One day after the Senate Intelligence Committee’s report emerged ripe with criticism of torture techniques by the CIA, former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer lashed out at Democrats who have “flipped sides” who are blaming “us for things they previously approved.”
Fleischer, who served as President George W. Bush’s spokesman from 2001-2003, made the comments to Newsmax TV’s Steve Malzberg Wednesday afternoon, saying that the Democrat’s stance now is “the worst kind of Monday morning quarterbacking.”
“When you heard Sen. Dianne Feinstein on the floor of the Senate yesterday, reading this for the whole world to hear and see to be considered inaccurate, flawed, predetermined report, no witnesses interviewed. I mean, what were you thinking?” asked Malzberg.
“I was thinking her methodology is wrong and their conclusions are wrong, and I think what really is inspiring in this report is that fact that she and others on Capitol Hill were indeed briefed about this at the time. They approved it,” responded Fleischer.
“They, in many cases, urged us to do more of it,” Fleischer continued with his criticism. “And now, in the worst kind of Monday morning quarterbacking after it’s over and after George W. Bush is unpopular and things happen over there are unpopular, they totally flipped sides, jump, and then totally blame us for things that they previously approved.”
“Generally speaking, all members had the overall approach to how we were going to treat the detainees. Not specifics, but the overall approach,” said the former W.H. press secretary. “They knew it, and the leadership knew everything.”
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