Joe Biden says the Justice Department needs to appoint a Special Counsel.
(CNN)–Sen. Joe Biden, D-Delaware, says the Justice Department needs to go further than it has, by calling for the appointment of Special Counsel to investigate the CIA's destruction of videotapes that included the interrogation of terrorism suspects.
“Under federal law, the Attorney General may appoint a Special Counsel to prosecute matters when he or she determines that an investigation by the Department itself would present a conflict of interest, or there are other extraordinary circumstances and it would be in the public interest to do so. I believe these conditions are met," the Democratic presidential hopeful said in a news release Sunday.
“This is a White House that has sanctioned and pushed for the kind of interrogation techniques captured on those video tapes," Biden said. "This is a White House that was informed of the CIA’s desire to destroy those tapes. Thus, it is possible this investigation could lead to the White House."
On Saturday, a Department of Justice official announced the Justice Department and CIA will do a preliminary inquiry into the spy agency's destruction of videotapes taken during interrogations of two al Qaeda suspects.
The announcement was made in a letter from Assistant Attorney General Kenneth Wainstein to the CIA's acting general counsel, John Rizzo. Wainstein said the purpose of the probe will be to determine "whether further investigation is warranted."
Click here to see CNN's new political portal: CNNPolitics.com
-CNN Political Desk Editor Jamie Crawford
WASHINGTON (CNN) - New Mason-Dixon polls released Sunday show the primary picture growing more, not less, uncertain with the first presidential voting less than a month away.
No Democrat in Iowa, New Hampshire or South Carolina has a lead safely outside the margin of error.
On the Republican side, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee appears to have a double-digit edge in Iowa, and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney an 8-point margin in New Hampshire – but South Carolina remains up for grabs, with five candidates registering in double digits.
FULL POST
Clinton's campaign has released a new ad at a time when several polls have found the Democratic race tightening.
WASHINGTON (CNN)-Hillary Clinton's campaign is airing a 60-second ad in Iowa and New Hampshire titled "New Beginning."
The spot comes on the heels of several recent polls that have found Illinois Sen. Barack Obama leads decisively among Democratic primary voters looking for change.
Amid shots of the New York senator addressing enthusiastic crowds on the trail, Clinton repeats some familiar elements of her stump speech, including calls for universal health care and an end to No Child Left Behind requirements and the war in Iraq. She also emphasizes her experience, an area where surveys show she holds an edge over Obama.
"It takes strength and experience to bring about change," says Clinton. "I have a very clear record of 35 years fighting for children and families, fighting for working people, fighting for our future."
- CNN Associate Political Editor Rebecca Sinderbrand
McCain discusses CIA tapes on Saturday.
NASHUA, New Hampshire (CNN)
At his last stop of a six day New Hampshire tour, Sen. John McCain criticized the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) for destroying interrogation videos of two Al Qaeda operatives and said the decision would further "erode" American's trust and confidence in Washington.
Calling the two operatives, "bad, bad people," the Arizona senator said the CIA's decision was against the recommendations from members of Congress and confirmed to enemies "that we engaged in interrogation techniques which are illegal."
"I welcome this inquiry and the CIA will cooperate fully," CIA Director Mike Hayden said in a statement. "I welcome it as an opportunity to address questions that have arisen over the destruction back in 2005 of videotapes."
According to reports by the New York Times, Hayden explained to employees that the tapes were destroyed to protect the identity of the interrogators.
McCain, a former prisoner of war, has vehemently opposed torture as a means of interrogation and intelligence gathering. He vowed that as President, he would "never torture another person in the custody of the United States."
–CNN New Hampshire Producer Sareena Dalla
Recent Comments