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Hoekstra accuses Dems of playing politics with nat'l security
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07/09/09 06:21 AM ET
It's only Democrats who are saying the CIA misled Congress in briefings over the past eight years, Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-Mich.) asserted Thursday.
The top GOP member of the House Intelligence Committee, accused House Democrats of playing politics by sending CIA Director Leon Panetta a letter accusing his agency of having lied to congressional leaders in briefings.
"It's one of the most bizarre episodes in politics that I've seen in my time here in Washington," Hoekstra said during an appearance on CBS this morning. "These are all Democrats saying the CIA lied."
The accusation dredges up the nearly two-month-old claims made by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) that lawmakers were lied to about interrogation tactics in briefings. That was met by a blunt rejoinder by Panetta, a Democrat, who insisted the CIA had never lied to Congress nor intended to mislead lawmakers.
"They sent that letter on stationery making sure that that letter was available to the press, but also making sure that we on the Republican side didn't get the letter," Hoekstra continued.
"So to me it looks like they're working on the political equation," he said of House Democrats. "They're not trying to foster a bipartisan consensus on national security."
The top GOP member of the House Intelligence Committee, accused House Democrats of playing politics by sending CIA Director Leon Panetta a letter accusing his agency of having lied to congressional leaders in briefings.
"It's one of the most bizarre episodes in politics that I've seen in my time here in Washington," Hoekstra said during an appearance on CBS this morning. "These are all Democrats saying the CIA lied."
The accusation dredges up the nearly two-month-old claims made by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) that lawmakers were lied to about interrogation tactics in briefings. That was met by a blunt rejoinder by Panetta, a Democrat, who insisted the CIA had never lied to Congress nor intended to mislead lawmakers.
"They sent that letter on stationery making sure that that letter was available to the press, but also making sure that we on the Republican side didn't get the letter," Hoekstra continued.
"So to me it looks like they're working on the political equation," he said of House Democrats. "They're not trying to foster a bipartisan consensus on national security."
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