Posted on 05/21/2009 9:38:43 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
Republicans, seeking to keep pressure on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, will call for a formal investigation Thursday into her charge that the CIA lied to her about its interrogation tactics.
But Pelosi (D-Calif.) might not be available to answer their challenge. She has postponed until Friday the press conference she regularly holds on Thursdays, noting she'll be delivering a college commencement.
Her press conference last Thursday generated a storm when she accused the agency of "misleading" her in a 2002 briefing. She nodded and said "yes" when asked if she was accusing the agency of lying to her.
Pelosi has rescheduled her weekly session before for scheduling purposes, but her move Thursday will generate extra scrutiny because of the pressure on her. Also, President Obama and former Vice President Cheney are raising the profile of detainee treatment with dueling speeches about the treatment of detainees.
"I can't imagine that it was impossible to reschedule her press conference if they wanted to," said a Republican aide. "I think she's avoiding the press, particularly avoiding answering questions on television."
Pelosi's staff angrily denied that she is ducking any questions.
"That is a total and absolute falsehood," said Pelosi spokesman Nadeam Elshami.
In terms of news management, Pelosi may risk raising the profile of her weekly press conference by holding it Friday. Today, it might have been buried by the Obama-Cheney showdown.
A resolution to launch a bipartisan investigation into Pelosi's allegations that the CIA lied to her during a 2002 briefing over interrogation techniques will be offered by a member of the House GOP conference, the aide said.
“The Speaker has had a full week now to either produce the evidence or retract and apologize, and she's done neither. There is no choice now. A bipartisan investigation is needed to get to the facts,” said a senior Republican aide.
House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) on Sunday said Pelosi should either apologize or provide evidence to back up her charges. Others have gone further; former Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) said Pelosi should resign.
According to a leadership aide, Boehner is prepared to offer a privileged resolution that would require the House to consider the Republican proposal. If Democratic leaders block a bipartisan investigation in response to this member’s efforts, the Leader has made clear all options will be on the table. But this is a serious matter that demands bipartisan action, and the ‘nuclear option’ shouldn’t be necessary.
Boehner is prepared to do whatever is necessary, but hopefully it won’t be necessary. For the time being, there’s a rank-and-file member who has stepped up to initiate a bipartisan investigation regarding the Speaker’s allegations, and this member is doing so with the full support of the Republican leadership., the aide indicated.
Pelosi last week compared the agency’s interrogation briefings to its faulty intelligence about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. A day later, CIA Director Leon Panetta disputed Pelosi's charge, saying, "It is not the CIA's practice or policy to mislead Congress."
At the same press conference, Pelosi also acknowledged she learned the CIA was waterboarding suspects in 2003, when one of her aides attended a CIA briefing.
Pelosi has been criticized by Republicans for not speaking out against the practice at the time. She said last week that doing so would have done little good given the Bush administration's power.
Republicans in the House and Senate have been on the offensive on Bush-era policies since Pelosi made her charges at a tense press conference one week ago.
The Senate on Wednesday voted to strip funds from a supplemental spending bill that were designated for closing the Guantanamo Bay prison camp. Senate Democrats worried about being portrayed as voting to move detainees to the U.S. joined them in approving the resolution in a 90-6 vote.
While the vote on the Guantanamo funding was not related to the Pelosi controversy, both show the difficulties Democrats in power are having in turning the page from the Bush era.
The dispute, while intense, does not appear to have hurt Pelosi's standing among the House Democrats she leads.
The White House has tried to stay out of the flap. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs deflected questions about the Pelosi-Panetta exchange earlier this week. But Obama appeared with her Tuesday at a Rose Garden event.
Whatever college she is at is likely seeing one of her last public appearances as Speaker, imo.
She must go.
Peak a boo Nancy
zero’s desk.
“Pelosi spokesman Nadeam Elshami.”
Hmmmm.....
It sucks when someone is stepping on your neck, don’t it? I only hope the pubbies have the stones to finish the job!
SPHINCTER of the House is at it again....
Nancy (obama’s Monica)Pelosi taking Dicktation in the Oral Orffice!
Putting it off ‘til a major getaway-Friday, hey P’Lousy?
This has really rattled Pelsoi. She is stepping on her dick at every turn.
I saw that name, too.. a convert, perhaps?
I do not believe Hoyer is quite so anti American, or as pro homosexual agenda.
fixed
Doesn't exacly sound Italian...I wonder what Mosque they dragged him/her out of?
Maybe we can ask Joe Biden where Nancy’s bunker is.
Maybe he’s the one who attended the briefing about water boarding and informed her since she didn’t attend.
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