Political BS
To a politician (or any bureaucrat), there is no worse blasphemy than to give the impression that you do not think the sun shines gloriously out of his ass*. Many politicians, not just Leahy, are furious that they are not center stage on this whole anti-terrorist effort.
*Bill Gates, who used to consider Washington irrelevant to his business, and said as much, was taught this lesson the hard way. He is not the only one.