Rachel Maddow Finds Flaw In GOP's Pelosi Gambit (VIDEO)

One of the particularly nonsensical and yet dearly held ideas that the Bush administration promoted, and the media cheerfully accepted, is that no matter how lawless the policy sounded -- waterboarding, warrantless wiretapping, etc -- briefing the Democrats immunized all parties and magically transformed these policies into perfectly legal activities. Of course, I was raised to understand that bringing multiple parties into the commission of a crime was indicative of an expanding criminal conspiracy, not a legalizing trump card.

But all of this has been placed into stark relief now that Nancy Pelosi has become the face of those Democrats briefed on torture, and last night, Rachel Maddow and Greg Sargent did an excellent job decoding the political gamesmanship at the center of a drive to revive Pelosi as a fundraising, base-rallying target without crossing the line into genuinely supporting an actual Truth Commission. Along the way, Sargent highlights that even as Pete Hoekstra has been "pursuing the notes and memos that supposedly will prove that Pelosi was briefed on torture," he's actually added to the murk. "He said clearly on Fox that he had looked at those and they wouldn't provide a clear picture of what actually happened," Sargent said, pointing out that this actually dovetails with Pelosi's self-defense, former Senator Bob Graham's remarks, and the CIA's own admission that their own reports aren't based on anything verifiable.

Since then, Steele has "walked back support" for a Truth Commission, something Pelosi has yet to do. What is meant by "walked back support?" Just ask Steele's spokeswoman:

Steele's spokesperson gets in touch to say that this isn't a walk-back of Steele's position, merely a clarification of it. She says that Steele didn't mean to say on Meet the Press that many Republicans endorsed the idea of a "truth commission," but merely that they supported the idea of an "investigation" into what Pelosi and other Dems knew and when.

And here I thought I might need to actually decode the GOPs intentions, but there you go: they support an investigation into the issues of torture so long as it starts and ends with what Pelosi knew about it and when, and allows only a brief window for outrage before they all go back to describing torture as a totally okay thing that Americans should be allowed to do to people, the end.

[WATCH]

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Comments

[KluvsO]

What was supposed to be a slam dunk for "justice" and holding the Bush administration "accountable" has become just what president Obama and many Americans against torture knew this obsession would turn into...a political he said - he said mess that is being used against Pelosi and the democratic party. A distraction from the most pressing needs of the American people...like health care, renewable energy, jobs...when will the left wing idealogues learn to follow Obama's lead. Timing is everything. After Rachel whining nonstop about Obama and when is he going to address torture and prosecute etc...now she is on defense for her side....en­tertaining another political diversion that will lead to little justice and a huge lack of focus on the practical needs of the American people.

[Helzapoppin]

again, if the CIA cannot even keep accurate basic records (who what where when) about BASIC ROUTINE BRIEFINGS, how are we supposed to have ANY confidence in their intelligence on terrorism????????

[TrooAmerican]

[Republicans endorsed the idea of a "truth commission," but merely that they supported the idea of an "investigation" into what Pelosi and other Dems knew and when.]
..........
For what?
The Repubs...Not the Dems.... were in complete and total control of Both houses of Congress, hence the committees, and the Presidency, and Supreme court. They had zero ability or authority to stop them, yet those that actually committed the crime want the Dems investigated to find out what?
find out If the Dems knew about the crimes and why they didnt stop the Repubs from either committing crimes against humanity or supporting them?

Oh yeah, the GOP thinks its ok to torture and it wasnt a crime.
So i guess............. They want Pelosi investigated to find out what she knew about and why she failed to speak out against the GOP for doing something that was ok? ....but supposed to be top secret?

Why is the Media.....except MSNBC's analysts..... Going along with this "Torturous topic"???

[Marcospinelli]

The way the Bush Administration used the appropriations committees to bypass oversight by the intelligence committees in Congress (and get away with torture):

http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2009/05/19/torture-appropriations/#more-4166

[rabiddog6708]

From madkane.com: The "We Did Nothing Wrong, & Nancy Should Have Stopped Us" Song
Republicans are truly gifted at changing the subject, and the media falls for it every time. Take CIA torture, for instance. Is the media focusing on who in the Bush administration broke the law and ordered torture? Of course not! Instead, the topic"s morphed into whether Nancy Pelosi is lying when she says the CIA misled Congress about torture.

Following Republican logic is never an easy task. But from what I can gather, here"s the Republican position: Bush"s CIA did nothing wrong, & Pelosi could have and should have stopped them.

In honor of the Republicans tortured position on torture, I"ve written them a theme song to the tune of Stephen Foster"s Camptown Races:

The CIA did nothing wrong.
Doo-da, Doo-da.
Pelosi knew and went along.
Oh, de doo-da day.

Torture is always right.
Torture can make our day.
And Nancy"s nothing but a lying nag.
She could have got in the way.

Interrogation must be tough.
Doo-da, Doo-da.
Pelosi knew we got too rough.
Oh, de doo-da day.

Never did break no laws.
Torture? Who, us? No way!
Pelosi"s nothing but a lying hag.
Nancy would lead you astray.

The CIA protects us all.
Doo-da, Doo-da.
It"s time Pelosi took the fall.
Oh, de doo-da day.

Torture was never done.
Torture is lots of fun.
And Nancy"s nothing but a lying nag.
Nancy Pelosi should pay.

[boogygran]

LOL, very creative. Perfect way to pan the rethugs' latest weak attempt to throw the spotlight off themselves and the Cheeny/shrub debacle.

[Khirad]

Bravo!

[TrooAmerican]

good song.

the gop are such aholes.

[LemonMeringue]

Powerful stuff from Rachel.

[FrenchWarHero]

HELLO DUMBACRATS!! The Democrats took the votes from the real left and steered to the right. NOTHING HAS CHANGED!! The Democrats are now running Gitmo and the illegal military commissions. The Democrats are using NSA to illegally spy on us and using the Pariot Act to deny us our rights. Iraq is no better, Afghanistan is worse and the Democrats have stepped up the illigal incursions into Pakistan. The WORLD still HATES us! I thought we stood for principles. I guess it was just all about handing the keys to the gas guzzler to the New Boss. I've been duped :(

[davenav]

Wow. That is the most patently phony outrage I've seen yet, and you guys are full of it -- outrage, that is.

[FrenchWarHero]

Phony are the peeps putting up with this crap.

[vietveter]

I have been and have voted for the Democratic Party longer than most of you have been alive.

I am not a repube plant.

His statement has more truth than fiction and you refuse to see that.

Don't be a true believer - be a believer of what is true.

The bill of goods that was sold on election day is not what is being delivered.

Face the facts

[1differentdrummer]

Count the votes in the Senate. Who obstructs?

[Khirad]

If you thought Obama was going to bring revolution you are très naïve. Compared with the alternatives, I'm still happy. And don't pretend to be from the left, I am a Bernie Sanders type myself. I live in the really real world, where sometimes you have to be pragmatic.

[FrenchWarHero]

Thanks ... I appreciate your kind words. I guess I was très naïve. Apparently, there were NO alternatives in the last election.

Pragmatic? Are you referring to the dead children in Pakistan or simply preparing me for the torture of the next high-value prisoner apprehended?

[rich misty]

"But a lot of people have passions and the beauty of the Republican Party is you get to express those passions in various ways." --M. Steele

Like homoerotic torture, pedo-philia, torture kiddie porn, obstruction of government, and tax cuts to the top 1%...

On December 1, 2005, Yoo appeared in a debate in Chicago with University of Notre Dame professor Doug Cassel. During the debate Cassel asked Yoo, "If the president deems that he's got to torture somebody, including by crushing the testicles of the person's child, there is no law that can stop him?", to which Yoo replied "No treaty." Cassel followed up with "Also no law by Congress -- that is what you wrote in the August 2002 memo...", to which Yoo replied "I think it depends on why the President thinks he needs to do that." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Yoo

http://washingtonindependent.com/15946/mccain-camp-buses-in-4000-kids-for-ohio-rally

http://www.armchairsubversive.org/

[tippydog11]

I find it funny republicans are really proving in their own words Cheney is guilty of torture..how by "accusing Pelosi" of not telling congress Cheney tortured in secret briefing....hmmm I am confuse...­republican­s? who is calling the kettle black....but not angry at Cheney who tortured and order it and changed the law, I am really confused

[barackobama4prez]

proof. evidence. otherwise...


She's the Speaker, biitch!

[SF13]

IF Pelosi HAD been told - so what ? She could have jumped up and down, pounded her fist on the table and written letters for eternity. Would the Bush administration have even listened to a Democrat on ANYTHING ?

No.

The curtain falls.

[GetRidOfWires]

If she had written a letter, they would have ousted her for violating national security.

It's all a waste of time anyway. It's clear Holder isn't going to pursue this. Bush started the idea that Washington can pick and choose which laws to enforce and which ones to ignore. Holder is just going to follow suit and ignore the laws against torture and conspiracy. At the outside they will investigate a fall guy; Cheney will never even testify.

Our elected leaders are above the law. We have to get used to the idea.

[SF13]

Yeah I love how the Republicans are on the side of the CIA. Of course they OUT their agents but hey they're friends right ?

INSANE !

[babyboomerorig]

They're just grabbing at straws.

No one hearing the CIA reports are allowed to take notes, ask questions or have anyone other than a select few attend...and they can't talk about anything they think they heard at the briefing.

Soooo, the CIA is the only entity that SHOULD have notes, recordings, dates, times, people present, who gave the briefing, etc.

How does Boehner get away with saing that he has notes? Graham is the only one who kept such detailed notes about his days that he's the most credible.

It's fairly well known that Cheney bugged the CIA for an excuse to go to war and to make a connection between Iraq and al Qaida...oh, yeah, the yellow cake for which Valarie Plame was eventually outed by the Bush administration.

This is the most incredible mess of twists and turns that you'll ever find. And everyone in the administration was in on it...right down to Karen Hughes.

[isabellaclark]

I am confused. First the Dems noted that they were constrained from saying anything about torture when informed by the CIA in briefings about torture because it was classified information. HOWEVER, then they imply that their ass is covered because Jay Rockefeller put a note to the file in protest of the torture and the subversion of the Constitution. Then they say that they were never told. So if they were never told why would Rockefeller put a note to the file in protest to the subversion of the Constitution by the use of torture? A tangle of tangles.

[IndependentTogether]

Who gives a crap? To my knowledge, Pelosi and the other Dems never said **under oath** that they were unaware of torture. So all of the phony outrage has a shaky foundation at best. The real issue is the ***authorization*** of torture. No Dems ***authorized*** torture. Because of this, the games that Republicans are playing will only backfire.

[jsgaetano]

Republicans: "Yeah, we were in charge, and totally committed war crimes and broke US laws, but it was ok because we told Pelosi and she told us it was ok and WAAAAAH!!! I WANT MY MOMMY!!!"

Once again, Republicans prove they just don't have what it takes to run a nation.

[kevenseven]

BushCo tortured prisoners.

All the rest is noise.

[shivadas]

What the heck does any of that have to do with anything?

[EducatedObserver]

Perhaps Miss Maddow should "find (the) flaw" in her inexplicable ratings decline, and correct it.

Then, progressives will be able to sleep better.

[StellaRay]

Off topic counter offensive. Ms. Maddow must scare you. Good.

[StoptheBailouts]

how could she scare ANYONE - no one is watching

[duze]

I co-sign.

[blukazoo]

Us progressives are thinkers and get our news fresh from the internet-- we're not rethuglican brainless couch potatoes who stare, slack-jawed at the idiot box for the news while stuffing down another big mac.

[hominidx]

Oh, that was a burn worthy of sixth grade.

[jsgaetano]

Perhaps Republicans should "find the flaw" in their inability to win elections, and correct it.

Then, conservatives will be able to sleep better.

[graceland9]

NICE - you are fanned.

[kevenseven]

We are discussing torture here.

Go away.

[FrenchWarHero]

Pelosi and Panetta are simply a diversion.

The US still fights unlawful wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and now routinely sends drones to kill women and children in Pakistan. Gitmo and military commissions are still open for business. The Patriot Act has not been reversed and the NSA still wire-taps citizens. Big-money bail-outs to the crooks on Wall Street.

Bush and Cheney are gone but where is the change. The democratic government is now responsible for the blatent violations of International Law and the US constitution and should be impeached and tried in international court.

[SF13]

Write to you reps in Congress. It's the Dems who are keeping Gitmo open indefinitely.

[1murillo]

FWH,
Calling for an impeachment and trial of our "democratic government" is silly because it is not a real solution.

Arguing for "shoulds" as your entry does is pointless.

Also, if President Obama had somehow ended our foreign wars, Guantanamo Bay prison and the PATRIOT act on January 20th, your entry would read something like, "Obama is a Socialist! Impeach him!"

We're (US) in a difficult historical moment, to even consider that large political and economical problems will be resolved at the drop of a hat is naive. At the same time, equating President Bush with President Obama is disingenuous.