GOP Demands Pelosi Investigation, Introducing Resolution In House

WASHINGTON — House Democrats on Thursday defeated a Republican push to investigate House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's assertion that the CIA misled her in 2002 about whether waterboarding had been used against terrorism suspects.

Republicans Ron Paul of Texas and Walter Jones of North Carolina joined Democrats in voting 252-172 to block the measure, which would have created a bipartisan congressional panel. Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, sponsored the resolution.

"This is partisan politics and an attempt by the Republicans to distract from the real issue of creating jobs and making progress on health care, energy and education," said Pelosi spokesman Nadeam Elshami.

Pelosi was not present at the time of the vote. Republicans called for it while she was giving a commencement speech at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

Earlier this month, Pelosi told reporters that she had not been told that waterboarding had been used against terrorism suspects, even though it had been. President Barack Obama and human rights groups have said waterboarding, which simulates drowning, is torture.

"To have this charge out there and not have it resolved I think is damaging to our intelligence efforts, and certainly will have a chilling effect on our intelligence professionals around the world," said House Republican Leader John Boehner of Ohio.

Former Vice President Dick Cheney also stepped into the debate.

In a speech at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, Cheney said Pelosi and other lawmakers had been briefed on the interrogation techniques on "numerous occasions."

"In my long experience in Washington, few matters have inspired so much contrived indignation and phony moralizing as the interrogation methods applied to a few captured terrorists," Cheney said.

Pelosi has asked the CIA to declassify information supporting her claims.

The CIA has sent lawmakers its notes and memos on 40 congressional briefings on the interrogation techniques. But that document has been found to include several errors.

CIA Director Leon Panetta acknowledged in a May 6 letter to House Intelligence Committee Chairman Silvestre Reyes, D-Texas, that the CIA's list may not be completely accurate.

"In the end, you and the committee will have to determine whether this information is an accurate summary of what actually happened," Panetta wrote.

Democrats are pointing out that Republicans also have accused the CIA of misleading them on intelligence matters. Boehner himself called into question the soundness of the intelligence community when it determined in 2007 that Tehran had halted its nuclear weapons program.

Boehner told reporters on Thursday that it was an unfair comparison because he never accused the men and women of the intelligence community of misleading Congress.

House Democratic Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., told reporters in a separate Capitol Hill news conference that he supports creation of a panel to investigate the nation's interrogation policy. What the CIA told Congress and when could be part of that, he said.

But the Republican-drafted proposal was a partisan jab meant to distract from the question of whether the Bush administration tortured war prisoners, he said. Hoyer called the resolution another example of Republicans engaging in "politics of personal destruction."

Boehner defended the harsh interrogations.

"I don't believe the enhanced interrogation techniques were wrong," he said.

Comments

[garymc8]

11:24 AM on 05/22/2009

CHICKEN$H!T GOP ALWAYS GO AFTER THE WOMAN. LINDIE ENGLAND, VALERIE PLAME, NANCY PELOSI. INVESTIGATE THE ENTIRE GOP BEFORE NANCY PELOSI.

[Avanti2]

09:26 PM on 05/21/2009

Pelosi could clear this up herself. She is Speaker. She can put anything on the agenda she wants.
If she wanted a Truth Commission, all she would have to do is form one.

She is chicken. She won't do it. Why? Cause she just might skewer herself, that's why.

[hrholmes]

05:25 PM on 05/21/2009

Start with the documents in Cheneys man sized safe! lmao

[freethinkergirl]

10:31 PM on 05/21/2009

Cheney admits CIA intelligence was wrong.

Sun., Sept . 10, 2006
Subsequent investigations concluded that he did not have such weapons, and in an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Cheney acknowledged that, “clearly, the intelligence that said he did was wrong.”

Cheney acknowledged opinion polls that show that a majority of the U.S. public believes Iraq is a more dangerous threat than it was before U.S. forces invaded.

[Rosewren]

04:56 PM on 05/21/2009

If these CIA documents are using the term EIT for the year 2002, that is a question in itself as I understand it the term was never used until 2004 anywhere, including the CIA.

[nice2blucky]

04:14 PM on 05/21/2009

When it comes to investigations, scope is always the key.

Look at this, but don't look at that.

The scope is never as wide as Republican misdeeds, but narrow like their thinking and agenda.

[JHancock]

03:03 PM on 05/21/2009

Investigate the war criminals bush/cheyney/rumsfield. And the CIA that lied so they could trump up charges against a country thatwas no threat.

[Middleclassvotingbloc]

02:49 PM on 05/21/2009

This is not about Pelosi, lets not forget that. Pelosi was not the perpertrated of torture., it does not matter what she knew and when she knew it. She was not in charge. Leave Pelosi along---she will not resign and the party will not ask her to. We in the Democrat party love and surport our first female speaker of the house. The republicans leave no doubt that they simply do not like strong women in power.

[busybeez]

03:31 PM on 05/21/2009

Exactly right! The attacks on Pelosi have angered a lot of women in this country, especially the ones concerning her appearance. Too bad the party of old white bitter men don't carry themselves with the decorum that our Madame Speaker does.

[Middleclassvotingbloc]

02:41 PM on 05/21/2009

So this appears to be an investigation of the CIA's creditability by the Republicans, call it what it is. I think all of this will backfire on the party of "No and Torture".

[Suzanne525]

01:39 PM on 05/21/2009

Well, if Boneher thinks lying to Congress is a crime, then why doesn't he want to investige Bush for lying to Congress??

[Suzanne525]

01:40 PM on 05/21/2009

I meant investigate.

[OMG1109]

01:25 PM on 05/21/2009

As long as they include BUSH, Cheney, Rove, well the entire BUSH gang, I say let the investigations begin!!

[judgejay]

01:16 PM on 05/21/2009

OH PLease Pelosi as the ranking member knew in 02 exactly what we were doing and who we were doing it to. Post 9/11 90% of the democrats in congress supported whatever was necessary to keep us safe and I thank god for it. The only issue here as I see it is why now would you lie to the American people about it. Ms. Pelosi ,your in line to be president only second to the vice president. Speak the truth now, there was never a need to lie we all lived through 9/11 and I know I would never have faulted you for taking a hardline against terrorists. Its great that we all have 20/20 hindsite on all of this but I believe I to would have made the same decsions back then.

[kevenseven]

01:23 PM on 05/21/2009

If Pelosi is complicit in BushCo's crimes then she should burn for it.

Tell you what: Let's try BushCo for torturing prisoners, and I am sure if Pelosi is criminally complicit, the evidence of that will come out.

Torture was wrong on 9-10-01, and it was wrong on 9-12-01.

When a thing is wrong, it is wrong. The binding legal definition allows NO exigencies.

Pity BushCo ignored the Aug 6 memo, yes?

[Rosewren]

04:26 PM on 05/21/2009

First of all, though some of the people at Gitmo and elsewhere were terrorist, what about the possibility some were innocent and just sold to make $5000 US dollars by some Taliban drug lords?
This country is supposed to be a light to the world about justice, not vigilante justice. Until our interrogation methods are investigated about everyone involved including B_sh on down we don't have a leg to stand on. Even North Korea is having a trial for the two journalist there, Iran followed thru with a trial and an appeal process for our recent US citizen. This misbegotten, self righteous view that whatever we do is legal is going to be our downfall. Investigate! I believe it will soundly backfire on the Republicans and be the final de_ath knell for that party.

[Coltrane1234]

01:13 PM on 05/21/2009

Way to miss the point yet again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again.

[Synnerman]

01:12 PM on 05/21/2009

If they investigate Pelosi, Bush and Cheny should be indicted for lying about their evidence to start the Iraq war.

[babyboomerorig]

01:11 PM on 05/21/2009

Don't just investigate Pelosi....look at EVERYONE who has questioned the CIA intelligence briefings, starting with John Boehner.

The CIA has already said they don't have all the information concerning these briefings...who gave the briefing? What was discussed? No taping done....so it's moot. Neither side can produce proof.

[nofir2]

01:06 PM on 05/21/2009

YES, I agree! But lets expand the investigating to include , cheney, bush, and the rest of the bush admin and see if the GOP realy wants to pusue it. Lets see who the cherry pickers really are.
I think Nancy would agree

[Choicelady]

01:15 PM on 05/21/2009

She is pressing that exact point. A full investigation, no holds barred.