John Brennan, the president’s choice to lead the C.I.A., with Senator Dianne Feinstein of the intelligence committee last month. Brendan Hoffman for The New York Times.
White House Tactic For C.I.A. Bid Holds Back Drone Memos -- New York Times
WASHINGTON — The White House is refusing to share fully with Congress the legal opinions that justify targeted killings, while maneuvering to make sure its stance does not do anything to endanger the confirmation of John O. Brennan as C.I.A. director.
Rather than agreeing to some Democratic senators’ demands for full access to the classified legal memos on the targeted killing program, Obama administration officials are negotiating with Republicans to provide more information on the lethal attack last year on the American diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, according to three Congressional staff members.
The strategy is intended to produce a bipartisan majority vote for Mr. Brennan in the Senate Intelligence Committee without giving its members seven additional legal opinions on targeted killing sought by senators and while protecting what the White House views as the confidentiality of the Justice Department’s legal advice to the president. It would allow Mr. Brennan’s nomination to go to the Senate floor even if one or two Democrats vote no to protest the refusal to share more legal memos.
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My Comment: I am surprised that the New York Times is publishing this story. They have developed a reputation (in my eyes) of keeping stories that are embarrassing to this President in the back pages. I guess many are hoping that the John Brennan nomination may result in some openness .... but considering that this administration has shown little interest in the past for compromise, I sincerely doubt it.
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