House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., is sticking to her story that she did not know the CIA was using waterboarding on terror suspects even as key Republicans cast doubt on her claims and members of her own Democratic leadership are calling for a full airing of the intelligence briefings she received.
The latest GOP attack came from Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who said that Pelosi “should have acted” when she found out about waterboarding in 2003 from an aide who had been briefed on the tactic, rather than silently concur with the top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, Rep. Jane Harman of California, who at the time sent a protest letter to the Bush administration.
“Let me just tell you — I was briefed on it — and I vehemently objected to it,” McCain told Politico.
Earlier Tuesday, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., accused Republicans of “trying to distract the American public” by pointing the finger at Pelosi. But, he added, “what was said and when it was said, who said it, I think that is probably what ought to be on the record as well.”
Sen. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., fanned the flames later in the afternoon, saying that Pelosi should be the subject of any investigation into the matter.
“If this is an inquiry we must have, everybody who was involved in it, both on the administration side and the congressional side, will certainly be subject to inquiry,” McConnell said.
Democrats, including Pelosi, have been clamoring for congressional hearings and even a “truth commission” to investigate who in the Bush administration gave the green light for the use of waterboarding on several prominent terror suspects. The Senate Intelligence Committee is investigating and the House Judiciary Committee is planning hearings on waterboarding in the coming weeks.
But Republicans have struck back with claims that they have evidence Pelosi knew as far back as 2002.
“The early stages of the war on terror, as you recall, were almost totally bipartisan,” McConnell said. “Everybody was on the same team. Everybody participated and significant people who count were briefed.”
The top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Peter Hoekstra, R-Mich., has asked the CIA to release the classified memoranda on the enhanced interrogation program, which would include the dialogue with leaders on Capitol Hill.
Hoekstra said the material shows Pelosi was indeed briefed about waterboarding.
“The American people should be given the full picture on what was known and agreed to on Capitol Hill,” Hoekstra said.
Pelosi said she was briefed by the administration in 2002 about waterboarding, but said she was not told they were actually using the technique.
“She was not briefed on waterboarding,” an aide who asked not to be identified said.
“The speaker wants to find out the facts as to what happened — that’s why she has supported and continues to support a truth commission,” the aide said. “In the meantime, the congressional committees of jurisdiction are appropriately holding hearings on the subject.”
