ACLU is pressuring Feinstein on CIA pick

Keep an eye on the confirmation of Gina Haspel, President Trump’s nominee to lead the CIA, because the political blowback could ripple into California’s Senate race, specifically against Sen. Dianne Feinstein.

The political arm of the American Civil Liberties Union wants Feinstein, who is facing re-election this year, to oppose Haspel forcefully. The 33-year CIA veteran was involved in the federal government’s torture program, overseeing “black sites” in Thailand where detainees were held. Later, she supported destroying video of the torture.

Feinstein, as the former chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, oversaw its six-year investigation into the program. In 2014, she spoke for an hour on the Senate floor, outlining the panel’s 525-page report, which found that the CIA misled policymakers about the extent and effectiveness of the torture program. Later, Feinstein blocked Haspel’s nomination to lead the CIA’s clandestine operations.

Given her history as a “champion” of this issue, Faiz Shakir, the ACLU’s political director, said Feinstein’s initial statement on Haspel’s nomination should have been tougher.

“It’s no secret I’ve had concerns in the past with her connection to the CIA torture program and have spent time with her discussing this,” Feinstein said in a statement Tuesday on Haspel’s nomination. “To the best of my knowledge, she has been a good deputy director and I look forward to the opportunity to speak with her again.”

Shakir said Feinstein’s statement “builds on the narrative that she’s totally out of touch with California values. She’s jeopardizing her credibility on this.”

Haspel is “the architect” of the government’s torture program, Shakir said.

“This woman was literally at the black sites watching torture occur and personally approving the action.

“This means a lot to us,” Shakir said. “And Feinstein is equivocating on it.”

The ACLU is ready to flex its new political muscle. The 98-year-old organization raised $93 million online in the year after Trump took office — compared with $5.5 million the year before. Shakir said the organization plans to spend $25 million nationally this year and is ready to run an “educational campaign” about Feinstein’s viewpoints aimed at California voters if she doesn’t speak out against Haspel.

Don’t look for Feinstein to say much soon — she doesn’t usually say how she’ll vote before Senate confirmation hearings begin. — Joe Garofoli

Let the culling of the herd begin: Good news for all those California Democratic Party leaders begging their candidates to drop out of crowded congressional races: Phil

Janowicz, an educator running in the Orange County district represented by retiring GOP Rep. Ed Royce, dropped out Wednesday.

“I undertook this race almost a year ago with a desire to serve my community,” Janowicz wrote in a note to supporters. “As a teacher, after watching my students and their families struggle with rising tuition and cost-ofliving, I wanted to help my students in real ways that I couldn’t inside the classroom.”

But, Janowicz said, Royce’s surprise decision not to run for re-election “created new complications under California’s jungle primary system,” he said of the state’s toptwo system. “The prospect existed that too many Democratic candidates could shut us out entirely from the ballot in November.”

Janowicz raised $322,210, but roughly half of that is a loan from himself. He had $93,366 cash on hand. Democrat Andy

Thorburn has $2 million. “I’m glad to see that Phil did the right thing,” said Katie Merrill ,a Democratic strategist who is advising Fight Back California, a political action committee focused on the seven key congressional districts, including this one, that Democrats hope to flip in November.

Still that leaves, by Merrill’s count, six Democrats and three Republicans running active campaigns. A poll commissioned by Fight Back California concludes that two former Republican officeholders — former Assemblywoman Young

Kim of Fullerton and former state Sen. Bob

Huff of Diamond Bar (Los Angeles County) — are leading. Democrats could get shut out of a race they thought they could win.

“It would be nice,” Merrill said, “if one of the other Democrats got out.” — Joe Garofoli