Doh! Never Mind

Seems like Trent Lott's disclosure the other day, that the leak about the CIA's secret prison system in Eastern Europe and beyond (Jane Mayer, interviewed on CNN this morning, said it stretches all the way from Thailand to the former Soviet Union) had almost certainly come from fellow Republicans has changed the GOP's plans sharply. Maybe, Pat Roberts (R-Coverup) thinks, Hastert and Frist were a bit too hasty in their hope to drive some nails into the press.

Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) said he will "respectfully" request that Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) back off a strongly worded request that a bicameral investigation into the disclosure be convened immediately. Frist spokeswoman Amy Call said the majority leader had not decided how to respond. "He always takes what his chairmen say into consideration," she said. [...]

[...] The CIA general counsel's office also has notified the Justice Department that a release of classified information took place in connection with The Post's report. After the CIA details what it sees as the damage done by the article, Justice prosecutors will determine whether a criminal investigation is warranted.

Asked how long that could take, Roberts joked, "Decades," indicating he is in no rush to convene his own inquiry.

Strange, though, no mention of Trent Lott's indication that the call was coming from inside the house.....


[Update] Lott is now explaining his statement away today (from the subscription-only Roll Call, excerpted by Atrios) by claiming he was simply confused and was instead referring to another Washington Post story dealing with the Vice President begging GOP Senators on bended knee for the CIA to be allowed to perform the torture the US isn't practicing anyhow. Get it? Hey, don't feel so bad, Trent, I'm confused too.

“Two separate issues, they got tangled up,” Lott explained.