Bond Pulls GOP Staff Off Torture Investigation

Sen. Bond Pulls GOP Staff Off Torture Investigation
Newsweek
By Mike Isikoff and Mark Hosenball

A major Senate probe of the CIA's interrogation and detention practices was seriously derailed Friday when Sen. Kit Bond, the ranking GOP senator of the Senate Intelligence Committee revealed in a statement that he had pulled the entire GOP staff out of the investigation. Bond blames the move on Attorney General Eric Holder's recent decision to launch a separate criminal inquiry into the agency's abuse of detainees. The move appears to be part of a broader campaign by congressional Republicans and the U.S. intelligence community to pressure Holder to rescind his recent appointment of a special counsel to investigate allegations of torture during the Bush administration.

Bond contends that the Intelligence Committee investigation had effectively become pointless and the panel was "spinning our wheels" because current and former agency officials will now refuse to cooperate with any congressional probe when they face potential prosecution by the Justice Department. "DOJ sent a loud and clear message that previous decisions to decline prosecution mean nothing and old criminal charges can be brought anytime against anyone," Bond said. "Against these odds, what current or former CIA employee would be willing to gamble his freedom by answering the committee's questions?"

But Sen. Diane Feinstein, the committee's Democratic chairman, insisted the probe will continue regardless. Saying "I very much regret" the GOP's decision, Feinstein said her probe "is being pursued, additional staff are being hired, and the Committee is continuing the work with all due diligence."

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Egged on by former Vice President Dick Cheney, Bond and other congressional Republicans have repeatedly attacked Holder for suggesting that anybody in the Bush administration or the U.S. intelligence community might have engaged in illegal conduct when, as they see it, they had simply been protecting the country.

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http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/thegaggle/archive/2009/09/25/sen-bond-pulls-gop-staff-off-of-torture-investigation.aspx

I would like to see more GOP staff pulled out of more government activities. As far as I'm concerned, they can go home and hold their breath until they turn blue (and we won't bother to send the socialist paramedics to revive them).

Once the republicans refuse to pay taxes, participate in the Census, participate in Congress, etc., our whole system of government will be gone. I reckon it will happen during Obama's first term. They've already done everything else.

Get ready to hear a lot about "civil disobedience" from the right, led by the emetic Glenn Beck. You heard it here first.

Me, I'm moving to Romania.

except on acid, steroids, PCP and meth. Oh, and the kid is armed.