Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said that the White House national security leaks warrant a special independent investigator, citing Attorney General Eric Holder's lack of credibility with Congress and the Valerie Plame incident during the Bush years.

McCain doesn't believe Holder can investigate the leaks. "Mr. Holder's credibility with Congress is -- there is none," McCain told CNN's Candy Crowley. "As you know, we've continued to have this problem with him withholding information on Fast and Furious which resulted in the killing of a border patrol agent in Arizona. He is close to being held in contempt. There is no credibility."

The former Obama rival has suggested that the administration has leaked classified information in order to boost Obama's reelection chances. "I have no idea whether the president knew or did not know. I have never alleged such a thing," McCain said today. "[I]t's obvious on its face that this information came from individuals who are in the administration. The president may not have done it himself, but the president is certainly responsible as commander-in-chief."

He then compared the reaction to the White House leaks to the handling of the Valerie Plame case."And the Valerie Plame situation, they appointed a special counsel. This needs a special counsel, someone entirely independent of the Justice Department," McCain said. "I have great respect for the two individuals that were appointed, but this -- if it is, and it certainly is a most egregious breach of intelligence in anybody's memory, it certainly requires a special counsel who is completely independent."

You can read about the Valerie Plame "outing" from The Washington Examiner's Tim Carney. Robert Novak, the long-time political reporter who printed her name in a column, discussed the incident in 2007 at the Heritage Foundation. Video above.