By Pam Benson
A group of Republican senators continued to fire away Tuesday at the Obama administration for its failure to appoint a special counsel to investigate leaks of classified information.
Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, once again led the charge at a Capitol Hill news conference, criticizing Attorney General Eric Holder for his decision to appoint two Justice Department prosecutors to investigate the recent leaks to the media.
"To think that two people appointed prosecutors from Mr. Holder's office, overseen by Mr. Holder, is also offensive," McCain said. "We need a special counsel. We need someone who the American people can trust and we need to stop the leaks that are endangering the lives of those men and women who are serving our country."
Holder responded to the accusations at a June 12 congressional hearing. He said the Justice Department and the FBI are keeping a careful eye on any potential conflict of interest, but said of the prosecutors, "We have people who have shown independence, an ability to be thorough, and who have the guts to ask tough questions. And the charge that I've given them is to follow the leads wherever they are ... wherever it is in the executive branch or some other component of government."
In recent weeks, there have been a number of national security-related stories quoting current and former U.S. officials.
One story revealed that a Saudi agent had infiltrated al Qaeda in Yemen and had uncovered an airline bomb plot directed against the United States.
Another had the details of how the United States and Israel were behind the Stuxnet cyberattack against Iran's nuclear program. The computer virus caused some of Iran's centrifuges to spin out of control.
The Republican senators derided President Barack Obama for his recent comment that he found offensive any notion that members of his administration intentionally released classified information.
"Any other administration, in my memory, Democrat or Republican, would have been absolutely apoplectic looking for the culprits, trying to find out who were the people that actually committed these criminal leaks," Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Mississippi, complained. "Instead the president is offended that someone would suggest such a thing. And frankly, members of the administration are sort of smugly happy that information come forward that appears to make the president seem tough."
White House spokesman Jay Carney called a similiar accusation "wrong and absurd" at his June 11 press briefing. Carney said the president "takes very seriously the need to protect classified and sensitive information," but indicated there was no need for a special prosecutor, that there were "very capable people in the Department of Justice" to handle the matter.
McCain read excerpts from a book written by New York Times correspondent David Sanger, emphasizing one passage in which Sanger talked about a White House trip and an invitation by a senior National Security Council official to be briefed about Iran on the hotel floor where the president's suite was located.
"Maybe the president of the United States was not present at his own suite in Pittsburgh when, obviously, the notion that his White House would purposely release classified national information is offensive is contradicted by the facts," McCain said.
The senators suggested Congress might have to take matters into its own hands if the Obama administration does not change course.
"My hope is that Congress will take up the responsibility to do what (it) is constitutionally authorized and obligated to do, and that is to investigate this matter ourselves," said Sen. John Cornyn of Texas.
No Democrats participated in the news conference, but the Republicans quoted extensively from comments made by Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein about the severe consequences of the leaks.
Feinstein told CNN Tuesday that she had no problem with Justice prosecutors continuing their work, which is already underway.
"I have no reason to believe that they're going to be anything other than forward leaning and very straightforward in the investigation which is what we want," Feinstein said. She is concerned partisan politics might be creeping in, but wants the investigation to continue and be completed "forthwith."
CNN's Ted Barrett contributed to this report
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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guns don't kill people people kill people
and the nra are racist to boot
I got the anti american nra dancing at the end of a string
give em enough rope
Republicans have had too much time on their hands sitting around doing nothing for the past 3.5 years. Now that it's an election year they're taking all that spare time to go after Obama. What a useless party. Why are my taxes paying for this? After Obama gets elected we need to boot out all the left over Bush-appointees and other GOP in Congress and other positions and replace them with Independents.
The Repubs don't know how to govern, so this is all they ever have – investigations and wasting our money (so much for their conservatism!). Guess they figure if the Fast & Furious witchhunt doesn't provide the results they want, then they'll use this "leaks" thing. Anything now to try to damage the President. Face it, that is ALL the Repubs have and will do anything to try to win back the White House. They lie, cheat, steal and pander – PATHETIC!!
John McCain could have potentially put Sarah Palin in the White House. As commander in chief. McCain is a disgrace to his country.
And if the truth were ever released from McCains military records you would also see that he is a traitor to the u.s.a.
Fee, fie, fo, fum, I smell the blood of a pacyderm plant on the run. How they arrived at information and leaks I may never know, but hot air and wind in Congress will blow. With billions of dollars the GOP did crow, "we've got Obama on the skids", now row, row, row. To the shores of Foggy Bottom they did row only to find that where they did crow one of their own secrets did leak to bring down Obama without sneak or peak. They put their finger on the Enter key and said whoooo weeee look at me, I'm the Emperor without any clothes but goodness me – I too have a deep throat serving me. And the dirty money went back and forth but the trail was cold due to the dearth of money I threw at the high judicial bench with friends like Roberts, Scalia and so many of the rest. They won the battle and lost the war, excoriating Obama and more but the moral of this tale my friends is never trust your enemies but less so your friends.
Folks, I am a military member, and leaks like these put the lives of my friends and colleagues in danger. They are not a distraction. They are not about race, or the economy. They are about protecting the lives of people who are risking their lives every day to protect us all. The leaks must be stopped.
You can believe that the Justice Department can use internal lawyers, and that those lawyers will be fair. Maybe these lawyers are honest and independent. But if the AG really wants people to trust the Justice Department, then why choose not to have an outside counsel? Isn't it worth the cost- relatively very, very small in the context of the DOJ budget- to produce an investigative result that people will accept as independent, rather than giving ammunition to the people who are already inclined to claim that this will just be a cover-up? Why not have someone who doesn't work for the Atty Gen. handle the case and avoid giving opponents something to use as evidence of a cover-up and serious wrongdoing?
Yeah, you're in the military. Didn't you serve with my dog in the puppy patrol? How stupid do you think we are?
You have a military member ?
I think i smell a lie here.
I'm so old I remember when John McCain was thought to be a decent man.
Why can't McCain just go away and leave us alone.
I thought the special counsel was allowed to expire several years ago.
It's hysterical folks, and not the funny kind . . .
Why don't you teapublican confederates go investigate the WMD's in Iraq? Worthless racist un-American confederates!
WE are the OBAMA Cartel
WE will "investigate" our self
WE will TELL you what if anything that we find
YOU will like OUR answer.
FORWARD To Life on the government plantation !!!
defund baby boomers.
This a no brainer.
Does the president think the American people are stupid?!
It would be like leaving the fox in charge of the chicken coop.
Of course he does. I mean, he was elected, right?
CNN sure does with their stories 8-1 against Republican efforts to secure the country. Maybe it's time to revisit Freedom of the Press.
It's not the president who love committees that waste time and congressional investigations that do nothing. Obama knows this country has problems. It's congress that refuses to solve our problems. They are not working in the debt. they are not working on the economy. Look at the facts. Since the republicans have be in control of congress they have do less then when the democrats were in control. Far far less.
I. seem to recall McCain also requesting a special counsel in the Valerie Plame leak. (Not really). Doesn't the GOP have more jobs bills to block so that Obama can fail.
Obama is failing fine just on his own.
The GOP is completely broken. Instead of trying to make a better America, they keep trying to prove that Democrats are corrupt. That strategy would work if the Republican'ts could keep themselves in line, BUT NO! What we have is two parties fighting over control. Neither party is working for the good of the American people. Milan Fras for president!
I think this one is going to stick though. This is much bigger than most people on this forum are willing to admit or understand. Someone is going to jail. When Dems in Congress speak out with Republicans, it's bad! This is only the beginning folks! Don't shoot the messenger just because you don't like him.
Wait, I thought the GOP was going to be concentrating on jobs? What a bunch of hypocrites!
McCain is hopeless. The senile, old fool just can't over losing to Obama.
U democrats are strange, BUT be sure to vote,because as Americans we must all vote, so u libtards get up early on NOV.7th AND VOTE
You're just angry that McCain won't give up on the corrupt Obama administration.
Btw, the punishment for TREASON is death...
Im old enough to remember 'whitewater gate". All that tiime and taxpayer money wasted by the G.O.P. for what??
They keep trying. If they can't defeat a democtic president by fair election they will try any way..
Hey..people REALLY don't care if Holder and Obama "knocked off" 711's in their spare time. NO WAY will they vote for a guy who made his millions stealing pensions from workers...or..left a trail of broken companies is the wake of his "raids". This is all "much ado about nothing"...a "tempest in a tea pot". Let's get back to discussing Romney and how he'll steal the fillings out of the poor and middle class's teeth if he's elected!
Badguy, obama is a millionaire, he spent OVER 80 bucks on a hamburger on a 4,000,000 dollar vacation recently, HE DONT CARE ABOUT U, SORRY BABY, MITT CARES, HES KOOL AS ICE, AND HE SUPPORTS GAYS RIGHTS LIKE ADOPTION AND DOMESTIC PARTNERS, AND HE DOES IT BECAUSE HE CARES NOT BECAUSE LIKE OBAMA HE NEEDS THEIR VOTES, IM SORRY THE TRUTH HURTS BABYDOLL, BUT MITT IS REAL AND OBAMA SUCKS
WHAT IS THE NAME OF THE PLANET ARE YOUR FROM?????????
Next time get your drugs from a reputable source!
Mit is real, well hate to break your bubble, I am from MASS and he totally messed up this state and when he left he took all his computers, that is called Fraud. Real please give me a break. You must watch to much FAUX News
lets waste more taxpayers money on stupid special councl, should spend that money on jobs. mcCain is a old troll and needs a nursing home and let Palin be his nurse.
The question is...ARE YOU FOR REAL?? Good Lord, if you think Romney cares about us you are delusional. Funny how you say President Obama is a millionaire but don't mention that Romney is 200 more times so than Obama. What has happened to common sense?
GAYGUY – Mitt's a leech! You can put lipstick on a pig all day. But...He's still a pig. And..Obama made his 6 million off books. Mitt made his 250 Million confiscating it from people that actually earned it. In any other country the guy would be in jail along with Madoff. But...in the USA, we only send people to jail that steal from the Rich!
Badguy, Odumbo steals from children, ( their future ) AND EVERYONE ELSE, ARE U CRYING ABOUT SENDING HIM TO JAIL? HE NEEDS TO GO TO THAT AMERICAN JAIL ON CUBA WITH HOLDER RIGHT BEHIND HIM, AMEN, MITT EARNED HIS MONEY BY HARD WORK BUDDY, HE STARTED OUT POOR, UR A SOCIALIST
Obama is the leech...100 rounds of golf and 25 vacations and America is still suffering!!!!! The sooner he and Michele are back on the streets the better.
Obama was a "community organizer" and a "guest lecturer" before he was handed his Senate seat on a silver platter.
Mitt is a better educated, smarter, self-made man who succeeded in a world that most people can't make it in.
NO MORE OBAMA IN 2012!!!!!
Why do u liberals bring up Pres. Bush and say that whites are racist EVERY SINGLE DAY? Ok so Bush is hot, get over it ALREADY, AND whites arent racist, GET A LIFE FREAKS, U GIRLS ARE BRAINWASHED
And Republicans ARE racists!
Im a repub and im not racist PUNK
Ouch! That REALLY hurts! I guess I'll just slip away in shame and won't DARE to write anything else! Where'd you learn your great debating skills?
Badguy I didnt mean to hurt u, can I kiss IT and make IT better, YOURS
The race card is only played by blacks and the democrats...
The only racists are the blacks and the democrats...
They both hate the idea of a free and equal America almost as much as they hate losing government handouts.
The problem you are having is that the government is skewed in terms of representation. Among individual parties, the percentage of women in each party is not the same as the representatives. The percentage of Latinos, the Gay community, African Americans, young people, etc. is not represented. Thus you get the comments how they are 1) Old and 2) White. Usually it's not racist. I'm not going to sit here and say some aren't either. Our government should be closer aligned to what our population is...and not who is rich enough to run.
Ok, I agree
Boy, these right wing posters sure are intellectuals, aren't they? So these three representatives of the Old, the Pale and the Stale Party want a special prosecutor. Waaa Waaa Waaaa.
Listen up Old.......Listen up Pale.....Listen up Stale....aren't you supposed to be working on things like programs to create jobs for this Country? Instead you want to waste millions on a witch hunt? Ok, let's do it....We'll take the money from those cushy health care plans you'all have. How 'bout it?
TALK ABOUT BRAINWASH - I'M WILLING TO BET THE ONLY NEWS YOU SEE ON T.V. IS FOX
Gay Guy – As Arnold would say: You are a girly man! You are also dumb as rocks!
Go play with the rest of the republicans but do it in a public rest room, that is where they seem to enjoy it. i guess it is the glory holes that turn them on.
GOP senators, go to work and see how job market can be improved? Work on student loans. We know your goal is to cause distraction and make Obama look bad so that he will be one term president. Did you guy complain when Bush administration outed Valerie Plame? Did you even raise a voice when Iraq started based on WMD lie caused the deaths of 1000 US soldiers and 100000 Iraqi civilians, not to mention trillions in war efforts?
Dear Mary, we did NOT spend trillions on iraq war, and over 4,000 AMERICANS DIED IN iraq, not 1000, your wrong facts are why dumb dems like u vote dem party, yall are too dumb to know the truth, like Hillary Clinton voted for that war as a senator, dumb dems, dumb dems
You also do not know how to form a proper sentence. I rest my case.
I have cancer, vadthrawn, im luckly to have the strenght to hold up the phone, im just a gay repub, I think liberals are very nice or very radical, they scare me, the radical ones
You are dumber!
Gay Guy – PLEASE get your facts straight. Bush did NOT put the cost of 2 wars n the books, something Obama had the balls to do, which is why we have such a huge deficit.
I don't care what your health issues are, don't use it as a way to justify your errant facts.
You sound pretty uninformed to me.
The democrats did not vote to go to war, they voted for a lie. the lie Bush told about weapons of mass destruction, the whole 8 years of bush and company was one big lie.
Seriously, GOP. Don't you have more important things to do?????
Dont u have something better to do HARRY? Obama Holder equal corruption
And all you Republicans kept quiet when Bush administration outed Valerie Plame!!
Thats different!!!!!
Hey, GOP, people in hell want ice water. You'll all know about that some time soon. Quacks is what ya'll are.
Hey Jim, dems are dumb, QUACK, QUACK BABY
I thought i told you to go suck a big one. that should shut you up for a while.
The last time Republicans wanted a special council, they spent over 10 years and hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars investigating a b j.
Hey Jeb, dems suck, R U A DEM? Just wondering.
Troll
Yes, they appointed Ken Starr to investigate Monica Lewinsky scandal and spent 40 million dollars of tax payers' money. But, Clinton was not found guilty in the trial and all that tax payer's money was watsed. Why doesn't the GOP talk about that?
Mary BILL CLINTON WAS GUILTY FOR LIEING TO CONGRESS AND HE WAS IMPEACHED BY THE HOUSE OF REPS, ARE ALL U STRAIGHT LIBERALS SO DUMB???????
Gay Guy
What did he lie about again?
The Senate did not convict him of high crimes and misdemeanors for staining the blue dress.
McCain is such a bitter old man. He will never forgive Obama for spoiling the last chance he would have to gain the Presidency. The Party of NO has to stop this nonsense and start helping our country.
Obama is a crook, holder is crook, PERIOD, AND LIB DEMS ARE RACIST
Let's go fishing just like Ken Starr did.
Honey if us repubs went fishing and used Obama's sock for bait, WE WOULD CATCH GARBAGE ALL DAY
What the hell are you talking about? Can you not even put an effort into linking the president to this comment.
I'd like to use comedian Lewis Black's line with a slight modification to explain what you are doing. "It's like 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon except there's only 1 degree...and Kevin Bacon is President Obama!" Seriously, try to at least bring facts to the table.
It looks like that is what GOP is good at fishing and witch hunting and spending tax payer's money on things we cannot afford. Hey, it is not their money.
Mary honey, obama has spent more money we didnt have to spend than all the other presidents combined, u poor pitiful dembo
King Romney, Love-Child of Wall Street, supports whatever position you support on this if it'll get your vote.
YA!!! Rather than just throwing out some fall guy, they need to find out who REALLY leaked the name of that CIA agent. Isn't that what the Republicans are talking about?
This is the same Republican Party that spent 94 million dollars investigating Bill Clinton's BJ. How about if they do some work to create some "regular jobs"?
Larry whats all this talk about bj's, I dont understand! But I do know Obama and holder are crooks
And, Gay Guy equals IDIOT
BS in BS out same oh same oh, ELECTION TIME
special council would be ideal, except they abused it last time, I would ever give them that kind of free reign again
How many MILLION;s would it cost and would it ever end
The way these lib demotards think.. dohbumma could commit the worst crime in us history.. and if the GOP (or anyone for that matter) wanted an investigation.. we would all be claimed as racist, anti american, partisan, etc.. and so forth..
Let the libt#rds think what ever they want.. keep pushing for it expose their foolishness. All this other stuff, immigration, holder, etc.. is a setup to take away from the Real issues.. and keep everyone talking about that instead of the Nov elections..
What a well thought out, articulate and individually conceived stance.
I don't suppose you could express the same thoughts without all the name calling, could you?
Four of the sorriest republican congressmen that are still in office. if they want an investigation so bad let them pay for it. not the poor and middle class working people. their idea of a special investigator is another republican. remembe ken starr.
Yes, I will go for that; Let the GOP with their SuperPAC pay for the trial and not from tax payer's money.
Awww, they want a special prosecutor. Isn't that nice. I want a pony but unfortunately neither of us will get what we want. The only difference is that I realize that stomping my feet and holding my breath will change nothing. In other words – I grew up and they should try it. In life things don't always go your way just because you can yell the loudest. You also have to be right.
Obama must thank God every day for Bush. If it were not for Bush – he and his supporters would have to explain their shortcomings.......
Partisan or not – loose lips sink ships..... now if the Dem lemmings can think for themselves for a moment – maybe all of us will not go over the cliff together.
Who cares what Bush did or what he got away with – it doesn’t make a difference to what is right and wrong. Comments sound like a bunch of children
thats all the dems do is complain and blame someone else for the problems we have! just looking at the posts on here i rest my case
Outside of being "appalled" and gathering for photo ops, these denizens of democracy should try and find out where the American middle class "leaked " to. I figure America has two good election cycles left during which the politicians better get their act together. If not it will be "American Spring" in the good old USA.
This picture says it all,old white and out of touch.
I had someone say to me yesterday how short Americas memorie span is. Anyone remember that idiot "George W Bush" that left a mess there for 8 years?? Jesus!! As a matter of fact Jesus would have a problem fixing the crap he set us in.
Perfect description.
The last time this bunch of republicans wanted a special investigator we ended up with a partisan hack named kenneth starr that found nothing in white water and ended up costing the tax payers 52 million dollars.
I definitely remember what a farce that was. They would probably want to cut SS also to pay for the prosecuter too. Ken Star was the same witch hunt just that they used a special counsel so it looked like it wasn't them doing the hunting but it didn't work and wasted a fortune.
Dear BOOTSTOMPER, I AM SICK AND TIRED OF RACIST ANTI WHITE IDIOTS LIKE U TALING ABOUT WHITE PEOPLE, WE ARE ONE OF THE NICEST RACE OF PEOPLE ON THIS PLANET, THANK YOU
HEY PEOPLE -- DON'T RESPOND TO THAT "GAY GUY". HE HASN'T A CLUE WHAT'S HAPPENING. HE'S A "FOX" WATCHER.
Why don;t they investigate the WMD lie that got us into Iraq war?
But mary thats the war Hillary and the dems voted for and gave bush permission to fight
OK. These fools have their panties in twist about the deficit and about us borrowing 40 to 50 cents on every dollar to fund government. What would it cost to have this special investigator in place and how much has already cost us to have this politically motivated investigation of the fast-and-furious program. Probably 50 to 75 million. So these Republican fools who are "so outraged about the deficit" think it fine to borrow 25 to 38 million from China to satisfy their egos and political agenda which has nothing to do with creating jobs for the struggling middle class.
Well put, once again a tired old antiquated style of government that clearly does not work anymore, it is broken, its damaged. Our Government spends all , ALL of their time trying to bring down the other party, thats all they do! Our country is going down hill fast, and nothing has changed in Washington. The definition of insanity...."Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."
Cas, guess what? Our country is going down hill fast, because dems have controlled the senate for almost 6 years, and the white house for almost 4 years, the repubs have sent over 20 job bills to the dem senate and they ignore them, YOUR LIBERAL PARTY SUCKS HONEY
"is there anyone in their right mind who trusts Obama"
Every one but teabagging brain dead Repukes.
name calling implies that's all you got.
Sad but true.
Not at all, I just have no respect for people who act like fools while braying constantly that THEY are the only "patriots" around.
I DON'T TRUST OBAMA'S PEOPLE TO INVESTIGATE THEMSELVES.
tHAT MAKES SENSE TO MOST PEOPLE AND IT DOESN'T MAKE ME A "FOOL" AS YOU CLAIM.
NO ONE IS CALLING THEMSELVES THE " ONLY PATRIOTS AROUND." YOU SOUND PARANOID.
"Do you approve of President Bush's declaration that he will simply refuse these subpoenas that have been sent to Ms. Miers and Karl Rove," Hewitt asked.
"Yeah, he's got a responsibility to protect executive privilege. That's just part of preserving the powers of the presidency," Romney responded in the interview. "He should do what he thinks is the right thing with regards to members of his team but preserve executive privilege."
My my, Etch-A-Sketch, how DO you keep track of your changing positions?
More Republican lies and more Republican deception and distraction because they will do ANYTHING to make Obama look bad and defeat him in November. They know they have a weak candidate who hasn't taken a real position on ANYTHING so the only thing left to do is to obstruct EVERYTHING and LIE to the American people.
Thats all they know how to do anyway.
is there anyone in their right mind who trusts Obama appointees / DOJ / Holder to investigate leaks that were most likely made by the Obama team??
It's ludicrous. Obama thinks D.C. works the way Chicago does, where they buy and sell Senate seats.
Yes I trust them, but I also don't waste my time watching Fox News then come online and write everything Hannity just told me about. Honestly, take the tin foil hat off
It is not a black and white issue but is one of grey. I also don't believe everything that comes out of Hannity of Fox News or Larry Kudlow of CNBC.