Lieberman: CIA tells me the truth
posted at 2:45 pm on May 14, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
Senator Joe Lieberman doesn’t quite call Speaker Nancy Pelosi a lying sack, but he comes pretty close. When asked by Norah O’Donnell whether the “CIA misleads [Congress] all the time,” as Pelosi alleged today in her press conference, Lieberman laughs out loud (via Weekly Standard):
No, on that specific point, I totally disagree. You have to have confidence in the CIA. And over the 20 years I’ve been here, I’ve been briefed constantly by the CIA and I’d say that they’ve told me the truth, as they see it.
O’Donnell says the CIA stands by their earlier statements on the briefings. Don’t be surprised to see more Democrats peel away from Pelosi after her foolish double-down on a 12 today. They don’t want to be anywhere near her when the next shoe drops, probably in the form of specific briefing notes that will prove the CIA right and Pelosi a liar.
Anyone think that Obama’s regretting the release of the OLC memos now? I’d bet that he’d like a do-over like he got with the photos yesterday.
Blowback
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At least you didn’t get locked in the t.v…
ladyingray on May 14, 2009 at 3:39 PM
is this a joke or you’re deliberately insulting people’s intelligence? proven by what? how is a secretive government program a “bipartisan effort”?
you must’ve grown up without a brother.
sesquipedalian on May 14, 2009 at 3:39 PM
Sorry, couldn’t resist… watch
behiker on May 14, 2009 at 3:39 PM
waterboarded 83 times… they’re still using those misleading numbers even though they have been debunked.
Kaptain Amerika on May 14, 2009 at 3:39 PM
Pelosi: the botox caused my memory loss. :)
poxoma on May 14, 2009 at 3:40 PM
She’s in trouble. That’s why she pandered to the Prez so much yesterday. O Great One, You have done such good. You are truly the Chosen One. You have reformed our country all by yourself. We bow down to you. Please don’t let my career be crushed.
Christian Conservative on May 14, 2009 at 3:40 PM
I’m so sad that Anee Coulter said that Pelosi was mentally retarded. My son is mentally retarded and he is a beam of sunshine. To compare him to Pelosi is stomach turning.
I can’t speak for all people who have MR, but the default for my son is the truth. He doesn’t grasp what the purpose of lying is.
No, Pelosi isn’t mentally retarded, because that would give her an excuse for her behavior, and their simply is no excuse for it.
caygeon on May 14, 2009 at 3:40 PM
on hotair, yes. in the real world, it’s a panicked PR effort by congressional republicans.
sesquipedalian on May 14, 2009 at 3:41 PM
Independent investigation? You are joking, right?
Probably too young to remember the 9-11 Commission and how “independent” that costly white wash really was. There has never been an independent investigation that involved Congress in my lifetime. In today’s charged atmosphere, do you really believe honestly that there can be any independent investigation of anything in government?
Obama just dropped the “secrecy” anvil on former VP Cheney over the release of two sets of memos that would establish that EIT’s worked and that the information derived therefrom saved countless thousands of American lives.
Seems “honest government” and transparency is only about making Dems look good, or shielding them from scrutiny…
Whatever happened to that “most ethical Congress ever” meme Pelosi was throwing around this past year?
coldwarrior on May 14, 2009 at 3:42 PM
When you are pot committed to stupid, you might as well push all in.
I stole that from someone, probably Ace.
AndrewsDad on May 14, 2009 at 3:43 PM
That’s how the left (aka msm) operates. The real truth is that the terrorist received 83 drops of water molecules before they spilled the beans and as a result thousands of American lives were saved, including those leftists on the left coast.
poxoma on May 14, 2009 at 3:43 PM
lol.
MB4 on May 14, 2009 at 3:44 PM
David Axlerod thought balloon ON:
“oh maaaaaaan…why did she say that? WTF? I wonder if Hillary still has that RESET button?”
/Spinmeister thought balloon OFF
scottm on May 14, 2009 at 3:44 PM
I guess she played them all today: Flags, troops, children, and most importantly, Bush and the CIA are terrible, terrible people. And I guess she’s hoping Democrats in Congress and the MSM will play along, giver her cover, talk nice-nice about her, and leave her alone.
Loxodonta on May 14, 2009 at 3:45 PM
Yes, it was a poor choice of words by Ann. The depths to which Pelosi sinks is disgusting.
behiker on May 14, 2009 at 3:46 PM
83 pours…like playing quarters in college. And yes, there is no accident involved when it comes to the MSM and the Left citing clearly false information…waterboarded 83 times? Just like that 95% of the automatic weapons used by Mexican drug lords come from the United States is still being tossed around by the usual suspects.
Integrity…once gone…nothing else matters.
coldwarrior on May 14, 2009 at 3:46 PM
Especially since it was Clinton’s CIA that misled about the WMDs in Iraq.
Del Dolemonte on May 14, 2009 at 3:47 PM
How are they panicked? I don’t see Republicans jumping in front of cameras every other day, with a new version of their truth.
You hate torture, yet you support a party that advocates abortion. Amazing. Do a search. Go to images, and type in, partial birth abortions. Tell me that’s not torture, then come back here, and defend terrorists, who murdered 3,000 innocent people, and did so, premedatively.
capejasmine on May 14, 2009 at 3:47 PM
Either you’re a complete fool and idiot or you’re being intentionally obtuse.
This has nothing to do with “torture”, and everything to do with playing cut throat politics. The democrats were fully aware of the EIT’s, and whole heartedly approved.
The “torture” meme was simply a political tool used during election campaigns. This time however, the democrats got caught in their little web of lies and deceit.
By the way, no one cares if we have to do whatever is necessary to protect American lives … only democrats have stated publicly that a scumbag terrorist’s life is worth more than an American citizen’s.
As for you being obtuse or a foolish idiot … I’m going with the latter.
darwin on May 14, 2009 at 3:48 PM
Really? Even C-BS “News” is reporting it. Please try again.
Del Dolemonte on May 14, 2009 at 3:49 PM
good point
LOLOL
blatantblue on May 14, 2009 at 3:49 PM
Unlike your son, Pelosi is MR – Morally Retarded – and profoundly so.
MB4 on May 14, 2009 at 3:49 PM
And tag team him with John Bolton.
Hey, I can dream can’t I?
infidel4life on May 14, 2009 at 3:50 PM
Exactly right-that whole thing was a joke. Especially the part where a person who should have been a witness under oath was instead made a “Commissioner”.
You remember her, she also helped ruin Fannie Mae…
Del Dolemonte on May 14, 2009 at 3:51 PM
Obama fucked up big time. He thought releasing the CIA memos would really turn up the heat on Republicans and send them running while he implements the rest of his socialist programs. It’s backfired BIG TIME. I’ll bet the political adviser who thought this memo stunt up is now hanging by their thumbs in the White House basement.
GarandFan on May 14, 2009 at 3:51 PM
Well done!
caygeon on May 14, 2009 at 3:52 PM
Proof that liberalism is indeed a mental disorder.
infidel4life on May 14, 2009 at 3:54 PM
Obama overplayed the hand he was dealt. Anyone surprised? He’s not really politically sophisticated.
AnninCA on May 14, 2009 at 3:54 PM
Move over, Rice-A-Roni! This is a much better treat from San Francisco.
Jim Treacher on May 14, 2009 at 3:55 PM
One way or the other, we are determined to deny Iraq the capacity to develop weapons of mass destruction and the missiles to deliver them. That is our bottom line.”
- President Clinton, Feb. 4, 1998
He will use those weapons of mass destruction again, as he has ten times since 1983.
- Sandy Berger, Clinton National Security Adviser, Feb, 18, 1998
Hussein has chosen to spend his money on building weapons of mass destruction and palaces for his cronies.
- Madeline Albright, Clinton Secretary of State, Nov. 10, 1999
We know that he has stored secret supplies of biological and chemical weapons throughout his country.
- Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002
Iraq’s search for weapons of mass destruction has proven impossible to deter and we should assume that it will continue for as long as Saddam is in power”
- Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002
In the four years since the inspectors left, intelligence reports show that Saddam Hussein has worked to rebuild his chemical and biological weapons stock, his missile delivery capability, and his nuclear program. He has also given aid, comfort, and sanctuary to terrorists, including al Qaeda members. It is clear, however, that if left unchecked, Saddam Hussein will continue to increase his capacity to wage biological and chemical warfare, and will keep trying to develop nuclear weapons.”
- Sen. Hillary Clinton (D, NY), Oct 10, 2002
MB4 on May 14, 2009 at 3:55 PM
Thugs rarely are … they’re used to using force, intimidation and threats to get what they want.
darwin on May 14, 2009 at 3:55 PM
Excellent prescription! you are forgiven my son!
Fighton03 on May 14, 2009 at 3:56 PM
no. this is how things work in this country.
yes. temporary amnesty to anyone who comes forward.
because cheney says so? he’s, you know, not the most credible person on this subject. has anyone confirmed that? it was the CIA’s decision not to comply with cheney’s request anyway.
sesquipedalian on May 14, 2009 at 3:57 PM
Pelo-si-Roni!
darwin on May 14, 2009 at 3:57 PM
Sounds more like one good water polo game.
Fighton03 on May 14, 2009 at 3:58 PM
ROFL!!! 2 for 2.
capejasmine on May 14, 2009 at 3:58 PM
BWAHAHAHAHAH….FIFY!
Fighton03 on May 14, 2009 at 3:59 PM
You’re right. People throughout our culture use that term as a put down far too frequently. I don’t know how to deal with people’s use of the term in that manner. But I don’t do that myself. And, I know people don’t mean it disrespectfully to your son or others like him. People with mental retardation can be quite a joy and I’m sure your son is very precious to you.
You’re also right about Pelosi. There is no excuse for her lying, regardless of the jokes we make here. It’s not senility, Alzheimer’s, botox, or any other excuse.
Nancy Pelosi is simply a liar.
Loxodonta on May 14, 2009 at 3:59 PM
I’d like his whole presidency to be a do-over…only with a REAL President this time.
bluelightbrigade on May 14, 2009 at 3:59 PM
Cheney’s not credible? You’re a sick joke … besides being a distorter.
“THE WEEKLY STANDARD has learned. A letter dated May 7, 2009, from the CIA’s Information and Privacy Coordinator, Delores M. Nelson, rejected Cheney’s request because the documents he has requested are involved in a Freedom of Information Act court battle.”
darwin on May 14, 2009 at 4:01 PM
yep
able danger
i brought that up in class during our discussion of the commission report — everyone looked at me like i had three heads on my shoulders and my wang out.
blatantblue on May 14, 2009 at 4:01 PM
Heh. What’s that saying about hoisting petards?
patriette on May 14, 2009 at 4:01 PM
I see that the trolls have received their marching orders.
And they are, deny, deny, deny…
Pretty old school if you ask me. Nothing “hopey changey” about that at all.
Keith_Indy on May 14, 2009 at 4:02 PM
Okay, Over under on Pelosi. Place your bets:
1) 1 week
2) 2 weeks
3) 1 month
4) she survives
I’m going #2. She steps down withing 2 weeks
TheBigOldDog on May 14, 2009 at 4:03 PM
He’s kicking your asses so far.
Jim Treacher on May 14, 2009 at 4:03 PM
I’m going with #4, dems do not step down.
thomasaur on May 14, 2009 at 4:05 PM
From all accounts I have heard, WMD’s were thought to be in Iraq by all the worlds best intelligence agencies. In addition, all those in congress who were privy to national security info agreed. I think it was J Kerry who stood on the podium and said it would be a good idea to go after Sadam. Once again, hind-sight and politics result in liars. The thing I hate is that they all think that we are to dumb to know when they are LIEING. Hope she keeps talking as she is as dumb as the VP. Keep up the questions and she will surely put her foot in her mouth again.
hillbilly on May 14, 2009 at 4:06 PM
Dear Nancy,
Tell me how my ass tastes.
Sincerely,
Dick “don’t F’ck with me b!tch” Cheney.
TheBigOldDog on May 14, 2009 at 4:06 PM
BWAHAHAHA!
Del Dolemonte on May 14, 2009 at 4:06 PM
They don’t often go up against people who have files on them though…
TheBigOldDog on May 14, 2009 at 4:08 PM
but i’m patient. cheney has the incentive to distort what happened because his legacy hinges on it, so his not credible on this issue. especially since his assertions are disputed by anyone whose ass is not on the line.
sesquipedalian on May 14, 2009 at 4:08 PM
I haven’t read much of the commentary so help me out, friends: is there any end-game analysis going on here yet? Where is all of this leading?
It’s fun to watch this surgically gerrymandered witch stewing in her own fetid juice, but where is this going?
Jaibones on May 14, 2009 at 4:08 PM
Doesn’t norah o bug the crap of you. I finder unwatchable
kangjie on May 14, 2009 at 4:09 PM
Name One!!
PappaMac on May 14, 2009 at 4:09 PM
Hoisted by her own pelosi.
And it was a blatant wallapelosi.
Loxodonta on May 14, 2009 at 4:10 PM
You see you Speaker coming apart at the seams today? That’s just the beginning. Your comrades made one of the biggest strategic miscalculations in American politics.
TheBigOldDog on May 14, 2009 at 4:10 PM
#1 – I say D’OH!-bama pulls her plug soon just to stop the bleeding.
infidel4life on May 14, 2009 at 4:11 PM
I guess this is what I was looking for. Does anyone agree with this?
Jaibones on May 14, 2009 at 4:11 PM
As opposed to Pelosi.
You lie almost as well as Nancy does.
Jim Treacher on May 14, 2009 at 4:11 PM
I’m not posting to you until you learn how to behave.
Drats!
Loxodonta on May 14, 2009 at 4:12 PM
Love her , love her, love her. She is the poster child for “when your enemy is killing themselves, just get out to the way.” She is the gift that keeps on giving. I love that crazy madwoman.
marnes on May 14, 2009 at 4:12 PM
Pelosi’s done the impossible.
Through sheer will power she’s managed to derail the carefully scripted DMC (Democrat-Media Complex) Those-Bad-Bushies-Tortured-And-We’re-Gonna-Get-Them plot.
She’s taken a press that, almost to a man or woman or Helen Thomas, would sooner flay themselves than say ill of a Democrat, and beaten them into at least a few words of skepticism.
Joe Biden couldn’t do that.
JEM on May 14, 2009 at 4:13 PM
oohhhhhh….Like Dick Cheney really gives rats azz about peoples (especially Blinky McBotoxes supporters) good opinion?
Fighton03 on May 14, 2009 at 4:13 PM
Oh you betcha he is. Welcome to Washington politics Mr. “I’m gonna change the way things are done in Washington”.
I suspect the denial of Cheney’s request to release the CIA memos stating that the enhanced interrogation techniques did in fact work by making public the list of and number of plots disrupted by the information gained from said techniques is what lead Obama to his decision to reverse his plans to release the photos. Cheney is the one that stopped that plan dead in its tracks. IF the photos had been released the pressure to release the memos would have been too great for Obama to stop and surely someone inside the CIA would have leaked the information. When you play out that scenario, Obama is a loser in that game. Photos of abuse, lead to release of foiled terrorists plot list, leads to enhanced interrogation does indeed work.
Texas Gal on May 14, 2009 at 4:13 PM
You’re an idiot. The only reason you think you’re patient is because it’s been programmed into that drone head. Cheney is asking CIA memos be released to correctly inform the public with an undistorted view … not the distorted one Obama presented by cherry picking memos.
Cheney doesn’t give a flying crap about legacy. Only sick leftists put themselves before their country …
darwin on May 14, 2009 at 4:14 PM
Even though I think Pelosi is a Number 2, I’m going with Number 4. I want her as Misspeaker for the 2010 election.
Loxodonta on May 14, 2009 at 4:15 PM
Oh, and on Helen Thomas – the SF Comical, feeling a lack of left-leaning content, decided to start running her column.
Goddamn, it reads like one of those random-phrase generators seeded with a whole lot of leftist piffle.
JEM on May 14, 2009 at 4:15 PM
You forget. Cheney simply wanted the memos released, showing that water boarding worked, to extract information on future attacks. LA being one. Obama denied their release. Why? Because they exist, and the last thing he wants, is that info going public.
Cheney never called out Pelosi. Pelosi did this to herself. If anyone panicked, it was Pelosi, and she still seems to be, with her daily versions of her truth.
At this point, it probably doesn’t matter if it is proven. You’ll spin it, so it fits in your tightly knit ideology, faith, and trust in the hope, and change mantra.
capejasmine on May 14, 2009 at 4:19 PM
Yah, Cheney is worried about his legacy so he raises as much hell as possible to get old wounds reopened. Then, just to help the demorats, he demands that old documents be declassified and given to the public.
Hoooooooo…boy, the coming spin is going to be Tilt-A-Whirl caliber.
Bishop on May 14, 2009 at 4:19 PM
LMAO, B.
Let’s see … much smarter, better educated, and more accomplished than The Most Brilliant President Ever Dreamed Of. Five kids. Chicago Law without affirmative action, middle eastern history at the famous Oriental Institute there.
Is there anything she doesn’t do better than O’Bonehead?
Jaibones on May 14, 2009 at 4:22 PM
Watching a troll have his pants jerked down to his ankles is very entertaining for many silent lurkers. Please stay.
a capella on May 14, 2009 at 4:24 PM
Please…it’s not television, it’s Wonkavision….
Fighton03 on May 14, 2009 at 4:28 PM
Donkeycrats always seem to think the way out of a hole involves the use of a shovel.
Fighton03 on May 14, 2009 at 4:29 PM
I’m worried the Dems will take her out of the Speaker position before the 2010 elections.
If they do that, it could help them hold a few more seats.
Anybody else have that concern?
Sapwolf on May 14, 2009 at 4:32 PM
you called me an idiot a little too soon… the person whose residence was blocked on google earth is now the champion of transparency and the public’s need to know? comedy gold.
sesquipedalian on May 14, 2009 at 4:35 PM
Without question, we need to disarm Saddam Hussein. He is a brutal, murderous dictator, leading an oppressive regime. He presents a particularly grievous threat because he is so consistently prone to miscalculation. And now he is miscalculating America’s response to his continued deceit and his consistent grasp for weapons of mass destruction. So the threat of Saddam Hussein with weapons of mass destruction is real. – Sen. John F. Kerry (D, MA), Jan. 23. 2003
MB4 on May 14, 2009 at 4:39 PM
WRONG! It’s about the rape, bastardization, and total destruction of the English language.
Several years back, my daughter was dating a soldier who served in Iraq. He was assigned as an MP and went to Abu Ghraib shortly after the 372nd Military Police Company was relieved. What American soldiers did to prisoners was less “torture” than the typical fraternity hazing we see at our local college. If you want to bleat about torture, why don’t you talk to any of the soldiers who served there and witnessed, first-hand, what torture devices look like. You know, things like shredders large enough to accommodate a man, or rooms too small for adults. Rooms where Sadam’s butchers would systematically dis-member children and infants, with their mothers watching, of course. “Rape rooms”, where men could be taken and forced to watch their wives and/or daughters being raped repeatedly by Sadam’s goons. Their crime? It could have been anything. Or it could have been nothing. More often than not, it was simply a way for Sadam’s goons to pass the time. Oh yes, and terrorize the citizens into submission.
Do you know anyone who spent time as a guest of the North Vietnamese? Ask them about torture. How about anyone who spent seven years in a Cuban prison for the crime of possessing a Bible? Ask them about torture.
People like you think “torture” is when your local Starbucks runs out of powdered cinnamon for your latte.
Grow up.
oldleprechaun on May 14, 2009 at 4:39 PM
and what part of government transparency involves Dick Cheney’s residence? Looks like Darwin was right on time actually.
Next divergence from Blinky Botox in 5….4….3….2…
Fighton03 on May 14, 2009 at 4:43 PM
There’s never a bad time to call you an idiot. Please keep the non sequiturs comin’.
Jim Treacher on May 14, 2009 at 4:44 PM
You are not only an idiot, but your idiocy is absolutely jaw dropping. Wanting ones residence to not be plastered on google earth has nothing to do with any of this. It has to do with not wanting people like you to know where he lives.
MB4 on May 14, 2009 at 4:44 PM
gonna need a neck brace pretty soon here the way this one is changing direction.
Fighton03 on May 14, 2009 at 4:45 PM
What irks me the most about all of this is the meme that waterboarding is torture. When someone is truly tortured they are left with physical scars if not just killed outright by the torture. Pouring water over someone’s face is not torture. True, it is uncomfortable and can make you feel like you are drowning but it is not the same as having your head cut off with a rusty knife or having to choose between burning to death or jumping 80 stories to your death.
dawgyear on May 14, 2009 at 4:46 PM
Bring back getalife!
At least she/he made some sense some of the time.
MB4 on May 14, 2009 at 4:47 PM
only after several martini’s…
Fighton03 on May 14, 2009 at 4:48 PM
Is there a chiropractor in the house?
MB4 on May 14, 2009 at 4:48 PM
To sum it up: Any interrogation technique you can perform on someone at a protest without being arrested is not torture.
Jim Treacher on May 14, 2009 at 4:48 PM
For you, it is never too soon. g’day!
daesleeper on May 14, 2009 at 4:49 PM
A lot of army training is worse. It took weeks for my knuckles to heal after being hung upside down in a metal barrel which was unceremoniously beat on with pipes. Sometimes I think I can still smell the vomit that someone in there before me inconsiderately left behind.
MB4 on May 14, 2009 at 4:53 PM
sesq: cheney’s residence is blocked at google earth for security reasons. secret service? part of timmy geithner’s dept? remember turbo tax cheat timmy?
kelley in virginia on May 14, 2009 at 4:53 PM
whatever. if kids at your local college waterboard someone while hazing, they’ll go to prison, and if you know about it, you can get in trouble too, so i’d keep quiet.
sesquipedalian on May 14, 2009 at 4:55 PM
When can we expect all the waterboarders at anti-war protests, and all the witnesses, to be rounded up?
Jim Treacher on May 14, 2009 at 4:59 PM
LOL…..maybe no one reports it because the ones who go through it don’t think it’s that much of a hazing?
Fighton03 on May 14, 2009 at 4:59 PM
Provide just one citation showing that even one college student went to prison for waterboarding, or hazing.
Now, to keep it honest, if any student died…which none of the three EIT subjects did…then of course, there may be one or two college students doing hard time for that…homicide…not hazing.
So…show the proof. Find one college student who has been sent to prison (not the county lockup awaiting arraignment) for waterboarding or hazing.
coldwarrior on May 14, 2009 at 5:00 PM
OMG poor baby… upside down? two weeks to heal? they beat on the barrel with pipes? you had to smell vomit? what could be worse?
sesquipedalian on May 14, 2009 at 5:02 PM
Apparently not water boarding….
Fighton03 on May 14, 2009 at 5:03 PM
according to the AG it’s torture, so under the law of the land you’re looking at a felony charge.
sesquipedalian on May 14, 2009 at 5:03 PM
Don’t let sesquipedalian succeed at changing the subject. The subject is Pelosi’s serial and pathological lying. The only complaint that she might have had before trying to rewrite history would have been that she couldn’t watch the waterboarding.
MB4 on May 14, 2009 at 5:05 PM
You made the claim. Back it up.
No hypotheticals. Facts.
If you can’t, then recant. Simple as that.
coldwarrior on May 14, 2009 at 5:07 PM
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