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United States News Title: GOP demands Senate vote on leak investigation Trying to force the fight over intelligence leaks straight to the Senate floor, Republicans on Tuesday introduced a resolution that would put the chamber’s members on record over whether they think an independent counsel is needed to look at the Obama administration. The resolution marks an escalation in what is turning into a major Washington tussle, which has national security matters at its heart, complicated by all the makings of a Washington political firestorm. Republicans have demanded that Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. name an independent counsel with special investigative powers to look into a series of leaks ranging from drone strikes to cyber attacks on Iran, which all sides say exposed classified programs to dangerous levels of public scrutiny. But Mr. Holder and the administration have refused, instead naming two U.S. attorneys to lead an investigation. Testifying to a Senate committee on Tuesday, Mr. Holder said journalists could be forced to give information in the investigation if investigators can’t learn what they need to know from other sources. “The mechanisms we have in place are good ones and we have shown in the past no hesitancy to employ them,” he said. Mr. Holder said the two U.S. attorneys he has named “are good lawyers, they are tough prosecutors,” who both parties can have faith in. He said he couldn’t discuss in open session the reasons for appointing two men to lead the team rather than just a single individual. Mr. Holder said he and FBI Director Robert F. Mueller have already been interviewed in one of the investigations going on. Sen. Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Republican, said President Obama and Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. themselves both called for special counsels to look into Bush administration leaks, and said it’s hypocritical for the White House now to reject those calls. “I think you’re missing the fact that this is a very big deal. And you’re handling it in a way that creates suspicion where there should not be,” Mr. Graham said. Republicans also said given Mr. Holder’s own past issues with having “misled” Congress on the Fast and Furious gunwalking operations, they have little faith in his decision-making when it comes to transparency. Sen. John Cornyn, Texas Republican, said he’s adding his name to those in the GOP who think Mr. Holder should resign. But Mr. Holder said that’s not going to happen. “I don’t have any intention of resigning,” he said. As for a potential second Obama term, he said it’ll be up to the president whether he stays. The leaks under question came in forthcoming books and already-published articles detailing classified programs such as the U.S. drone kill-list that targets suspected terrorist leaders. Story Continues →
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