GOP leader on Pelosi's claim: Provide proof or apologize
WASHINGTON (CNN) – House Minority Leader John Boehner turned up the heat Sunday in the escalating war of words between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, congressional Republicans, and the CIA over Pelosi’s knowledge of enhanced CIA interrogation techniques including water boarding.
Last week, Pelosi claimed that the CIA had misled herself and other members of Congress about whether it was actually using water boarding to obtain information from high-profile detainees during 2002 intelligence briefings.
The Ohio Republican said Pelosi should provide evidence that she was misled or apologize to the country’s intelligence community.
“Lying to the Congress of the United States is a crime,” Boehner said Sunday on CNN’s State of the Union. “And if the Speaker is accusing the CIA and other intelligence officials of lying or misleading the Congress, then she should come forward with evidence and turn that over to the Justice Department [for possible prosecution].”
“And if that’s not the case, I think she ought to apologize to our intelligence professionals around the world.”
After challenging Pelosi, Boehner sounded the praises of the nation’s intelligence gathering apparatus. “I’ve dealt with these people for three-and-a-half years on an almost daily basis,” Boehner told CNN Chief National Correspondent John King. “And I can tell you that I have never felt that I was misled. I’ve never felt that I’ve been lied to.”
The House Minority Leader described the information he’s received in intelligence briefings as “thorough” and “complete.” “They want to answer questions,” Boehner said describing the intelligence professionals he’d dealt with, “and there’s always, always an opportunity to object.”
“And Speaker Pelosi has, at times, objected to activities that were approved by the president. Those activities were changed as a result of her objection . . . in the intelligence environment.”
Boehner refused to say Sunday whether he thought it would be appropriate for the House of Representatives should begin an inquiry into whether Pelosi had lied about national security matters.
So Nancy Pesli is responsible for the cia and milatery torturing but not the Buch gang? Did not know that pessoli had that much power before she became speaker of the house! After all most of the torture took place before she became speaker of the house. Where were the republicans when cheney outed MS. Plume? Oh thats right it was republicans outing her so that was not a crime even though all of her family lifves have been put in danger.You can only lie cheat steal and endanger people lives if you are a republican,because only republicans are above the law. Laws are made for everone but republicans. I bet bohner knew more hen Pesoli.
If lying to Congress is a crime then it should sant to reason the Nacy Pelosi has also commited a crime and should be held accountable as well. she should have to produce proof she was lied to and if she is lying herself then she shoulld suffer the consequence.
Most importantly, how does Boehner keep that perfect tan.
If the CIA lied to Pelosi and congress then it stands to reason that they also lied to Bush and his administration, which would vindicate Bush,Chaney and everyone that supported the war and America owes them an apology.
If Pelosi can make her case that she was lied to, she should provide the truth and the CIA should be dealt with to the full extent of the law.
If Pelosi is lying she should be dealt with in the same manner.
Never been a fan of Pelosi nor Reid. Would like to see them replaced with better class of leader, although I know those are in short supply.
After the Bush/Cheney 'Bad Intelligence' war that about broke our country financially (however Cheney came out quite well), I do not believe anything that came out of the failed GOP administration and its "Intelligence" from this period of time.
Well, just when are the repubs going to apologize for ruining the country in the last eight years???????
Bottom line is waterboarding (torture) is wrong wrong wrong. Who was res[ponsible for it. We all know the answer.
Who cares the GOP is thowing up anything to stop the fact it was the President Bush and Vice President Cheney who ordered the dishonard of this country with their shamless act of cowardness!
You've got to hand it to the Republicans, they're the best at the old bait and switch. Breaking international law is now Nancy Pelosi's fault! Theirs is a party of exclusive, opportunistic culture warriors who will stop at nothing to provide a useless "gas tax holiday" as the solution to everything.
Bottom line is waterboarding (torture) is wrong wrong wrong. Who was res[ponsible for it. We all know the answer.
GOP hypocrisy has no limits. The bottom line here is that it does not matter if she was briefed or not, she was not the one to order torture; she could not speak out because these briefings happen to be classified, and you are not supposed to say: "Have you heard the latest from the CIA? It seems that they are using some enhanced techniques to interrogate those guys down there in Guantanamo".
The reality is that Bush, Cheney and company should be investigated and should answered some questions instead of blaming everything on others. This has been their strategy,blame the other guy of doing the same than us.
I have been and still am a supporter of President Obama and I have long held and maintained that Speaker Nancy Pelosi was going to be a problem for the Democratic Party and now she is causing problems for the President that he does not need on his plate. I do not know if she is lying or not as I have no proof that she is or that she isn't but I have my opinion.
I do acknowledge that it would be hard for her to prove her case as no notes could be taken in the briefing except by the CIA whose purpose is to act as a covert agency for the US Government and by it's very nature, it must lie and deceive many times to achieve it's mission. I do not think this issue is going to go away so in the best interest of the government, I think she should resign. She does not have to admit that she was deceived or that she lied but simply that she is going to resign because it is in the best interest of the nation.
Whether you are a democrat or republican, you should want to know the truth and if what Pelosi is saying is true, than we should know. But if it is found out she lied about being lied to, she should have to step down and apologize.
Liberalls want to live in the safe world that Bush provided for them but now they want to bash him for the techniques he used. If Pelosi was briefed in full about the EIT's and did not speak up about them .... she is just as much to blame as the attorneys who approved them.
What is up with this epidemic of people demanding that someone else apologize? That would make for about a billion shallow, insincere apologies, wouldn't it? Let people make their own, when they're ready, and when they actually mean it.
The CIA chief said Pelosi was lying so I guess they both need to proove who is telling the truth. Boehner did called out both of them to proove there arguement right. Nope, just politics as usual.
If you want an investigation then start at the beginning with Bush, Cheney and their staff about approving torture.
We have turned into a nation of hypocrites. The same people who are outraged by harsh treatment of terrorists (that want to kill us) will not lift a finger to protect the life of an innocent baby in his mother's womb. A woman, for convenience, can have her baby killed in a horrific way as long as it is in her womb. Perhaps if babies in the womb were declared terrorists then Pelosi and Obama would come to their rescue making sure there are not harshly treated. Torture is wrong and so is killing babies, if we are outraged by torture then we should be outraged by the in humane killing of babies in their mother's womb. Anything less is putting our politics before our conscience.
Democrats seem to think that two wrongs make a right-that's stupid !
fredrick...was pelosi's husband shooting off his mouth about national security issues? if so...she shouldn't apologize. i guess i see your logic.
GOP Strategy: Bag on Pelosi about whether or not she knew about something (possibly illegal and certainly immoral) THE GOP WAS DOING. Hey, look over here! look at what Pelosi did! Ignore our skeletons, please...
...as Bush, Cheney and Rove head for the nearest plane to Paraguay.
I'm soooo sick of hearing from disgruntled Republicans. They're all looking like idiots.
One interview gets four individual stories ? Do you get paid by the inch ? Is Boehner so profound that each statement warrants it's own distinct story ? This smells like FOX Noise.