Andrea Mitchell
From NBC’s Andrea Mitchell
A spokesman for CIA Director Leon Panetta says Panetta's comments to The New Yorker were made to make it absolutely clear that he "profoundly" disagrees with former Vice President Dick Cheney's contention (made on the day of Panetta's interview with journalist Jane Mayer) that President Obama's policies have made the U.S. less safe.
Panetta's spokesman says that was what motivated Panetta's response.
Video: CIA Director Leon Panetta claims former Vice President Dick Cheney’s criticism of the Obama administration’s approach terrorism almost suggests he wishes the U.S. would be attacked again to make his point. Rep. Jane Harman, D-Calif., discusses.
He says Panetta was not saying that Cheney is hoping for another attack on the homeland, pointing to the words he used: "When you read it, it's ALMOST (emphasis added) as if he's wishing this country would be attacked again, in order to make his point. I think that's dangerous politics."
In other words, Panetta was conditional -- not directly accusing Cheney, is his spokesman's point.
*** UPDATE *** More context on Panetta: As is clear from the article itself, Panetta spoke to Jane Mayer of The New Yorker after returning from Obama's speech on detention policy and interrogation -- and being briefed on Cheney's speech earlier that day. So the comments were off the cuff -- his raw reaction to Cheney's criticism.
From NBC's Michelle Perry
Moderate Republican Olympia Snowe, a key swing vote in the U.S. Senate, told NBC's Andrea Mitchell on MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell reports that she would be open to some public/government insurance option.
"I don't think that a public national plan needs to be constructed that goes head to head with the private insurers," Snowe said, adding, however, that she thinks a fallback plan is necessary in the event private insurers don't provide adequate coverage. "I know some on my side view that as a government option as well."
Video: NBC’s Andrea Mitchell talks with Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine.
On the Sen.
Kent Conrad co-op proposal, Snowe called it an "innovative proposal," but the country would still need a fallback or contingency plan to make sure that affordable coverage is accessible to all. She added that the government needs to make sure health care options are expanded enough to those who need it.
"We want the private markets to work," Snowe said, "but we can't depend on them necessarily, given what we are facing today."
From NBC’s Andrea Mitchell
As was written about earlier today on First Read, President Obama is deeply concerned about the conviction of the two journalists in North Korea, and the U.S is doing everything possible through diplomatic channels to secure their release, the White House says.
An identical statement was issued by the State Department. The U.S. has no diplomatic relations with the North, but has been working through Sweden's ambassador, who represents U.S. interests in Pyongyang. However, he was not even permitted to attend the trial as an observer -- despite repeated requests from the U.S.
Video: Andrea Mitchell weighs in on the two U.S. journalists sentenced to 12 years of hard labor in North Korea.
U.S. officials believe the North is trying to use the women as bargaining chips in ongoing negotiations with the West. On ABC Sunday, Secretary Clinton emphasized that the women's fates should be treated as a humanitarian issue. Clearly, the U.S. is trying to keep this case separate from the more difficult political and security disagreements with the North.
The Obama team's assumption is that the women's trial is wrapped up in the succession struggle. Last week, the regime let it be known that ailing leader Kim Jong Il would be succeeded by his youngest son. That could be an indication that the military is really in charge, and that the son is merely a figurehead.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC’s Andrea MitchellA senior U.S. official says they have listened to the bin Laden tape and are presuming it to be the al Qaeda leader -- authentic and current.
That said, it is not surprising that bin Laden would be issuing a tape in time to coincide with -- and try to undermine -- the president's trip.
Official also points out that for all the constant speculation about his being alive or dead, "there's never been a fake bin Laden tape."
From NBC's Andrea Mitchell
NBC News has learned that
Nancy Reagan will be at the White House this afternoon, when
President Obama signs into law the
Ronald Reagan Centennial Commission Act.
Interestingly, Mrs. Reagan told Vanity Fair in an interview published this week that she was surprised Obama did not invite her to the White House when he announced his decision to resume stem-cell research, a cause she has long advocated. She even told Vanity Fair that she thought Obama had missed an opportunity to gain some political mileage by having her attend.
She's in D.C. for tomorrow's unveiling of the Ronald Reagan Statue in Statuary Hall of the U.S. Capitol.
Video: Bob Colacello talks with NBC's Andrea Mitchell about his Vanity Fair feature on Nancy Reagan, and her candid views on the Bushes, Obamas and living without "Ronnie."
Mrs. Reagan has been recovering from a bad fall last September that caused her to fracture her pelvis, but has been gaining strength and is believed to be in good health.
She turns 88 on July 6.
From NBC's Andrea Mitchell and Mark Murray
In a statement to agency employees regarding the back-and-forth with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, CIA Director Leon Panetta tells them to ignore the political controversy.
"My advice -- indeed, my direction -- to you is straightforward: ignore the noise and stay focused on your mission. We have too much work to do to be distracted from our job of protecting this country. We are an Agency of high integrity, professionalism, and dedication. Our task is to tell it like it is -- even if that's not what people always want to hear. Keep it up. Our national security depends on it."
Video: CIA Director Leon Panetta says officials from his agency "truthfully" briefed lawmakers on interrogation methods in 2002, countering House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's claims. NBC's Andrea Mitchell reports.Yet also in the statement, he appears to take Pelosi's charge head on. "Let me be clear: It is not our policy or practice to mislead Congress. That is against our laws and our values. As the Agency indicated previously in response to Congressional inquiries, our contemporaneous records from September 2002 indicate that CIA officers briefed truthfully on the interrogation of Abu Zubaydah, describing "the enhanced techniques that had been employed." Ultimately, it is up to Congress to evaluate all the evidence and reach its own conclusions about what happened."
Below is the full memo.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Andrea Mitchell and Libby Leist
Secretary of State Clinton and envoy Richard Holbrooke went to the Willard Hotel in DC this morning for an hour-long private meeting with Pakistan President Zardari and his ambassador to the U.S.
Their breakfast was not announced publicly -- and it wasn't on her schedule. They have been pressing Zardari hard to do more to fight the Taliban.
Clinton then returned to the State Department, where she met with Afghan President Karzai as scheduled.
Now she's meeting with both Karzai and Zardari together, also as scheduled.
From NBC's Andrea Mitchell
The
Cheney transition office says that the former VP made the request to the National Archives to declassify the CIA documents on March 31st, and the Archives confirmed on April 8th that they had forwarded the request to the relevant agencies. The Archives are the agency that former VPs contact for such matters.
Earlier today, senior intelligence officials told NBC News they have not yet received any request.
Tonight, an intelligence official said, "These things take time," and as of their latest check, it had not reached the agency.
But later, senior intelligence officials said they had checked again, at NBC’s request, after hearing from the Cheney transition office and the request from the former vice president to the National Archives for declassification "made its way to the agency" Tuesday afternoon.
That contradicts what the Archives told the Cheney office, which is that they forwarded the request on April 8th, more than a week after it was received from the former vice president’s office. (Click for more on this story on msnbc.com.)
From NBC's Andrea Mitchell
Rep.
Jane Harman (D) today sent Attorney General
Eric Holder a letter demanding that any transcripts of intercepted calls be released -- uncensored -- so that she can verify her claim that she never discussed a quid-pro-quo deal, as has been alleged by
CQ and the
New York Times.
She also wants an investigation into NSA intercepts of members of Congress -- and what she calls "selective leaks."
Video:
Rep. Jane Harman, D-Calif., responds to a report that she was recorded on NSA wiretaps agreeing to push the Justice Department for leniency on behalf of two pro-Israel lobbyists accused of being spies.Harman told NBC she was unaware of any wiretaps until called by a reporter from CQ on Thursday.
Here's her letter...
Dear General Holder:
I am outraged to learn from reports leaked to the media over the last several days that the FBI or NSA secretly wiretapped my conversations in 2005 or 2006 while I was Ranking Member on the House Intelligence Committee.
This abuse of power is outrageous and I call on your Department to release all transcripts and other investigative material involving me in an unredacted form. It is my intention to make this material available to the public.
I also urge you to take appropriate steps to investigate possible wiretapping of other Members of Congress and selective leaks of investigative material which can be used for political purposes. As you know, it is entirely appropriate to converse with advocacy organizations and constituent groups, and I am concerned about a chilling effect on other elected officials who may find themselves in my situation.
Let me be absolutely clear: I never contacted the Department of Justice, the White House or anyone else to seek favorable treatment regarding the national security cases on which I was briefed, or any other cases. You may be aware that David Szady, the FBI's former top counterintelligence official, is quoted in the media saying of me "…in all my dealings with her, she was always professional and never tried to intervene or get in the way of any investigation."
Sincerely,
JANE HARMAN
From NBC's Andrea Mitchell and John Holland
On a conference call this morning with reporters to discuss Iran and the U.N. Human Rights conference, Canada's conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper vigorously defended President Obama's handling of Hugo Chavez at this weekend's summit.
In response to a question about the criticism of Obama by some conservative politicians in the United States, Harper said that he is a conservative, but thinks that Obama's handling of Venezuela was effective at advancing America's values and interests.
"Let me be a bit of a conservative defender of the president in this regard," Harper said. "I was present obviously at all the meetings -- not the meeting between President Obama and the South American leaders, obviously wasn't at that. But I was present at the summit meeting, all of the plenary sessions."
"I thought President Obama did an excellent job of expressing the values, and priorities of the U.S. of America," he added. "I thought that he allowed ... a dialogue to take place in a good spirit to animate the room -- which I thought made the meetings productive. I think [it] made the U.S., took the U.S. to a higher plane than the Venezuelas of the world, and I think was very effective at moving the vast majorities of countries, reaffirming a very centrist position and very progressive position on the things that concern us: democracy, human rights, open markets, trade."
Harper concluded, "I know he got some criticism at home. But, you know, the U.S. is bigger than Venezuela in the end. The U.S. is the U.S., and I thought President Obama led in a way that was very effective at that conference."
