Steve Benen Masterfully DESTROYS GOP Senator Susan Collin's Abdulmutallab Attack False Claims

[Segami]

COLLINS STILL CAN'T ADMIT HER MISTAKE.... For reasons that are still unclear, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) has decided to take a leadership role in going after the Obama administration's handling of the attempted Abdulmutallab attack. So far, this hasn't gone especially well.


Collins said officials only interrogated Abdulmutallab for 50 minutes. That was wrong.

<http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_02/022222.php>



She said Abdulmutallab "stopped talking" after having been told of his rights. That was wrong.

<http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/03/us/03terror.html>



Collins suggested Abdulmutallab only began cooperating "in the context of plea negotiations." That was wrong.

<http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/02/collins-spars-with-obama-administration-over-x-mas-bomber.php?ref=fpb>



She said there "was no consultation with intelligence officials" about the questioning. And that was wrong .

<http://www.prospect.org/csnc/blogs/tapped_archive?month=02&year=2010&base_name=eric_holder_joins_administrati>



More recently, Collins has emphasized her outrage over the Obama administration's decision to make Abdulmutallab aware of his rights (the same step taken by the Bush/Cheney administration in a nearly identical terrorist plot in 2001). Except, she, too, was briefed on the arrest by a top Homeland Security official, and raised no concerns about the legal process.

<http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/terrorism/susan-collins-didnt-complain-about-handling-of-bomb-suspect-when-briefed-on-christmas-day-source-says/>



This afternoon, a Collins spokesperson, without a hint of irony, accused the Obama administration of trying to cover its "mistake."

<http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/terrorism/collins-spox-confirms-she-was-briefed-on-suspects-handling-but-slams-white-house/>



When we cut through the nonsense and cheap talking points, what we're left with is Collins, after making a series of demonstrably false claims, complaining that the Justice Department didn't coordinate further with other agencies on how best to deal with Abdulmutallab. That's it. That's all that's left from the original argument.


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<http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_02/022305.php>