“The Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday voted 12 to 3 to confirm John O. Brennan as director of the Central Intelligence Agency after the White House agreed to provide more information on the legal basis for targeted killings of Americans abroad who are believed to pose a terrorist threat,” the New York Times writes. More: “The three no votes were cast by Republicans, including the vice chairman, Senator Saxby Chambliss of Georgia. Four Republicans voted in favor of confirmation. Senator Rand Paul, Republican of Kentucky, said he would filibuster the nomination after receiving a letter from Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. that declined to rule out lethal drone strikes in the United States in ‘extraordinary circumstances’ like a ‘catastrophic attack’ along the lines of Pearl Harbor or Sept. 11, 2001. But it appeared likely that the nomination would get the 60 votes required to end the filibuster, possibly as early as Thursday.”
Committee Chairwoman Dianne “Feinstein would not name the three senators who voted against Brennan, but news reports identified the no votes as Republican Sens. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, Saxby Chambliss of Georgia and Jim Risch of Idaho,” USA Today writes.
Ex-con and ex-Rep. Bob Ney wrote a book and slammed John Boehner. National Journal: “Ney’s most dramatic accusations are against his fellow Ohioan John Boehner, the man he once saw as his biggest rival to someday being speaker. He describes Boehner as ‘a bit lazy’ and ‘a man who was all about winning and money. He was a chain-smoking, relentless wine drinker who was more interested in the high life--golf, women, cigarettes, fun, and alcohol.’ He said Boehner ‘spent almost all of his time on fundraising, not policy.’ He ‘golfed, drank constantly, and took the easy way legislatively.’ Ney recalled Boehner handing out checks on the House floor and said his ties with a tobacco company were so tight that lawmakers could get free cigarettes from Boehner’s office. His golfing, Ney said, was ‘nonstop’ and ‘paid for by lobbyists.’ Ney wrote: ‘If the Justice Department were ever to make John produce receipts for his addiction to golf just for the years from 1995 to 2004, he would be hard-pressed to comply. John got away with more than any other Member on the Hill.’”
