First Fitz-Fizz-Mus and now this:

“President Obama’s choice to run the Justice Department has assured senior Republican senators that he won’t prosecute intelligence officers or political appointees who were involved in the Bush administration’s policy of “enhanced interrogations.”

Sen. Christopher “Kit” Bond, Missouri Republican and vice chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, said in an interview with The Washington Times that he will support Eric H. Holder Jr.’s nomination for attorney general because Mr. Holder assured him privately that Mr. Obama’s Justice Department will not prosecute former Bush officials involved in the interrogations program.

Mr. Holder’s promise apparently was key to moving his nomination forward. Today, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted 17-2 to favorably recommend Mr. Holder for the post. He is likely to be confirmed by the Senate soon.

Mr. Bond also said that Mr. Holder told him in a private meeting Tuesday that he will not strip the telecommunications companies that cooperated with the National Security Agency after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks of retroactive legal immunity from civil lawsuits — removing another potential sticking point among GOP senators.

In the interview Wednesday, Mr. Bond said, “I made it clear that trying to prosecute political leaders would generate a political firestorm the Obama administration doesn’t need.”

He added: “I was concerned about previous statements he made and others had made. He gave me assurances that he would not take those steps that would cause major disruptions in our intelligence system or cause political warfare. We don’t need that kind of political warfare. He gave me assurances he is looking forward.”

As he should. Again these interrogation techniques were NOT illegal having been approved beforehand by the DOJ and even congress. In case anyone forgot both Democrats and Republicans on appropriate committees were briefed interrogation procedures long before it became politically expedient to bitch about them.

UPDATE: The uber lefty TPM is claiming that Holder’s aides deny the story, yet I’ve contacted one of Christopher Bond’s aides that stands by the story. Seem’s Holder is trying to cover his ass as Ely’s sources are no doubt tighter than TPMs – who has been wrong on these things more times than we could count.

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