« previous | MUCK HOME | next »
Dem Senator Blocks CIA's Top Lawyer
Whatever happened to John Rizzo, the longtime CIA lawyer nominated to become chief CIA counsel? Rizzo, who vetted CIA interrogation guidelines as an agency attorney, got through a contentious June nomination hearing largely by equivocating on whether any detainee in CIA custody was tortured. But his nomination never received a vote from the Senate intelligence committee. And now it's clear why: Ron Wyden (D-OR) is blocking Rizzo from moving through the process.
“I’m going to keep the hold until the detention and interrogation program is on firm footing, both in terms of effectiveness and legality,” said Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon. Mr. Wyden said he was troubled that John Rizzo, who is the Central Intelligence Agency’s interim general counsel, did not object to a 2002 memo authorizing interrogation techniques that stop just short of inflicting pain equal to that accompanying organ failure or even death. Mr. Wyden also said he was concerned that an executive order issued last month by Mr. Bush did not clarify legal guidelines regarding detentions and interrogations.
Rizzo said at his confirmation hearing that, even in retrospect, he didn't regret assenting to the Justice Department's infamous "torture memo." (An embarrassed DOJ repudiated the memo in 2004.) It's hard to see how the CIA can salvage this nomination. That would make Rizzo, at the time the agency's acting head lawyer, the only administration official involved with crafting interrogations policy to have his career suffer as a result.
Comments (13)
Anonymous wrote on August 16, 2007 2:10 PM:What prevents Rizzo from continuing as acting agency general counsel for the duration of Bush's reign? If the answer is nothing, we have no consequence and no new blood evaluating the legality of agency actions. A clear win and as we all know, Bush defines "winning" in ways no one ever thought of before.
brantl wrote on August 16, 2007 2:31 PM:I am happy to have seen one democrat take a principled stand. Now I would hope to see more emulate his example.
Scott L wrote on August 16, 2007 2:40 PM:Thank god there is one democrate that is not talking a good game but is DOING SOMETHING. It's almost worth moving to the west coast just to vote for him...
Theresa Marie Gargano wrote on August 16, 2007 2:40 PM:Senator Ron Wyden has it right. Block this nomination from becoming permanent. Wyden is a star in Oregon.
moondancer wrote on August 16, 2007 3:13 PM:Good work, Wyden. Symbolic or not, anybody lying to me would get blocked too.
Rodney wrote on August 16, 2007 4:00 PM:Why isn't everyone on the committee blocking Rizzo? A chief Counsel should demonstrate that he follows the law and international conventions rather than be another Gonzales or John Yoo.
Anonymous wrote on August 16, 2007 4:50 PM:I thought there was a candidate to be a fed judge who either got blocked or wasn't nominated. (I know that unfortunately one person involved got the lifetime fed judge appt before his role came to light.)
FMArouet wrote on August 16, 2007 6:59 PM:I needed that.
Just when it seemed that Democrats could be counted on to back down on every matter of principle every single time, Senator Wyden stepped up to show others the way.
Nowhere is it written in stone that Democrats must always, after making a modest show of huffing and puffing, proceeed to cave in to serial thuggery by the Bush/Cheney White House.
JD21 wrote on August 16, 2007 9:35 PM:You go Ron Wyden! The torture memo is an outrage. An affront to humanity. I can't believe (a) the Republicans in the White House drafted, much more accepted it and (b) everyone else hasn't thrown those who wrote it and accepted it into jail by now.
Ron Wyden, the Democrats need to follow your example. Keep standing up for what is right and just. You are my hero. We need people in government like you we can look up to.
steambomb wrote on August 17, 2007 1:07 AM:wow thats refreshing... ahhhh.
pointus wrote on August 17, 2007 5:52 AM:Several times have I called my Oregon Senator, thanking him for his courageous votes on various issues. He has helped keep the telcos from destroying net neutrality (so far); he voted against gutting FISA, and on and on.
Carol Lam wrote on August 17, 2007 11:40 AM:I wrote to Sen. Wyden to thank him. We need to do more than just complain about the bluedog dems and flood the brave Congressperson's emails and write snail mail to thank them and offer them some protection from the cheney thugs.
http://www.Senate.gov
TSop wrote on August 17, 2007 1:06 PM:sc - animal HUMAN BEINGS SHOULD NOT BE TREATED AND CAGED LIKE ANIMALS - go to WitnessToTorture.com and see our soldiers carrying orange suited human beings in SMALL CAGES though the streets.
Wyden shows some backbone! Fellow Democrats take note! PLEASE!