Panetta Apologizes to Pelosi by Slamming Cheney

CIA Director Leon Panetta got into trouble with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) when he rightfully called into question her claims that the CIA had lied to her and Congress about the use of enhanced interrogation methods. He made the mistake of telling the truth.

Now, several weeks later, Panetta’s presented Madam Speaker with a big bouquet of flowers, neatly tied with a bow, as he uttered what will likely end up being the most regrettable statement of his life:

“I think he [former Vice President Dick Cheney] smells some blood in the water on the national security issue,” Panetta told The New Yorker. “It’s almost, a little bit, gallows politics. When you read behind it, it’s almost as if he’s wishing that this country would be attacked again, in order to make his point.”

This because the former vice president of the United States has an opinion or two on national security issues and has taken to the airwaves to speak out on behalf of Americans who are concerned about Obama administration policies that threaten to leave us vulnerable.

While the former vice president is the ultimate grown-up and can certainly defend himself, Panetta’s reasons for such reprehensible remarks are rooted securely in partisan politics.

Taking heat from Pelosi and a few Democrats willing to support her in her lie, Panetta needed to show Pelosi and the Democrats that he is a “team player” by taking the ill-advised swipe at Cheney. The message is clear — now that the Democrats are in power, keep your mouth shut or they will attempt to destroy you.

Panetta threw his own integrity out the window in order to curry favor with Pelosi and congressional Democrats — and perhaps the president. He is more suited for the Gestapo than the CIA.

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