightwing-republicans-hope-for-mass-casualty-attack-and-think-dead-americans-republican-renaissance/
When people like this make up your last remaining supporters, you have no choice but to ratchet up the crazy to keep them happy.
April 27th, 2009 at 6:39 pmNice sweater, and they call us the elitests
April 27th, 2009 at 6:48 pmTorture is torture, period. I really don’t think these guys know or care how serious the situation is. The “appearance of cherry picking reports” to humiliate or to gain political advantage would not play well with the voters. These Congressmen have to begin the art of governing. If they can’t it will become very clear who is capable and who is not.
The Republicans are so sure this torture was the correct avenue, why not but the facts on the table for the public to see. What are they afraid of? Why are they dragging Pelosi and other Democrats in with them? If this was such a great thing to do, why are they willing to share in all the glory?
I am begging some questions.
perplexed, flight
April 27th, 2009 at 7:07 pmAny cop, special agent, or FBI interrogator with half a brain cell knows that torture first is illegal and second that it doesn’t work. Interrogation is an art and it takes years of experience to excel at it. In order for criminals and terrorists to open up and tell the truth, it takes time and patience, every professional book on interrogation and any cop will tell you that confessions are obtained by gaining the suspect’s trust, using psychology and sticking with it until the suspect confesses. (And not under duress).
If a law enforcement officer used torture or any other means deemed appropriate under the cheney/bush administration, the following scenario would occur:
1. Any statements by the suspect would be thrown out of court, because the confession was obtained illegally.
2. Any prosecutor in this country would drop all charges against the suspect and he would be released.
3. The law enforcement officer would be arrested and subsequently convicted for the crime of torture, and he or she would go to prison.
4. The former law enforcement officer would be sued civilly by the suspect and the Civil Rights Division of the Dept. of Justice, and he or she would lose everything of value that they ever owned.
The fact that people believe that torture works is because they watch too much television and don’t read. That’s all there is to it!
April 27th, 2009 at 7:33 pmNot all people think torture is illegal, some even become federal judges…incredible. Hey George Bush Jr., that’s some legacy tied around your neck!
April 27th, 2009 at 7:37 pmMr. Boner, it’s all or nothing, so lets declassify all the memos/documents for the world to see. Then when the dust settles, you and your party will find it difficult to maintain even a minor role in government.
April 27th, 2009 at 7:49 pmWhen making a review of the dimwits, the partisans, the racists, and the self-righteous who make up 99% of the Republican party, it is a wonder that they are simply laughed out of town.
April 27th, 2009 at 7:51 pmIf there were capable people in the party surely they would be replacing partisan alcoholics like Boehner, but when we look at the ranks of the up and coming newsmakers, we see Jindal, Cantor, Steele, Bachmann, and it seems certain that they will remain on the fringe, creating brush fires, and otherwise creating distractions.
Funny how people who were once so opposed to torture are now singing a different song in praising torture for its “effectiveness.”
April 27th, 2009 at 7:53 pmIOKIYAR.
What are all the trolls going to do when they finally figure out that torture doesn’t work? Don’t all the torture defenders claim that it saved lives? We are going to find out slowly, but surely that torture did not thwart any attacks and that our once good name may be permanently soiled.
Heckuva job, bushies!
April 27th, 2009 at 9:00 pmBoehner is correct about one thing: the moral rot is bipartisan. While the Republicans enthusiastically endorsed torture, forced disappearance and murder of detainees, most Democrats were either silent or hypocritical, publicly condemning the practices while either covertly supporting them or taking no action to curtail them.
Obama was forced to publicly denounce these criminal policies, but is reluctant to investigate or punish them, and has shown little concern for apparently continuing maltreatment.
April 27th, 2009 at 9:45 pmIf we’re going to go on a witch hunt, let’s go all the way. Let’s see everything in order to get to the bottom of who knew and who didn’t. No more lame excuses we didn’t know or we weren’t told. Those lame excuse were used once when the Democrats voted to go to war in Iraq and then said they weren’t told everything. Let’s see everything and not be selective with those things we don’t want the people to see. After all this is a truth commission isn’t it. Let all the truth come out and not only half truths
April 27th, 2009 at 10:21 pmChapalody Says:
Getting at the truth isnt a witch hunt it is a truth hunt. I agree though let it all out. Let justice be done PERIOD.
April 27th, 2009 at 10:55 pm.
… Of course it’s not “political” when Boehner does it, YES?
.
April 28th, 2009 at 1:28 amChapalody Says:
If we’re going to go on a witch hunt, let’s go all the way. Let’s see everything in order to get to the bottom of who knew and who didn’t.
No witch hunt. Just prosecute the people who committed crimes.
April 28th, 2009 at 2:19 am(from Steve Benen, The Washington Monthly):
“QUOTE OF THE DAY…. The right sentiment for a U.S. president to express when it comes to government-sanctioned, government-directed torture policies:
“It’s important for people to understand that in a democracy, there will be a full investigation. In other words, we want to know the truth. In our country, when there’s an allegation of abuse … there will be a full investigation, and justice will be delivered. … It’s very important for people and your listeners to understand that in our country, when an issue is brought to our attention on this magnitude, we act. And we act in a way in which leaders are willing to discuss it with the media. … In other words, people want to know the truth.
“That stands in contrast to dictatorships. A dictator wouldn’t be answering questions about this. A dictator wouldn’t be saying that the system will be investigated and the world will see the results of the investigation.”
You could probably guess by the frequent reference to “in other words” that this wasn’t Obama, but rather, was George W. Bush, speaking to al Arabiya after the Abu Ghraib scandal erupted.”
April 28th, 2009 at 3:18 amThis message from Boehner is, bring it on, make my day,
I dare ya, you don’t have the guts, you can’t handle the truth, etc.
I think they have decided thay want this fight.
They see serious vulnerabilty for Pelosi, Feinstein, no public sympathies for the architect of 9/11, they desire a refocus on the post 9/11 mindset, are fighting military cutbacks, and need to stop this government, right now.
The same thing happened under Clinton, everything came to a screeching halt.
April 28th, 2009 at 11:27 amid8 – Please stop typing. You are making the Americans look bad. Go read a couple history books before you babble again and make yourself look like an idiot.
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