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House Intelligence Chair Reyes For Keeping Bush Intelligence Team And "Techniques"

As someone who thought Jane Harman had learned her lessons about the Bush Administration and its "intelligence techniques," I thought those who favored Silvestre Reyes over her for Chair of the House Intelligence Committee were wrong. Reyes was not competent to fill the slot and had no record to speak of on the issues. But Speaker Pelosi's anti-Harman sentiments swept all this aside. Here is our reward, via Greenwald:

In an interview, Reyes said he believes that Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell and CIA Director Michael Hayden should be kept in their posts. . . . [Reyes]recommended to Obama's transition team that some parts of the CIA's controversial alternative interrogation program should be allowed to continue.

Reyes, knowing nothing about the subject, has been rolled by the intelligence community. He never should have been named Chair of the Intelligence Committee and gawd knows he should not be listened to now on the subject. Let's hope Obama has the good sense to ignore him.

Speaking for me only

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    With Reyes appintment (5.00 / 1) (#6)
    by oldpro on Thu Dec 11, 2008 at 12:00:39 PM EST
    Pelosi shot the 'competence' meme for Democrats right between the eyes.  Now Harmon isn't even on the committee?

    More than an embarrassment, this is extremely dangerous.

    Obama's appointees will matter more than ever.

    Some Democrats (none / 0) (#1)
    by lilburro on Thu Dec 11, 2008 at 08:09:17 AM EST
    are slowly defining the "center" of interrogation policy.  No matter how often interrogators and intelligence experts say torture never works.

    For ex, from the original controversial WSJ article:

    Mr. Obama is being advised largely by a group of intelligence professionals, including some who have supported Republicans, and centrist former officials in the Clinton administration. They say he is likely to fill key intelligence posts with pragmatists.

    "He's going to take a very centrist approach to these issues," said Roger Cressey, a former counterterrorism official in the Clinton and Bush administrations. "Whenever an administration swings too far on the spectrum left or right, we end up getting ourselves in big trouble."

    This isn't a "government official" - this is one of Obama's advisers.


    And was there really nothing (none / 0) (#2)
    by lilburro on Thu Dec 11, 2008 at 08:10:47 AM EST
    in the Democratic platform that sent a message to Democrats that "this is our page - stay on it" regarding torture?

    Parent
    But of course any official (none / 0) (#3)
    by ThatOneVoter on Thu Dec 11, 2008 at 08:39:19 AM EST
    sanction of torture will make it routine---if it isn't already.

    Parent
    Triple oxymoron (none / 0) (#4)
    by wurman on Thu Dec 11, 2008 at 08:46:12 AM EST
    Placing the terms "House of Representatives," "intelligence," & "committee" all in one sentence defies comprehension.  Read 'em & weep.

    Silvestre Reyes, Chairman  Democrat  Texas  
    Leonard L. Boswell  Democrat  Iowa  
    Robert E. (Bud) Cramer, Jr  Democrat  Alabama  
    Anna G. Eshoo  Democrat  California  
    Rush D. Holt  Democrat  New Jersey  
    C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger  Democrat  Maryland  
    John Tierney  Democrat  Massachusetts  
    Mike Thompson  Democrat  California  
    Jan Schakowsky  Democrat  Illinois  
    Jim Langevin  Democrat  Rhode Island  
    Patrick Murphy  Democrat  Pennsylvania  
    Adam Schiff  Democrat  California  
    Peter Hoekstra, Ranking Republican  Michigan  
    Terry Everett  Republican  Alabama  
    Elton Gallegly  Republican  California  
    Heather Wilson  Republican  New Mexico  
    Mac Thornberry  Republican  Texas  
    John McHugh  Republican  New York  
    Todd Tiahrt  Republican  Kansas  
    Mike Rogers  Republican  Michigan  
    Darrell Issa  Republican  California  

    Dead-eye Dick Cheney looks at this list & laughs himself to sleep at night. The generals & admirals who manage the US spy apparatus simply send subordinates up the hill to lob generalizations & assurances at this assembly of "in-curious" rubber stampers.

    The whole "SYSTEM" is a joke looking for its punchline.

    Darrell Issa? Too much information. (none / 0) (#7)
    by oculus on Thu Dec 11, 2008 at 01:13:40 PM EST
    Continuity (none / 0) (#5)
    by The Heretik on Thu Dec 11, 2008 at 11:01:35 AM EST
    What we really need is discontinuity of previous heinous pracices.