HASPEL MOVES CLOSER – AT 1:22 P.M. ET:  A second Democrat in the Senate has announced support for confirming Gina Haspel as CIA director, moving her closer to having the job.  Haspel is superbly qualified, and would be the first female director of the agency.  She is, of course, opposed by the usual suspects on the Democratic side.  From Fox:   

A second Democrat on Saturday said he would vote to confirm Gina Haspel, President Trump’s nominee for CIA director, moving the agency veteran a significant step closer to confirmation.

Sen. Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., said he would support her after a “tough, frank and extensive discussion,” with Haspel, making him the second Democrat to back her nomination after West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin.

Democrats have expressed concern about Haspel’s involvement in the post 9/11-era interrogation and detention programs. In her confirmation, while she refused to criticize colleagues for their conduct, she pledged that there would be no return to those programs under her leadership.

“Having served in that tumultuous time, I can offer you my personal commitment, clearly and without reservation, that under my leadership on my watch CIA will not restart such a detention and interrogation program,” she said.

Haspel was chief of a base at a black-site prison in Thailand in 2002, where techniques such as waterboarding were used on terror suspects. Democrats have also complained that the agency has been selective in its declassification of information about her.

She came under particular fire from Sens. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., and Kamala Harris, D-Calif., who scolded her for what she saw as her evasiveness in questioning.

"You also, in this hearing, have a responsibility to answer the questions being asked of you," she told Haspel. Harris has since said she will vote against Haspel’s confirmation.

COMMENT:  She's great, and has support from officials of both the Bush and Obama administrations.  As for Kamala Harris, I watched her grill Gina.  Harris has the obnoxiousness of Hillary Clinton combined with the ego of Barack Obama.  A truly dreadful package.  She wants to be president, and I can't wait for her to go up against Donald Trump.  That's entertainment.

May 12, 2018