Boehner Echoes Hoekstra and Gingrich: Only Republicans Are Allowed To Dispute The CIA
Boehner Echoes Hoekstra and Gingrich: Only Republicans Are Allowed To Dispute The CIA
Last week, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said that the CIA misled her when they first briefed her on the Bush administration’s torture program. House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) responded by saying that it was “hard” for him “to imagine that anyone in our intelligence area would ever mislead a member of Congress.” Today, Boehner made similar comments as he announced that Congressional Republicans would introduce a resolution calling for an investigation of Pelosi’s claims (the resolution failed). Boehner said an investigation was justified because Pelosi made what he called a “serious charge”:
BOEHNER: It has nothing to do about — it has nothing to do with detainees. It has nothing to do with anything else.
The speaker of the House is third in line to the presidency. And for the speaker of the House to lay this kind of charge at the men and women who are charged with helping to protect us is a serious charge.
But when reporters questioned Boehner about his own comments that the intelligence community could not be trusted when the National Intelligence Estimate on Iran’s nuclear capabilities came out 2007, the Minority Leader demurred. Boehner said that the comparison was “mixing apples with oranges”:
QUESTION: [I]n 2007 — I just looked at the transcript — you had accused the intelligence community of greatly misleading the nation by changing their national intelligence assessment about the…
BOEHNER: We’re mixing apples — we’re mixing apples and oranges here.
QUESTION: Why is that different?
BOEHNER: Because when the National Intelligence Estimate came out with regard to Iran, it — it contradicted most everything that I had been told in the six months leading up to it. … I was questioning how this National Intelligence Estimate could — could vary and contradict a lot of information that I’d been told for the six months coming up to it.
In fact, Boehner and his Republican colleagues worked extremely hard to portray the intelligence community as misleading Congress and the President on Iran’s nuclear capability. At the time, Boehner said that he doubted the CIA’s conclusions, while Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-MI) called the presentation that the intelligence committee delivered to members of Congress on the Iran NIE “pathetic.” “Members didn’t find them forthcoming, or even well-versed in answering very tough questions,” Hoekstra added.
More broadly, Boehner said yesterday that he agreed with Hoekstra’s claim last fall that the CIA had lied to Congress about a 2001 incident in which the CIA killed a U.S. citizen in Peru.
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Well, yeah. IOKIYAR.
Duh.
/snark
May 21st, 2009 at 4:42 pmIOKIYAR!!
May 21st, 2009 at 4:42 pmThe Bonerization of America continues, with more lies, innuendo and flagrant factoids.
Mr. MINORITY, would you like some cheese with that whine?
May 21st, 2009 at 4:43 pmBOEHNER: We’re mixing apples — we’re mixing apples and oranges here.
QUESTION: What do you mean, ‘apples and oranges’?
BOEHNER: I mean Republicans and Democrats. You can’t compare the two using the same standards of behavior. One’s a Democrat and obviously bad. The other is a Republican and the source of all that is good and holy. I don’t know why you leftist drive-by media people can’t get that.
May 21st, 2009 at 4:44 pmGod almighty! Even the liars can’t keep their stories straight. IOKIYAR, I guess. Do the citizens realize the contradictions of these fools? Do they care they are being lied to on a daily basis? It’s insulting to thinking people.
May 21st, 2009 at 4:46 pmReporters have to keep on slamming Boehner about HIS OWN WORDS AGAINST THE CIA!!
Complaints run both ways Boehner – Both Ways!!
May 21st, 2009 at 4:46 pmThe Republican party is like an old bag of pretzels…..all twisted in knots, old and rancid!
Keep it up guys! You’re doing wonders for the Democartic party!
May 21st, 2009 at 4:47 pmSay, Van Wrinkled, the Borgen Project is looking for some change…
May 21st, 2009 at 4:47 pmBanana Coconuts!
May 21st, 2009 at 4:48 pmYour mixing fruit and salad! Cheerios and Apple Jacks! Golf and baseball! Uh uh uh arugula and dijon!!
May 21st, 2009 at 4:49 pmWho in he11 does Beanhead Boehner think he’s fooling?! When will these rethuglican jacka$$es quit being so hypocritical? Boehner and his gang of rethuglicans have made this a partisan issue – Republicans against the Democratic Party.
May 21st, 2009 at 4:51 pmBoner blows goats.
Fcuk the Republic Fascist Party
May 21st, 2009 at 4:51 pmWeeping Johnny has been spending too much time on the tanning bed.
May 21st, 2009 at 4:52 pmWell this was a no-brainer. The above average intelligence people already concluded this was a fraud. Only the Repugs and the truly paranoid are wetting their panties.
May 21st, 2009 at 4:56 pmARGH!!! What the HAYULL is up with those g*ddamned PINK ties???
Does that mean the Boner is secretly supporting CODE PINK???
May 21st, 2009 at 4:57 pmWhat really pissed me off about what Boner said was when he said that she has had a week to prove her contention that the CIA lied to her and she hadn’t done so.
Boner knows very well that there is no way Pelosi could prove this. She was not allowed to take notes or record the briefing. And the CIA is saying there was no transcript of the briefing (yeah…right). They also refuse to release the so-called memos that prove that Pelosi was fully informed.
So, someone needs to ask Boner how Pelosi could possibly prove that she was lied to.
May 21st, 2009 at 4:59 pmAt least Boehner doesn’t go quite as far as Cheney by making the claim that torture saved thousands of American lives. Even the CIA report doesn’t make that claim. So, what is the truth. Not the self-serving spin, but the truth. That has yet to come out. I have my doubts about a plan floated to have transcripts because that is exactly what Nixon offered during Watergate. History shows those transcripts were very incomplete — an exoneration even — if you will. Nixon was guilty as hell instead. Transcripts are not likely to clear the air here either.
May 21st, 2009 at 5:00 pmUm, Boner? I know you’ve been told (for probably a lot longer than six months) that tanning beds and cigarettes aren’t bad for you. I hate to contradict everything you’ve been told, but they both cause cancer.
May 21st, 2009 at 5:00 pmTHE REPUBLICAN PARTY WILL ALWAYS EXIST AS LONG AS THERE IS ;
DUMB F*** WHITE TRASH GOD LOVEN, GUN TOTEN,UNEDUCATED BEER DRINKING NASCAR WATHCING SOCIAL BASHING DIRTY TOE NO SHIRT WEARING AMERICANS!!!!!IN OTHER WORDS….AS LONG AS THE SOUTH BELONGS TO THE US.
THANK GOODNESS THAT’S ONLY 21% OF THE AMERICAN PUBLIC…THERE IS HOPE!!!
BONNER….CHOKE ON IT!!!
May 21st, 2009 at 5:03 pmThe CIA is a members-only club whose members don’t care about the members of congress who come and go every two years. They care a bit more about the White House, which changes guard every 4-8 years, but they operate in their own world and are not often called to report to congress.
I’ve no doubt they lied. My question is, who told them to lie?
PEACE
May 21st, 2009 at 5:07 pmDitto spencers mom — the CIA is clearly capable of lying and it’s not surprising that the corruption-blind right is unable to detect corruption. The CIA has a history of torture, destroying evidence and unlawful wiretapping. The CIA is the permanent 109th congress: a culture of corruption.
The Obama administration needs to undertake some serious reforms of this agency, personnel and otherwise.
May 21st, 2009 at 5:17 pmGawd, help us, if the CIA gets criticized one more time!…..this time by the Speaker of the House! Seems Boehner and the rest of the GOPers have been nipping that wacky GOPer koolaid again!
May 21st, 2009 at 5:21 pmBoehner is talking out of his butt. I think the excess bronzer cream has finally crossed the blood/brain barrier and is affecting his mind.
May 21st, 2009 at 5:21 pmObama has to take the gloves off. Does Dick want to declassify everything? Fine, no problem. Well start with investigations into the Iraq War, we’ll start to look into the secret meetings with Dick and the electric Cos. If Dick wants to plat hardball, lets play frigging hardball.
May 21st, 2009 at 5:22 pmNo no no. They’re not saying only Republicans are allowed, they’re saying only men are allowed. Sen. Graham can protest all he likes, that’s fair game. It’s only that uppity woman that needs to be investigated.
May 21st, 2009 at 5:23 pmGOP, hypocrisy is thy name.
And Mr. Boner? Nice tie.
May 21st, 2009 at 5:38 pmHey, Everyone. Click on Watchdog’s name at the top of his post and see how non-bigoted he is.
May 21st, 2009 at 5:40 pmP.D. Let’s also include Cheney’s secret energy meetings at the start of BushitCo! There’s gotta be records of who was there, what deals were done…More traiterous behavior to document.
May 21st, 2009 at 5:40 pmBoner, GOoPers, and their sheep think they’re starting to catch on again, but they only have a firm grasp on the frozen 23%. They grab a mic, cheer for each other and try to live in the late 90’s again. May they RIP.
May 21st, 2009 at 5:40 pmspringyJack, thanks for the offer, but I’m still at work, and wouldn’t be able to shower for a couple of hours yet…
May 21st, 2009 at 5:43 pmYo, dog, take off your pointy hood when you photoshop–the proportions are all wrong!
May 21st, 2009 at 5:45 pmBoehner just stuck his foot in his butt again. Am I the only one that thinks Boehner is one of many “ignorant” GOP’s?
All Boehner seems to do is compare things. He compared CO2 ‘emissions’ to “cow farts”, he presented a GOP budget on April 1 with no figures in it, against Obama’s and now he’s comparing apples and oranges on Pelosi claims and totally ignoring his statements and that of other GOP’s. That’s why his resolution failed.
Why would anyone believe a word that came out of “Pinky Boy” Boehner’s mouth?
Boehner is an agitator and he’s dumb as hell?
May 21st, 2009 at 5:45 pm#28
And the GOP-which you so enthusiastically support, are the epitome of losers, most notably the last two elections in particular.
You really don’t want to get into a pissing match about which group is more made up of racists, the US left or the US right.
But you go right on whining away, maybe someone will believe your self-inflicted idiocies somehow make you a “victim”.
Keep on reaching for the stars, lil’ trooper, thanks to your efforts, the Republicans will no doubt take back majority status in the House & Senate.
May 21st, 2009 at 5:46 pmBoner says the things he says because he is a zombie.
May 21st, 2009 at 5:52 pmThat skin color that doesn’t occur in normal humans nor do real humans talk like that.
He’s trying to pass himself off.
Don’t be fooled by him.
BOEHNER: It has nothing to do about — it has nothing to do with detainees. It has nothing to do with anything else.
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Boehner, you are absolutly correct except it has nothing to do with anything.
Boehner Hoekstra and Gingrich have convienced me that Pelosi’s version of the briefing in question is plausable. The contunious game of semantics is not helping the Republican debate.
May 21st, 2009 at 5:52 pmThe Republicans are grasping at any possible.
What they have said in the past is coming back to haunt them.
At present what they say may very well come back to haunt them in the future.
Even if you ignore the hypocrisy of their accusations, what terrible crime or wrongdoing has Nancy committed ? Supposing it was possible to prove the CIA is correct, SO WHAT ! All Pelosi has done is defend her recollection of events as they happened. She hasn’t accused anyone of deliberately lying. She simply claims the CIA is mistaken.
May 21st, 2009 at 5:53 pmspring heeled jack Says:
Hey, Everyone. Click on Watchdog’s name at the top of his post and see how non-bigoted he is.
Hey spring! There’s no need to waste time with watchdog. He is completely irrelevant. That’s all!
Like the vast majority of conservatives, he’s just flinging diarrhea on the wall and hoping it sticks. They are so starved for attention it’s pathetic!! I just ignore him. He brings nothing useful to any conversation.
May 21st, 2009 at 5:57 pmBoner changes what he says depending on which face he uses.
May 21st, 2009 at 6:06 pmBoehner, once again, proves as a orange sub-species, he has done nothing to improve his IQ. It’s still below 15.
May 21st, 2009 at 6:13 pmHey, Mr. Tangerine Man
May 21st, 2009 at 6:25 pmFlip a Flop for me.
Okay whose been recommending the Turks?
May 21st, 2009 at 6:40 pmAnd how come all of the sudden the include conversationally rare english words like epitome? Something is not quite right about this…
May 21st, 2009 at 6:43 pmJust ask any Royal Republican. Only Royal Republicans can rightfully criticize the Royal CIA; it says so in the Christian Koran. “Hallow be thy name…” Christo-Monarchists rule!
May 21st, 2009 at 7:20 pmCheney preferred Doug Feiths alternative intelligence. Now was that because he thought he was being misled or because it didnt fit his agenda?
May 21st, 2009 at 7:31 pmWhen a liberal criticizes a Republican president, it’s treasonous. When a conservative does the same about a Democrat president, it’s patriotic.
When a Democrat calls out the CIA for being deliberately deceptive in its communications with Congress, it’s a threat to national security. When a Republican does it, it’s in the best interest of national security.
Hypocrisy is SOP for the GOP.
May 21st, 2009 at 8:29 pmAnd for any out there who might still cherish the hope that Watchdog is at all unbiased… his name if you click it links to e Photoshop libel of Obama’s face superimposed on someone smoking crack.
Nice to see you have such respect for the office of the President, dog!
May 21st, 2009 at 9:06 pmBetween the orange skin and the pink tie, Boner looks like a walking Denny’s restaurant…
May 21st, 2009 at 9:07 pmthank you, TP, for supporting Nancy Pelosi. She deserves our support because she is TERRIFIC! Everyone should email their representatives (it’s so easy on line) and tell them you want them to support her. The right wing is engaging in it’s typical diversionary tactics. The real questions are: Does torture work (Answer:NO) and is torture legal (Answer:NO).
May 21st, 2009 at 10:30 pmDisclaimer: I am not affiliated with or related to Nancy Pelosi in any way. Just a Democrat who thinks we need more tough-as-nails leaders like her in Congress.
Minority Leader Boehner also said it was hard for him to imagine that anyone would take his idiotic statements seriously. “I still don’t know why you guys ask me questions,” he said. “Have I ever said anything meaningful?”
May 22nd, 2009 at 1:13 amIt’s very simple: The 2007 NIE didn’t fit in with Israel’s Worldwide Hate Campaign against Iran, so their minions in the U.S. Congress were ordered to be morally outraged by that amateurish job by the combined 15 intelligence agencies of the United States government.
May 22nd, 2009 at 2:12 amlabman57 Says:
When a liberal criticizes a Republican president, it’s treasonous. When a conservative does the same about a Democrat president, it’s patriotic.
When a Democrat calls out the CIA for being deliberately deceptive in its communications with Congress, it’s a threat to national security. When a Republican does it, it’s in the best interest of national security.
Hypocrisy is SOP for the GOP.
Freedom of speech is never in their best interest.
May 22nd, 2009 at 4:00 amI would never trust a guy, like Boehner, who wears an extra heavy coat of orange colored, spray on tan.
May 22nd, 2009 at 6:57 am“We were able to hold it off with George Bush. The idea that we might find ourselves fighting with the Obama administration over these powers is really stunning.”
- Unnamed and dismayed human rights advocate, on legalizing indefinite detention of alleged terrorists, New York Times [NYT], May 21
May 22nd, 2009 at 7:54 amNice tie!
May 22nd, 2009 at 1:13 pmEFF U!! BONER
May 22nd, 2009 at 3:04 pm