Lindsey Graham: John Brennan Needs To Leave His Job

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) called on Sunday for President Barack Obama's top counterterrorism adviser to step down, referring to John Brennan's recent statements on the administration's handling of the Christmas Day bomb plot as "mind boggling and unnerving."

"I think it would be better to have a new person in that job," the South Carolina Republican said during an appearance on Fox News Sunday, in which he suggested that the public could no longer feel safe with him in the post.

Brennan, Graham said, is "disconnected from the world in which we live in and the threats we face. He is also the same guy that assured us that within 50 minutes we got all the information we needed from the Christmas day bomber. He is also the guy who says, 'hey he is now talking.' But can you really have a system where the parents of the terrorist will encourage the terrorist to cooperate with the FBI? Is it any way to fight a war to read Miranda rights? And do you want someone in charge of counterterrorism who finds a 20 percent return to fight rate is acceptable. He is lost my confidence and is the best evidence yet how disconnected this administration has come from the fact we are at war. We are at war and these statements are just mind boggling and unnerving."

In coming out in favor of Brennan's resignation or firing, Graham joins a growing list of Republican lawmakers howling with dissatisfaction with the homeland security adviser. The list includes Graham's close friend in the Senate, John McCain (R-Ariz.).

A 25-year veteran of the CIA and adviser to Republicans and Democrats alike, Brennan has come under attack for arguing that Obama's decision to place the Christmas Day bomber in the criminal justice system actually was smart policy. He also argued that GOP lawmakers who insisted that the president's counter-terrorism policies were dangerous to America were playing politics with national security and distracting from the war on terror.

As evidence, the White House and allied groups have pointed out that the procedures they have relied on were largely culled from the Bush administration playbook. One point Graham did not mention was that the failed shoe bomber, Richard Reid, was also read his Miranda rights -- starting five minutes after he was placed in custody.

As for recidivism, the issue was far more problematic under Bush, the Obama White House insists. Two weeks ago, Brennan sent a letter to members of Congress, informing them that after a comprehensive records review, it was determined that all the former detainees released or transferred who returned to terrorism after there release, did so during the Bush years.

Comments

[hollace]

09:08 AM on 02/16/2010

He is reminding Repubs that they owe him for campaining for them. Bought and paid for.
It's not about the Country it"s about their own need to be in power,and everyone else is cannon fodder or the worker bees.
Their families must be truly proud ,as these guys preen and pamper themselves with too much food drink money and plastic surgery etc.,and then send serious young kids to fight their wars .
I have never hit anyone in my life and yet I have an overwhelming desire to slap his made up face.

[MSaxe]

01:49 AM on 02/16/2010

And where was Graham when Bush Administration officials outed a CIA agent for political reasons?

In a closet.

[bluguy8]

10:09 PM on 02/15/2010

Missy is having a hissy-LOL

[lede3957]

09:43 PM on 02/15/2010

Is this guy in the closet?

[ninthraphael]

08:41 PM on 02/15/2010

our political processes suck and the politicians suck the more..

[HST]

07:09 PM on 02/15/2010

Lindsey Graham: John Brennan Needs To Leave His Job For Telling The Truth
There, I fixed your headline. You can thank me later.


Obama needs to take advice from these fools as often as Bush took war advice from Dem miltary veterans Murtha and Kerry- 0.

After all, before I make a move I always take the advice my enemies give to me.

[lovesds]

06:45 PM on 02/15/2010

Hey Graham come out the closet will you everyone in S.C. knows you are in the closet. Graham & Lieberman are what I call McCain's butt boys. These republicans were for it before they were against it. When is media going to do its job & call them out on being hypocrites. Rachel is the only one doing it.

[bassch26]

10:25 PM on 02/15/2010

You got that right! All the slop they pass out and lies go unchallenged. Go Rachel!

[JaCqieBHO]

06:18 PM on 02/15/2010

Those senators who a facing Re elections are the ones we see on air waves trying to score political points..Lindsey is one of them...SAD..they have no interest of doing anything.. and most of the time what comes out of their mouth is nothing BUT....We are doomed America..

[dlaurels]

05:36 PM on 02/15/2010

ust about every week you want the President to fire someone. How about we fire you.

[tribilin219]

05:22 PM on 02/15/2010

Why are this clowns still in office? and why is the master of the clowns saying anything? he should talk, This country is going to hell and Cheney comes out of his rock to talk BS, Are the Republicans with us or are they with the Taliban? Mr. Graham is the one that has to go!!

[dmsdzinr]

02:24 PM on 02/15/2010

I think the PROBLEM with the Senate in Particular, is way too many of these CLOWNS are Legends In Their Own MInds!!!!!

[oz3472]

01:19 PM on 02/15/2010

first Lindsey why don't you come out of the closet you've been hiding in. Then once you show some spine maybe we'll listen to anything you care to say

[dmsdzinr]

01:08 PM on 02/15/2010

NO Senator Graham YOU have got 2 GO!

[ByeByeBushie]

12:56 PM on 02/15/2010

What a surprise! Grahams BFF, McCain, is saying the same thing!

[FessorFrink]

12:41 PM on 02/15/2010

Who let all the terrorists go home from GITMO? Bush/Cheney

Why? Because they had no intention of prosecuting anyone and were stuck when the Supreme Court ruled against their policies. So they let go either innocents who were radicalized in GITMO or terrorists who they did not gather evidence against.