CIA directors rarely figure in partisan political campaigns but Gina Haspel has become an issue in two U.S. Senate campaigns.
In Wisconsin, Republican candidate Leah Vukmir hard charged that Sen. Tammy Baldwin’s vote against Gina Haspel as CIA director shows that the incumbent cares more about a 9/11 mastermind than supporting the CIA. PolitiFact gave Vukmir’s the charge a “Pants on Fire” lie.
In North Dakota, Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, in a tight race with Republican Rep. Kevin Cramer, has touted her vote for Haspel’s confirmation as proof she is independent of the national Democratic party.
