Posted on 05/14/2009 8:21:12 AM PDT by kellynla
Nancy Pelosi is accusing the C.I.A. of misleading the Congress regarding "waterboarding."
This is going to get ugly fast.
My friend, ugly doesn't even begin to describe what is about to happen. She opened Pandora's box with her insisting on a "Truth Commission". The Dems were thinking that it'd be a huge blow to the Pubbies in 2010 and it has (hopefully) backfired on them.
Pelosi renewed her call for a so-called truth commission to investigate the events in the Bush administration that led to the use of waterboarding and other harsh interrogation techniques. While President Barack Obama has banned waterboarding, calling it torture, he has been notably cool toward an independent inquiry that might distract attention from his domestic agenda.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., also has expressed opposition, as have congressional Republicans.
Pelosi was particularly harsh in describing the CIA.
“They mislead us all the time,” she said. And when a reporter asked whether the agency lied, she did not disagree.
She also suggested that the current Republican criticism marked an attempt to divert attention from the Bush administration’s actions.
“They misrepresented every step of the way, and they don’t want that focus on them, so they try to turn the focus on us,” she said.
Pelosi contended that Democrats did what they could to stop the use of waterboarding. The senior Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, who received the 2003 briefing on the practice, sent the CIA a formal letter of protest, she said.
But Pelosi defended her own lack of action on the issue, saying her focus at the time was on wresting congressional control from Republicans so her party could change course.
“No letter could change the policy. It was clear we had to change the leadership in Congress and in the White House. That was my job — the Congress part,” Pelosi said.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jXc06gBGGAlR7Wy96JZiTUnlt_JwD9863TFO0
She just pissed off every intelligence officer in Langley. Probably not a good career move since CIA has all the secrets, no matter who you are. More well-placed leaks to follow.
Pelosi was particularly harsh in describing the CIA.
“They mislead us all the time,” she said. And when a reporter asked whether the agency lied, she did not disagree.
Pelosi exposed:
http://beltwayblips.dailyradar.com/video/lie_exposed_pelosi_s_power_oversight_and_control_of/
“They mislead us all the time,” she said.
Wonder if Nancy will make it through the next 24 hours
Fox is carrying one spoke person after another.....all pointing out her negative problems.
We can only hope.
When Fox News wasn’t around Nancy Pelosi could have gotten away with this!
REPORTER: So Madame Speaker, just to be clear, you’re accusing the CIA of lying to you in September of 2002?
PELOSI: Yes. Misleading the Congress of the United States.
You betcha..... and Fox’s rating continue to grow. Wonder when the FoI papers will be released to prove Nan’s a liar. My bet is they are sitting on a desk or in an email ready to be distributed.....Push the button Max!
“Throughout my entire career, I am proud to have worked for human rights, and against the use of torture, around the world.
“As Ranking Member of the Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee in the 1990s, I helped secure the first funding for the Torture Victims Relief Act to assist those suffering from the physical and psychological effects of torture.
“I unequivocally oppose the use of torture by our government because it is contrary to our national values.
“Like all Members of Congress who are briefed on classified information, I have signed oaths pledging not to disclose any of that information. This is an oath I have taken very seriously, and I have always abided by it.
“The CIA briefed me only once on some enhanced interrogation techniques, in September 2002, in my capacity as Ranking Member of the House Intelligence Committee.
“I was informed then that Department of Justice opinions had concluded that the use of enhanced interrogation techniques was legal. The only mention of waterboarding at that briefing was that it was not being employed.
“Those conducting the briefing promised to inform the appropriate Members of Congress if that technique were to be used in the future.
“Congress and the American people now know that contrary opinions within the Executive Branch concluded that these interrogation techniques were not legal. However, those opinions were not provided to Congress.
“We also now know that techniques, including waterboarding, had already been employed, and that those briefing me in September 2002 gave me inaccurate and incomplete information.
“At the same time, the Bush Administration was misleading the American people about the threat of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.
“Five months later, in February 2003, a member of my staff informed me that the Republican chairman and new Democratic Ranking Member of the House Intelligence Committee had been briefed about the use of certain techniques which had been the subject of earlier legal opinions.
“Following that briefing, a letter raising concerns was sent to CIA General Counsel Scott Muller by the new Democratic Ranking Member of the House Intelligence Committee, the appropriate person to register a protest.
“But no letter could change the policy. It was clear we had to change the leadership of the Congress and the White House. That was my job.
“When Democrats assumed control of Congress in 2007, Congress passed legislation banning torture and requiring all government agencies to abide by the Army Field Manual. President Bush vetoed this bill barring the use of torture. An effort to overturn his veto failed because of the votes of Republican Members.
“We needed to elect a new President. We did; and he has banned torture.
“Congress and the Administration must review the National Security Act of 1947 to determine if a larger number of Members of Congress should receive classified briefings so that information can be utilized for proper oversight and legislative activity without violating oaths of secrecy.
“I have long supported creation of an independent Truth Commission to determine how intelligence was misused, and how controversial and possibly illegal activities like torture were authorized within the Executive Branch.
“Until a Truth Commission is implemented, I encourage the appropriate committees of the House to conduct vigorous oversight of these issues.”
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/news/2009/05/pelosi_remarks_at_press_conference_about_briefing.php
Don’t take her shovel away!
Ding...ding...ding... We have a winner! You're right, she could have gotten away with it if FNC were not around.
However, she is a Dem after all and since she is one of the leaders of the "Party of Corruption" she'll probably get away with it. Unless they decide to throw her under the bus.
I think electroshock therapy would help a lot. I’m sure my mood would improve immensely immediately after they zapped her a few times.
Wasn’t Porter Goss in the room with her at the time f the briefing??
Several others too, I believe
Guess everyone is lying except SanFran Nan
“It was clear we had to change the leadership of the Congress and the White House. That was my job.”
Uh no, Nancy. That’s not your job.
He looked desparate and was spinning in the wind. Great Show.
I think we all forget that some things can trump ideology.
Even if there are 40 liberals and 40 conservatives in the senate, just as an example, the 40 liberals don’t all LIKE one another, any more than all the 40 conservatives like one another.
Just because you agree ideologically doesn’t mean you want to have barbeques together. Same with the media. Same with the CIA.
Pelosi likely just crossed the rubicon. Ideology won’t save her now as she has PERSONALLY pissed off the CIA, even the liberals in it. Also the media may be liberal, but at some point they don’t want to be treated like a street walker....at least not by someone as unsmooth as Pelosi. Pelosi isn’t likeable. I guarantee that a majority of the media libs would rather hang out with Huckabee or even Palin than Pelosi.
The key here is that the Liberals are riding high, and in their view, they won’t risk much by dumping her. They will still control everything and the GOP is “dead” in their view.
So a lot of her fortress is made of paper.
Rush is now talking about “the pictures” Wonder if the reason BO renegged on release them was that a high ranking Democrat was in the pictures? If not they can be inserted sooner than an airplane flying over NYC.
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