Pelosi denies being informed about waterboarding

Los Angeles Times ^ | 10:14 AM PDT, May 14, 2009 | Michael Muskal

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

The House speaker says the Bush administration deliberately misled Congress. GOP says Democrats were told.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has become a lightning rod for GOP criticism on the issue of enhanced interrogation of terror suspects, denied today that she was told waterboarding was used on detainees and insisted that the Bush administration had deliberately misled lawmakers.

In a televised news conference, Pelosi accused the CIA of misrepresenting what was going on with the questioning of terrorism suspects when intelligence officials briefed legislators on the Intelligence Committee in 2002. At the time, Pelosi was the ranking Democrat.

"We were told that they had legal opinions that it was legal and were not told about other legal opinions to the contrary," Pelosi said of the briefings. "We were told specifically that waterboarding was not being used."

Pelosi said she learned later from other members of Congress about the CIA use of waterboarding. "I wasn't briefed. I was informed that somebody else had been briefed about it," she said.

The issue of who knew what about the use of enhanced interrogation techniques has become a political firestorm. Republicans, led in recent days by former Vice President Dick Cheney, have generally backed the use of "enhanced" interrogation methods on terrorist suspects.

When Democrats complained and called for investigations that could lead to criminal charges against top Bush administration officials, Republicans have countered that the techniques were approved by Democrats like Pelosi. In effect, Republicans have threatened to turn the issue into an attack on leading Democrats, implying that they too could face charges.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Related :

Dems Try Desperately To Cut and Run From “Torture” Debate

[icwhatudo]

What did the speaker know and when did she know it?

[mountainlion]

Must be lying or Alzheimer’s is messing with her head.

[Burkean]

I thought she said yesterday that she WAS told but that she didn’t feel it was her place to interfere at that time.

[Kent C]

They should waterboard her until she “remembers”.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

And :

Dems Lack Waterboarding Exit Strategy

[SERKIT]

We need a good “AstroTurf” grassroots campaign calling for her resignation. Can we hire David Axelrod for the job?

[joethedrummer]

Come on elected Republicans... Time to STEP ON THE GAS PEDAL!!!

PLEAAAAAAAASSE don’t let up on this one...

[Uncle Hal]

Pelosi is in so much hot water it is up to her neck. How many different versions does this make? Six? Eight? Keep talking Nancy, the water will soon be over your head.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

fyi

[PzLdr]

Pelosi is so full of fertilizer, a trip to Mexico couldn’t open her channels of communication.

[Kartographer]

Maybe she honestly misunderstood and thought they were giving these guys cleaning supplies?

[NoPrisoners]

My daughter, who lives in California, say that Pelosi really only has support in San Francisco. Even so, I think this is a political “hit”. Barry doesn’t want anyone in that seat who would dare challenge him

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

I think Axelrod is already doing the job.

[RooRoobird20]

“thought she said yesterday that she WAS told but that she didn’t feel it was her place to interfere at that time.”

What a whiney, spineless WOMAN excuse!!!!

I hope this is a political hit job. I’d love to see Madame Speaker (D-Botox) have her career destroyed over this.

[Grampa Dave]

Pelosi is lying and endangering innocent Americans.

[DBrow]

Sounds like the case where Libby remembered one detail differently from the detail Russert remembered.

Clearly we need a special prosecutor, and a Federal Grand Jury, to ask Ms. Pelosi under oath what she was told and when, by whom, and who else was in the room. Were there written materials?

[Grampa Dave]

Is Rhombo taking out Pelosi galore or just weakening her?

[counterpunch]

TORTURED

REASONING