Patterico's Pontifications

9/20/2009

Sunday Morning Obama @ CBS: Obama Stands Firm on CIA Investigation

Filed under: Obama,Terrorism — DRJ @ 1:13 pm



[Guest post by DRJ]

On CBS’ Face the Nation with Bob Schieffer, President Obama signaled his intent to stand firm on Eric Holder’s CIA investigation:

Schieffer: Mr. President, seven former directors of the CIA have sent you a letter today asking you to reverse the decision of the Attorney General to reopen the criminal investigation of CIA interrogations that took place after the attacks on September 11th. Would you consider that?

Obama: Well first of all, I have utmost respect for the CIA. I have said consistently that I want to look forward and not backward when it comes to some of the problems that occurred under the previous administration, or when it came to interrogations. I don’t want witch hunts taking place. I’ve also said though that the Attorney General has a job to uphold the law…

Schieffer: So you intend to let him go forward?

Obama: He’s got to make judgment in terms of what has occurred. My understanding is it’s not a criminal investigation at this point. They are simply investigating what took place. And I appreciate the former CIA directors wanting to look after an institution that they helped to build. But I continue to believe that nobody’s above the law. And I want to make sure that as President of the United States that I’m not asserting in some way that my decisions over rule the decisions of prosecutors who are there to uphold the law.”

I doubt the 7 former CIA directors appreciate being painted as people only interested in protecting their former turf and employees. They are a bipartisan group of officials who supervised the CIA for much of the past 40 years. As stated in their letter, they are concerned this investigation will do serious damage to the CIA’s mission and its ability to work with foreign intelligence agencies.

— DRJ

19 Responses to “Sunday Morning Obama @ CBS: Obama Stands Firm on CIA Investigation”

  1. Well, hey, they’re a much bigger and more dangerous criminal organization than ACORN will ever be.

    Mike (01d116)

  2. Well, hey, they’re a much bigger and more dangerous criminal organization than ACORN will ever be.

    Not that Wrongway Peachfuzz will even cop to knowing who ACORN is.

    Mike (01d116)

  3. But I continue to believe that nobody’s above the law.

    Well your Attorney General apparently feels that the New Black Panthers and Gov. bill Richardson are above the law…

    gahrie (9d1bb3)

  4. “I have said consistently”…prelude to a fib.

    Gazzer (22ecdc)

  5. Oops. Sorry ’bout that; feel free to remove that first one, DRJ.

    Mike (01d116)

  6. I continue to believe that nobody’s above the law.

    This from the douchebag that wants to illegally install a Hugo Chavez-blessed dirty socialist criminal as president in poor, democratic Honduras?

    Our little country is a bad joke.

    happyfeet (6b707a)

  7. I wonder how many people realize that covert agents, due to the nature of their jobs, break the law wherever they operate and if they get caught they are left to the full mercy of the authorities.

    Why prosecute them in American courts for whatever they did abroad?

    Michael Ejercito (833607)

  8. When I’m elected I’ll have the most transparent and open administration in history,
    but don’t believe what I say, only believe what you see me do.

    AD - RtR/OS! (a66538)

  9. “I don’t want witch hunts taking place.”

    Is that a fact?

    Then name the law that was broken, and the people who broke it.

    “the problems that occurred under the previous administration”

    The only problem was that, thanks to leftoid traitors, spies, saboteurs and terrorists weren’t and aren’t being tried and executed for being caught out of uniform like they ought to be.

    Instead, of being executed, they’re being coddled by folks like Barack Obama.

    Latest example…

    http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view/20090920outrage_as_feds_curb_shoe_bomber_prison_rules/srvc=home&position=0

    Dave Surls (040aaa)

  10. http://www.serendipity.li/cia.html

    President Obama was educated by people who think the CIA is the root of all evil.

    The Congressional Black Caucus has a large contingent of people who believe that crack cocaine was invented by the CIA; AIDS was spread in Africa by the CIA; and that the CIA covertly sprays a secret poison gas in the ghetto that makes young blacks go crazy and shoot each other.

    SteveG (97b6b9)

  11. Comment by SteveG — 9/20/2009 @ 2:16 pm

    Well, if all of that is true, we should be upset that the CIA is doing such a piss-poor job of genocide.

    AD - RtR/OS! (a66538)

  12. I have said consistently that I want to look forward and not backward when it comes to some of the problems that occurred under the previous administration,

    And you also said you didn’t realize just how much federal funding ACORN was receiving, and just how much of a kook and fanatic that Jeremiah Wright was.

    Admit it, dude. You talk out of both sides of your mouth, and your ass-backwards sentiments are quite a sight to behold—-Honduras bad, Venezula/Cuba good. HMOs bad, government-healthcare bureaucracy good. CIA bad, bowing before king of Saudi Arabia good.

    Mark (411533)

  13. SteveG – There is some weapons grade crazy at that serendipity site. Yikes!

    daleyrocks (718861)

  14. It is an article of faith among the far left that the CIA is murderous and malign and should be suppressed.

    As I’ve said before: Nothing Obama has done cannot be explained by assuming he is on the far, far Left.

    Kevin Murphy (3c3db0)

  15. But I continue to believe that nobody’s above the law. And I want to make sure that as President of the United States that I’m not asserting in some way that my decisions over rule the decisions of prosecutors who are there to uphold the law.

    This is going to come as a hell of surprise to
    Gerald Walpin, the AmeriCorps Inspector General fired by Obama for political reasons when he went after an Obama supporter.

    Once again, say one thing — do the opposite.

    armadillo (a896ea)

  16. Obama’s first response to criticism is to attack motivations, never to explain the rationale for his decision.

    Its very telling.

    SPQR (26be8b)

  17. […] I cannot twitter my thumbs without noting the latest astonishment from the One (hat tip to DJR at Patterico’s Pontifications). Here is Barack H. Obama on Deface the Nation, discussing […]

    Obama Stands Behind "Prosecutors" - Well… | America Watches Obama (4ab9a2)

  18. Obama stands firm on CIA investigation? He threw his own prior position under the back of the bus. Something about anything he says having an expiration date comes to mind …

    JD (9019c8)

  19. Then name the law that was broken, and the people who broke it.

    Covert agents break laws against burglary, theft, mishandling of classified information, among other things.

    It is part of their job .

    Do any of you really think CIA operatives in Iran would comply with Iranian law if they attempt to obtain classified information?

    Michael Ejercito (833607)


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