Two senators leading the charge for an independent investigation into a flurry of recent intelligence leaks said that two U.S. Attorneys hand-picked by Attorney General Eric Holder aren’t independent enough to lead the probes.
“There has been appropriate, bipartisan criticism regarding the devastating and orchestrated leaks of classified information involving some of our most sensitive counter-terrorism operations,” Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.) said in a statement late Friday night. “These breaches of national security have compromised operations, strained relationships with allies, and put lives at risk. It is imperative that an independent investigation be conducted where the results could be accepted with a high degree of confidence and without a hint of political considerations.”
McCain (R-Ariz.) said this week that disclosure of information on classified intelligence operations has “now been leaked by the administration at the highest levels at the White House and that’s not acceptable,” adding that the administration was likely doing so in an effort to boost President Obama’s foreign policy credentials. This sparked outcry from Obama himself, who called the suggestion “offensive.”
Holder announced late Friday that U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Ronald C. Machen Jr. and U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein had been appointed by Holder to investigate “recent instances of possible unauthorized disclosures of classified information.”
“We are confident the two U.S. Attorneys hand-picked by Attorney General Holder are fine men,” said Graham and McCain. “However, if there was ever a situation where we needed an outside special counsel that would enjoy bipartisan acceptance and widespread public trust, it is now.”
“There are many capable attorneys who have earned respect from the public and both parties,” the senators continue. “We strongly believe a special counsel should be appointed outside Justice Department control and influence. Someone in the mold of a Bob Bennett who is extremely competent and enjoys bipartisan respect.”
Former Utah Sen. Bennett has been think-tanking at the Bipartisan Policy Center and the George Washington University School of Media and Public Affairs since his defeat by Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah).
Holder said the two attorneys, who will be directing separate investigations currently being conducted by the FBI, “are fully authorized to prosecute criminal violations discovered as a result of their investigations and matters related to those violations, consult with members of the Intelligence Community and follow all appropriate investigative leads within the executive and legislative branches of government.”
You are far too cynical. Knowing that this is the most transparent administration in history I see nothing at all wrong with the foxes investigating the mysterious breakins at the chicken house.
Eric Holder will get to the bottom of this? Are we talking about the same Eric Holder that can’t even figure out who under his supervision authorized operation Fast and Furious?
what, no confidence in people who answer to holder? they should just emulate holder in all things. we should see some ‘honest’ results by the time issa gets those answers from holder about fast & furious, say like never.
remindes me of a childhood song: there was a crooked man and he walked a crooked mile, he had a crooked boss and a crooked little smile … and they all lived together in a little crooked house.
i like to add some of my own verses sometimes.
Well, at least two US Attornies are going to look into it. Nobody, let alone an Independent Prosecutor, is looking into “Fast and Furious.” And THAT is shameful. A Special Prosecutor should have been created for Fast and Furious and his or her investigation should have been completed by now. Instead we have nothing but Holder stonewalling and lying to Congress every chance he gets. Pathetic.
Two us attorneys appointed by holder is as good as..well..nothing, nothing at all
of course this whole thing of investigation by holder appointees is a farce. bet they’re all snickering in their mornin coffee.. needs to have one republican, one independent and no democrats..now that is fair…:)
Paying a Spec’l Investigator to dance before the cameras ain’t good enough? Too bad. The process to follow for quashing disloyalty is laid out in black and white rat there our rulebook, the Law of the Land, the U.S. Constitution.
Our national security has been injured. It was done by our leader, the Prez of questionable origin and background, so he ain’t gonna have Eric the Red do anything real. If Congress ain’t happy with what happened and were truly serious about punishing the perpetrators, the Constitution has left them only one path to fix the problem: impeachment. But that would be too harsh, unreasonable, ungentlemanly, radical, extreme. And anyway “they don’t have the votes” to do that. Well, if that’s true then the citizens are the ones who don’t care about selling out our nat’l security to the increasingly tiresome pimps and liars in Poliwood.
Oh, and racist too.
All comments indicate we don’t have any blind folks in this crowd. All I can add is a gut feel that this charade may boomerang on the gang of tricksters. Our Alarmed Pig Farmer suggested a right fix – impeachment – that I’ve been screaming for since two years ago.
But we can’t cuz impeaching is unthinkable. Just look at the bad feelings left over from the one on Bill for a similarly grave crime, when he got caught getting some tail in the Oval Office.
There is a Political Politisse in force that is very dangerous. In the fictive reality that dominates what we can and can’t do, what’s ok, we’re left watching half-ass shows from Hannity and studiously avoid pointing out law breaking of the gravest degree. I won’t even mention the Enumerated Powers and the Tenth Amendment here. Whoops, just did. But suffice it to say that we’re not really a nation of laws any more.
I just saw over at Maggie’s Farm that honorably discharged special operations veterans have formed Special Operations Speaks with a prime issue of the intelligence leaks coming from the office of the Commander in Chief. They are a pro-Romney Super PAC.
“though McCain and Graham stood apart in outright panning the appointments.”
Correctly, too. Anything coming out of Holder’s office can safely be assumed to be 100% in the tank for Obama. A fact. Fox/henhouse, etc…
A larger question would be this: Is there a way to appoint a permanent Special Investigator to investigate the DOJ’s constitutionally challenged actions as they occur? Or perhaps one to investigate past indiscretions and another one to jump on current problems as they occur. The latter investigator could start with the attempt to stop Florida from purging its voter rolls of those who are not legally eligible to vote, and perhaps to pursue felony endictments against those who knowingly provided false information.
Gee, TWO DOJ Lawyers whose paychecks and evaluation reports bear the same signature as the folks they are to investigate. What is wrong with this picture?
If by chance the two lawyers do find the fault at WH level and say so, they will probably be looked at as ‘whistle blowers’ and be treated in the same way other fast and furious whistle blowers were treated
I bet that good doctor in Pakistan is wishing he never even heard of the good ol USA about now.
Is my memory faulty or did a little operation called WATERGATE get some media and partisan political attention back in the day? How many Hispanics or US agents lost their lives as a result of that criminal behavior? It must have been some really bad juju considering how it dominated the news cycles….Does anyone know where I can look up the death toll?
This is a bigger joke than having Janet Reno investigating Waco.
If they do get a special prosecutor assigned, he’ll need bodyguards. The attacks on Ken Starr will look like loving support by comparison.
Holder is so full of shit his eyes are brown.
If McCain had shown this initiative 4 years ago.