Stepping up her criticism of the judicial branch for keeping its investigation of former CIA Director David Petraeus under wraps, Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) likened trying to learn about the case to peeling an onion.
The FBI didn’t notify the heads of the House and Senate Intelligence panels until Friday, when the rest of the country got the news of the scandal as Petraeus’ resignation was accepted. Petraeus handed that letter to the White House on Thursday; Attorney General Eric Holder reportedly knew about the investigation into the four-star general since late summer.
“A decision was made somewhere not to brief us, which is atypical. Generally, what we call the four corners, the chair and rankings of both committees are briefed on operationally sensitive matters,” Feinstein said today on MSNBC.
“This is certainly an operationally sensitive matter. But we weren’t briefed. I don’t know who made that decision. And I think that makes it much more difficult.”
Intelligence committee leaders — Feinstein and Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.), and Reps. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) and Dutch Ruppersberger (D-Md.) — will sit down with FBI Deputy Director Sean Joyce and CIA Acting Director Michael Morell tomorrow for a briefing on the scandal.
“I think it has to be said, too, that we have never violated that requirement by releasing any information on matters on which we are briefed. So there was no backstory as to why we wouldn’t be,” Feinstein said. “So it is very puzzling and I think was a mistake, because this thing just came so fast and so hard. And since then, it’s been like peeling an onion. Every day, another peel comes off, and you see a whole new dimension to this.”
The senator said her concern over the lack of reporting to the committee, as required by law when an operationally sensitive matter is being investigated, “has actually escalated over the last few days.”
On Sunday, Feinstein called for an investigation into why the committees weren’t notified, calling the revelation “like a lightning bolt.”
On top of that, she said today, “an FBI agent, apparently, took it upon himself to go to members of the House and tell them. And this was outside of the general line of information. And that’s deeply disturbing.”
According to reports, the agent, who was taken off the case, was frustrated at the glacial pace of the investigation and, concerned about a possible cover-up, told House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) about 10 days before Obama is said to have learned about the scandal. Cantor’s office then reportedly told the FBI about the whistleblower conversation on Oct. 31.
“If it is, as you describe, then I think disciplinary action is in order. But I can’t prejudge it,” Feinstein pointedly told MSNBC host Andrea Mitchell.
“You know, you cannot keep these things from the people who hold the responsibility for oversight. You have to know,” she added of the failure to tell intelligence committee leaders. “What if something else happened and this never came to light and then down the path, something resulted from it?”
Weaving in Thursday’s closed-door Benghazi hearing, at which Petraeus will not be testifying, Feinstein noted Petraeus’ fact-finding trip to Libya shortly before the election.
“I believe that there is a trip report. We have asked to see the trip report. One person tells me he has read it, and then we tried to get it and they tell me it hasn’t been done,” she said. “That’s unacceptable. We are entitled to this trip report. And if we have to go to the floor of the Senate on a subpoena, we will do just that… for the very reason that it may have some very relevant information to what happened in Benghazi.”
The chairwoman also vowed that some of the inquiry will be in open session.
“Was this an intelligence failure? To some respect, if you ask me right now, based on what I’ve seen, I would have to say yes,” Feinstein said. And that’s the timeline of the response and the change from the original talking points, which said it was a likely demonstration, to a terrorist attack 10 days later. I don’t know what took them 10 days to figure that out, candidly. And that’s a problem.”
Next thing you know, she’ll be blaming the Bush administration for this breach of procedure.
Hey Dianne, it’s all tied together with Obama and Holder and their circus of idiocy.
The loss of a man of such brilliance from public service should not be taken lightly. Such losses can have deep consequences, unforseen at the time. Future historians, perhaps commenting on the decline of the American Empire, will take not of Petraeus’ fall from grace; and note this milestone, a sign of that America is no longer a serious society capable of greatness, or worthy of Great Power status.
“This week saw the departure, in disgrace, of our greatest living general, David Petraeus.”
Petraeus is one of the very worst generals we have ever had. He is also a low weasel for trying to get out of testifying before Congress, which btw, he has already lied to telling a House Committed that Benghazi was just a carried away demonstration caused by the video.
You mention Charles Martel on your wordpress blog and then you claim that Petraeus was a great general. Either you know nothing about Charles “The Defender of the Faith” Martel or you know nothing about David “The Holy Qur’an” Petraeus, or both. Charles Martel would not even have accepted Petraues as the equivalent of a second lieutenant. Martel saved Europe. Petraeus is nothing but an Islam useful idiot and a rat fink.
To try to put that rat fink David “The Holy Qur’an/Blame Israel for all the ‘problems’ in the Middle East” Petraeus on a level with Charles Martel is a high crime against reality and reason. Charles Martle would have had someone like David Petraeus executed.
Charles Martel was a brilliant strategic general and also a great tactical commander, who in the middle of battle was able to adapt his plans to his enemy’s forces and movement and to defeat them repeatedly, even when, as at Tours, they were far superior in numbers of men and in weaponry. Charles Martel also had another quality, also totally missing in the sorry lot of today’s American generals, he could foresee the dangers of his foes, and prepared for them with great cunning using terrain, time and place to offset the enemy’s superior weaponry and larger numbers and adapted, over and over again, to the enemy on the battlefield, gracefully adjusting to compensate for the unforeseen and seemingly unforeseeable.
Limited hangout.
Nixon tried that, didn’t he?
Fake mad. If DiFi really rocks the boat her funding will dry up so fast her head will swim.
A “little” info on one David petraeus:
http://www.dianawest.net/Home/tabid/36/EntryId/1380/Updated-Medal-of-Courageous-Restraint.aspx
http://www.dianawest.net/Home/tabid/36/EntryId/1521/Madness-at-the-Top.aspx
http://www.carolineglick.com/e/2010/04/david-petreaus-and-israel-1.php
http://www.dianawest.net/Home/tabid/36/EntryId/925/Is-Petraeus-an-Islamic-Tool.aspx
http://www.dianawest.net/Home/tabid/36/EntryId/1318/Is-Petraeus-an-Islamic-Tool-Part-2.aspx http://letthemfight.blogspot.com/2010/08/no-fire-support-no-glasses-more-chai-no.html
http://www.dianawest.net/Home/tabid/36/EntryId/1478/Eyeless-in-A-Stan.aspx
http://www.dianawest.net/Home/tabid/36/EntryId/1509/The-Constitution-Trumps-Islamic-Law.aspx
A DOJ flunkie will give stonewall answers to the committee’s questions and that will be the end of it. Chalk up another win for the Chicago boys. Nothing to see here folks, move on.
“Stepping up her criticism of the judicial branch for keeping its investigation of former CIA Director David Petraeus under wraps, Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) likened trying to learn about the case to peeling an onion.”
Psssst, Bridget it’s the executive branch, not judicial branch. Justice Department (what I assume you were thinking) is executive branch.
DiFi does not like being thought irrelevant.
Thank you.
It does matter a bit which branch we are talking about!
All the political criticisms aside by both parties, the bottom lines are rather simple. One has to compartmentalize the entire situation.
Was judgement for keeping open an American embassy and consulate that resulted in four deaths flawed? Was the embassy and consultant offices security inline with legislative policy and procedure? Was there administration incompetence?
The CIA has little involvement other than on-the-ground intelligence support of the region for the administration, DOD, homeland security and congress. There is no public indication they failed their mission in the area.
As for the final department at issue. Why the denial games of a terrorist attack. That should be pretty obvious to even a rock.
The congressional investigation should be principal to reckless incompetence by the Department of State for having left open the embassy and consulant offices that resulted in four american deaths including the Ambassador. Everything else is wated time on cheap politics.
This whole thing is a mother of all disasters. We not only have an administration we can’t trust, but a State Department we can’t trust, a Defense Department we can’t trust and a CIA we can’t trust. All of them together aren’t worth a warm bucket of spit. All are run by incompetents and/or pathological liars.
And we have a MSM which has been infuse with massive amounts of DNA from Joseph Goebbels.
So, a girl in Tampa, close to the Commander, JSOC, and well acquainted with the Petraeus family, complains to an FBI agent that she is being stalked and threatened, and gives the agent a couple of e-mails with IP addresses. So the agent says, “Yeah, right, I’ll look into it.” He gives the e-mails to one of his IT techs, who goes looking for the owner of the IP. That turns up Broadwell. So, with no warrant, he looks at her and discovers more IP addresses, at least one of which he can identify as belonging to the USG. Agent asks, “Where?”; tech says, “CIA.” Agent passes the case up the line. And so the thread is pulled and hauled in, until the web nets D/CIA! That gets the immediate attention of both Robert Mueller and Eric Holder, and probably several senior WH staffers. You can figure out for yourselves what happened after that.
Yes. A fraud wrapped in a hundred fabrications inside a thousand lies.
Kelley and her twin sister are reportedly very heavily in debt. Kelley and her husband reportedly started a cancer-related charity which did nothing but spend money on travel, restaurants, etc. Kelley–of Lebanese descent–is reportedly a liason between the US Armed Forces and the Middle East. I have seen all these reports in the last hour. I think Broadwell’s father had it right when he said there is something very big going on here which we can not even imagine.
This whole thing is a fraud wrapped in a hundred fabrications inside a thousand lies.
Say whatever else you will about Diane Feinstein, she does her homework and obviously cares about her country, and her apparent wealth hasn’t magically increased by leaps and bounds while she was in office, unlike Nancy Pelosi and BO.
Don’t ever, ever hold your breath in hopes DiFi will do the right thing. I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and remember well how, when Feinstein became mayor of SF after gruesome assassinations, she kicked the Navy out of San Francisco and smooched the gay lobby by ignoring public health as AIDS marched on. She’ll cave under Chicago thuggery; old ladies get mugged in the Windy City all the time.
Um, Bridget, FBI and Department of Justice are in the Executive Branch.
This is depressing. Petraeus is corrupt, Panetta is corrupt, Holder is corrupt, likewise the President. Sean Joyce and Michael are part of the same Gang of Four. If Diane Feinstein thinks she is going to get the truth out of them then she is hopelessly naive or corrupt herself. This mess needs a special prosecutor and a press which hasn’t abandoned it’s duty. But they’re nowhere to be seen. The entire sorry bunch should take a long walk on a short pier.
Pass the popcorn and let Cantor Feinstein do the job that my nickname calls for.
About 3 years to late, but better late than never.
She’s a Senator. Impeachment is done in the House.
The House has the power of impeachment, but the trial would be held in the Senate presided over by the Chief Justice. Two thirds of the Senate must vote to convict. Figure the odds with Harry Reid in charge.
If I’ve learned anything over my 6+ decade on God’s Green Earth its that truth is usually stranger than fiction. Since we’re not likely to learn the truth of what really did happen on 9-11-2012 and the ensuing obfuscation efforts – at least for a long time – we are left to speculation (AKA fiction) to entertain ourselves. I’m quite sure that when DiFi is brought up to speed by the Chicago thuggery on what really happened the cover up will be in full effect.
Until then I can truthfully say I’ve agreed with DiFi at least twice this year – I’m marking that down as some kind of record – strange as it is – and thats the truth!
I am not about to sound like an apologist for Senator Feinstein, but in this investigation I think she deserves credit. I criticize where I see wrong, but I also encourage when I see them doing something I appreciate. I emailed her office to say “Thank-you”.
Maybe if we took some time to do that when they are acting responsibly, more would do so? I don’t know, it actually didn’t cost me anything to do it so I figure it couldn’t hurt.
The question to ask is: what DiFi-Richard Blum financial interest is threatened by events in Libya? That should go a long way to explain why she’s stepped up her criticism.
Or, maybe DIFi is thinking about 2016?
Or maybe, just maybe, she’s one of those very rare birds, known as a “sincere Democrat”. Maybe she’s really not one of these out-and-out Marxists who is consciously working to destroy this country. Maybe she really does believe all of the Democrat talking points, maybe she really does love America (but it’s hard to tell because of the garbage she sincerely believes), and maybe she really IS trying to get to the bottom of this for GOOD reasons.
I don’t know, but I do know this: If that’s true, she’s a very dangerous person to the Obama administration, and she’s going to be “handled” in some manner very soon.
Expect her to go dark on this issue very soon, and very suddenly. It will probably come in the form of some kind of, “Oh, okay, we’ve talked to them and it’s all okay. Thanks for asking. It’s fine, really. No problem. There’s nothing to worry about, nothing to see here. Move along.”
As a Californian, I have a lot of problems with DiFi but I’ve always believed she is serious about national security.
Remember that Cam Kuwata used to work for Dianne Feinstein. Look it up.
Okay, so Kam worked for Feinstein. He was instrumental in helping her get elected, and reelected.
What’s your point?
@Mark: Apparently Kam witnessed some very odd behavior by o, started talking and ended up dead.
Don’t ever, ever hold your breath in hopes DiFi will do the right thing. I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and remember well how, when Feinstein became mayor of SF after gruesome assassinations, she kicked the Navy out of San Francisco and smooched the gay lobby by ignoring public health as AIDS marched on. She’ll cave under Chicago thuggery; old ladies get mugged in the Windy City all the time.
O.K. Here’s what I think. I think after Obama issued his executive order all those rendition guys “retired” and went to work for an independent contractor working for the State Dept. The compound at Bengazi was where they did their work. Barry told ‘em to do it this way because he thinks he’s clever. The whole “affair” story is bucksnort. The reason Romney backed down so fast is because the Obama folks briefed him on what they were really doing. And every thing that happens from now on will be staged to make you think something real is happening. My qoestion is how the al-queida guys found out. Guessing the Libyans toldthem.
If he can’t keep his women out of the newspapers maybe this whole boss of the secret agents thing isn’t the right job?
Will someone please, please, please correct that first sentence claim about the “judicial branch” conducting an investigation? Fingernails on a blackboard.
Obama views Congress with disdain if not outright contempt (he felt that way even as a member of Congress who was oh, so bored with it all). This can’t have escaped the Dem caucus in the Senate. They have a lot of seats to defend in two years. I don’t imagine they will care to cater to a president who’s not only a lame duck but who cared not a whit about their electoral fortunes in the last election with his “I don’t care who you vote for down-ticket as long as you vote for me” message to voters. It’s entirely possible Democratic senators feel as little for their dear leader as he does for them.
All true, but Harry Reid will continue to play Obama’s games just the same. Several states are threatening to secede…do uou think we could force Nevada to do so?
I hope DF really looks into this mess and she isn’t all bluster. Something isn’t right when many of us were fully aware the attack in Libya was a terriorist attack the day after it happened, but Obama said it was because of a video. His lackeys then took two weeks to supposedly confirm that it was in fact a terrorist attack. This just doesn’t pass the smell test.
I remember Watergate well. Those on the committee were relentless until they got the truth. We, as citizens, should demand the same of our current members of the Legislative branch.