Speaker Pelosi claims that the CIA lied to her about its handling of terrorist detainees held by the United States. She claims not to have been informed about the methods being used to get information from prisoners. Obviously, this is almost certainly false. Why would the CIA have informed other lawmakers about interrogation methods, but not Pelosi?
But even if we take her at her word, another problem arises. Pelosi does not dispute that she learned about waterboarding no later than early 2003, when her intelligence staff attended a CIA briefing where it was discussed. Since she learned about waterboarding no less than 6 years ago, she had ample opportunity to register objections without disclosing any secrets to the public. That’s because the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence - on which Pelosi served as the senior Democrat in 2002 - conducts closed hearings on sensitive topics, to hear testimony from intelligence community officials. Further, House rules specify a procedure by which Representatives can force a debate on sensitive intelligence matters in a closed session. The most recent such session was in 2008; if Pelosi was so concerned about ‘torture,’ why did she not attempt to force a closed session to discuss it? And why did she not raise it during closed hearings of the Intelligence Committee with CIA officials? (Check out the House rules governing the Intelligence Committee here, starting on page 14.)
Furthermore, Pelosi voted for the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004. Did she attempt to amend the bill to address interrogation? Representatives Cox, Harman, Lee, Kucinich, and Hastings are recorded as offering amendments. Why did Pelosi not offer her own?
The next year, Pelosi voted for the 2005 Intelligence Authorization. Dennis Kucinich offered an amendment to force a probe of Iraq-Al Qaeda links; at least 9 other amendment were considered as well. Where is Ms. Pelosi’s amendment?
The point here is that it doesn’t even matter if the CIA lied to Pelosi. Even if Pelosi were telling the truth about what she knew and when she knew it, she’s still lying about her ability to address the issue. Any Member of Congress has multiple ways to approach a sensitive intelligence matter without risking public disclosure. Other Members of Congress have done so. If Pelosi was really worried that the U.S. was mistreating prisoners, she could have - and should have - dome something about it. The fact that she did not demonstrates clearly that this is all about politics - not national security.
The answer is clear
Finrod Thursday, May 14th at 5:31PM EDT (link)She can’t use the press to demagogue things in a closed session.
—
Finrod’s First Law of Bandwidth:
A picture may be worth a thousand words, but it takes the bandwidth of ten thousand.
i was going to hazard the guess
GCBWI Thursday, May 14th at 5:47PM EDT (link)that she thought it was above her pay-grade, but your explanation is much closer to the truth…
Naw
10ksnooker Thursday, May 14th at 7:36PM EDT (link)Pelosi just isn’t that smart ….
No Great Brief for the CIA
Ron Robinson Thursday, May 14th at 6:04PM EDT (link)But they are right on this one and Pelosi is wrong.
Just like the Obama WH, she does not have the mental capacity to think ahead and forsee the consequences of her own actions.
…and folks like this are trying to run the country???
________________________________________
Ron Robinson
e-Commerce Exec at 800Cart.com eCommerce who blogs at watchcenter.blogspot.com For over 15 years, his firm has assisted over 10,000 small merchants to quickly and easily ’self serve’ their businesses to e-commerce prosperity.
well the CIA needs to be abolished...
kyle8 Thursday, May 14th at 6:28PM EDT (link)The CIA is worse than useless, they should be abolished.
This is the agency that got LITERALLY EVERYTHING wrong about the old soviet Union, including predicting it’s resurgence just a few months before it collapsed.
AND it was riddled with soviet spies the whole time.
They didn’t predict the various bombings and attacks by jihadists and told Bush that Saddams WMD were a “slam dunk”.
In addition there has been a liberal fifth column operating out of the CIA for years. (Valarie Plame comes to mind).
They are a bunch of overpaid beureacratic hacks. Time to kill this vile beast once and for all.
“Nothing works like freedom, Nothing succeeds like liberty”
Kyle
we probably should start over - nt
Mike gamecock DeVine Thursday, May 14th at 6:44PM EDT (link)Mike DeVine’s Examiner.com, Charlotte Observer and The Minority Report columns
“One man with courage makes a majority.” - Andrew Jackson
perfect example of why GC will never be mainstream. He will never suffer fools and pretend he doesn't recognize obvious lying
Mike gamecock DeVine Thursday, May 14th at 6:28PM EDT (link)What happens too often on TV, even from conservatives, is that they have to suspend their common sense and keep from blinking while pretending an issue still exists since a lying lib hasn’t been asked all the obvious questions, and too often the matter is forgotten and a lib skates when they finally come up with a cute answer or they move the goalposts to requiring critics to prove a negative.
I refuse to participate, and I think we lose the respect of a lot of non-political types when we play the silly Drive by game rather than calling demliars out by that term.
Mike DeVine’s Examiner.com, Charlotte Observer and The Minority Report columns
“One man with courage makes a majority.” - Andrew Jackson
I'll never forget all the Obama has more questions to answer memes during the campaign, when in reality
Mike gamecock DeVine Thursday, May 14th at 6:30PM EDT (link)all questions were answered but that the conclusions were so extreme that few had the guts to state them.
We live with that extremism now.
Thank you McCain.
Mike DeVine’s Examiner.com, Charlotte Observer and The Minority Report columns
“One man with courage makes a majority.” - Andrew Jackson
OK fine, Let's Have Some Hearings
reaganiterepublicanresistance Thursday, May 14th at 6:34PM EDT (link)Obama really kicked an ant hill with his ill-advised and politically motivated release of Bush Administration memos regarding EITs- I’m sure he already regrets it.
Let’s have a hearing and get it all out there, shall we? Then watch the rats scatter who attacked Bush for protecting the country from terrorist attack… but who clearly knew what was going on five years before we heard a peep out of them
http://reaganiterepublicanresistance.blogspot.com/
We the People are the jury and we have the evidence now from Pelosi's own mouth
Mike gamecock DeVine Thursday, May 14th at 6:37PM EDT (link)to convict here.
Hearing could only serve to clothe her with a drive by white washing.
The empress has no clothes. Let us begin rendering the verdict in public and demanding she step down now.
Mike DeVine’s Examiner.com, Charlotte Observer and The Minority Report columns
“One man with courage makes a majority.” - Andrew Jackson
I am still astounded that she find NOT ONE house member
Mike gamecock DeVine Thursday, May 14th at 6:39PM EDT (link)to stand by her and affirm her story at the presser.
Mike DeVine’s Examiner.com, Charlotte Observer and The Minority Report columns
“One man with courage makes a majority.” - Andrew Jackson
wonderful Pelosi is this stupid.....
JLenardDetroit Thursday, May 14th at 6:44PM EDT (link)that she won’t let it die and continues to make it harder and harder for her MSM allies to cover her hind-side on the whole matter….
bottom line is she had not when becoming speaker (nor even RIGHT NOW) taken any steps to put forth Legislation to change the water-boarding EIT definition and to out-right COMPLETELY PROHIBIT IT! She didn’t…. She wont’….. and that is THE ULTIMATE TELL!
Meanwhile, of course, she continues to aid-and-comfort the enemy with all this balderdash about Torture…. Talk about providing sound-bites to help the enemy recruit - a meme the left often tries to employ!!
Democrats, weakening America on an HOURLY basis…..
Regards from NoMoTown (Liberals, looking to do for America what they’ve done toDetroit and Michigan.)
(RS:Help) (JLD) (Hollyweird) (Brain-deads) (SPIN-cycle) (Obamaocare) (Party of kNOw) (Conservatism) (TEApeats) (respectful) (Reco) (Quotes) (removeRINOs.com)
+ 0bama Lies & your Bank acct will Die! (4/15 Truthers)
+ Heil “O” Hell No Obamao is NOT MY PRESIDENT! “No U won’t”
+ I want “O” to FAIL (here, here, & whole Diary (Ofail) here, is why)
“The first Liberal was Satan” - a Rush caller (other Quotes)
'Detroit, an example of why I am so exorcised on this
Mike gamecock DeVine Thursday, May 14th at 6:51PM EDT (link)18 years in the dem party and the “glazed over eyes” conversations with fellow dems when we knew we were lying to each other about dem policies but pretended to beleive. We couldn’t look each other in the eye and ended up having to rationalize matters and usually hurriedly end conversations that were denying the obvious.
I remember in the late 90s seeing Bill Clinton speak on a policy issue where he was right (conservative) but surrounded the decision with lying PC class warfare rhetoric.
I came to see myself in my dem party position as a front man for the kooks.
I vowed never to do that again. No more glazed over eyes, even at parties. I switched in 2000 but then after 911 found that I was having to treat libs that got over the terrorist threat like parents of reckless children at parties.
Then I see conservative TV talk show hosts having to dignify obvious dem liars as the other side so that they can get them as guests later.
I simply won’t play this game.
Mike DeVine’s Examiner.com, Charlotte Observer and The Minority Report columns
“One man with courage makes a majority.” - Andrew Jackson
God Bless, friend, God Bless (nt)
JLenardDetroit Thursday, May 14th at 11:22PM EDT (link)(RS:Help) (JLD) (Hollyweird) (Brain-deads) (SPIN-cycle) (Obamaocare) (Party of kNOw) (Conservatism) (TEApeats) (respectful) (Reco) (Quotes) (removeRINOs.com)
+ 0bama Lies & your Bank acct will Die! (4/15 Truthers)
+ Heil “O” Hell No Obamao is NOT MY PRESIDENT! “No U won’t”
+ I want “O” to FAIL (here, here, & whole Diary (Ofail) here, is why)
“The first Liberal was Satan” - a Rush caller (other Quotes)
San Fran Nan,
wolfgang Thursday, May 14th at 7:19PM EDT (link)Lying H@rlot.
Nancy Pelosi is a lying liar who lies.
JustLeaveMeAlone Thursday, May 14th at 7:36PM EDT (link)n/t
“To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical.” Thomas Jefferson
I know, right?
$peciallist Friday, May 15th at 12:27AM EDT (link)(I love saying that)
Is it too much to ask her to resign?
Mark D Thursday, May 14th at 7:39PM EDT (link)I mean resign her position as House Speaker. I’ve no illusions that she would ever resign from Congress. I’m sure that even though she “failed the liberal cause” here, her consituents are unlikely to hold her accountable for it.
But in all seriousness, she has to have serious credibility problems within her own party now…. wow, let that one sink in. I think she ought to step down as Speker.
You know you’ve reached rock bottom when you’re told you have character flaws by a man who hanged his predecessor in a military coup.
Asking Pelosi to resign is about the same as asking Obama to resign...
conservativemusician Thursday, May 14th at 10:48PM EDT (link)Not gonna happen. Her ego rivals (or is even bigger) than Obama’s, so I doubt she’s going anywhere soon. I see much screaming and tossing of lamps, sharp kitchen appliances, etc. in those behind the scenes meetings. They’ll have to pry the Speaker gavel out of her cold dead hands. This is going to be fun to watch.
Credibility problems with her base? On the contrary, the more incompetent she gets, the more popular with her supporters she’ll be. How else can you explain her continual reelection to office…or any other far left lib Dem for that matter?
I gotta believe that a united Democratic locus of power could make life
6eorge Jetson Friday, May 15th at 12:13AM EDT (link)very miserable for Pelosi. Not to mention the CIA.
You’re right, this is going to be fun to watch. Pelosi’s not going anywhere for, say, the next couple of weeks. But if she remains the top story for an extended period of time, the Dems will have to find a way to force her to step down.
The longer this lasts, the better.
I seriously doubt the CIA will take this lying down
smagar Thursday, May 14th at 10:38PM EDT (link)When she said the CIA repeatedly misled Congress, to me that means one of two things:
1) The CIA was deliberately trying to mislead our nation’s leaders
2) The CIA is so incompetent that it confuses people.
If I were a CIA employee, I’d be infuriated with either conclusion.
Intelligence agencies exist to inform decisionmakers, so that those decisionmakers make…good decisions. From what Pelosi is telling us, apparently the CIA doesn’t do a good job of that. In fact, Pelosi just told the world that the CIA is a bad intelligence agency. Because, only very, very bad intelligence agencies would do what she’s alleging, in time of war.
I think most CIA employees are professionals first and liberals second. I suspect that Speaker Pelosi is going to find that out the hard way.
“Who will stand/On either hand/And guard this bridge with me?” (Macaulay)