Nancy Pelosi and the Republican Orgasmathon

It had to happen. It was just a matter of time before someone, somewhere in the Democratic party would trip up and provide the GOP with the kind of controversial fodder they've been fantasizing about. And to Republicans, the Nancy Pelosi saga this week is the stuff wet dreams are made of.

Seems House Speaker Nancy Pelosi can't remember being briefed by the CIA back in the Fall of 2002 about the specific use of torture on terror suspects in U.S. custody, in particular the technique known as waterboarding. Yeah, she remembers meeting with the spy agency, but claims waterboarding never came up. The issue here is that Pelosi's been very critical of the Bush administration's use of the illegal torture tactic, so it's important to know if in fact she knew it was taking place and when. Adding to the complexity of this mess is the fact that she's admitted to knowing about it through briefings just 6 months later, but kept quiet because she felt "powerless" being in the Democratic minority at that time. That is perhaps the most lame excuse since "the dog ate my homework."

I'm no fan of Pelosi. I think she's terrible as the face of House Democrats. She's shrill, combative and speaks like a teenager trying to explain why she's late for class. There are some people who project sincerity and integrity, but Pelosi's just the opposite. She comes across as a duplicitous partisan hack. A Tom Delay with tits, yet lacking the balls and efficiency. Whereas Delay was ruthless and resolute, Pelosi's simply an ineffective trainwreck. If she's found to be lying about what the CIA told her and when--current and former CIA Directors Leon Panetta and Porter Goss respectively claim she in fact was briefed in 2002 about the waterboarding of terrorist suspect Abu Zubaydah--then she should be prosecuted along with Bush, former VP Dick Cheney and everyone else who authorized the use of illegal torture tactics.

But let me stop being the objective Democrat for a second and acknowledge the multiple orgasms rippling through the Republican Party right now over the Pelosi saga, which right-wing radio and TV host Sean Hannity said is "blossoming into a Watergate like cover up and scandal." On his radio program, a near-hyperventilating Hannity repeats the mantra "what did she know and when did she know it" every three minutes, literally.

Really Sean? Watergate? That Pelosi may have lied about being briefed on the illegal torture tactics being used by the opposing party which then-controlled the White House, Congress and the Supreme Court is of the same scale and magnitude as the President of the United States authorizing a burglary of the opposing party's headquarters in an effort to rig a presidential election and then covering-up this illegal act? You see Sean, this is why no one takes Republicans seriously, and why you guys can't get elected anymore.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has moved front and center in his harsh criticism of Pelosi:

"I think this is the most despicable, dishonest and vicious political effort I've seen in my lifetime...I think Speaker Pelosi's in enormous trouble. I think that lying to the country on national security matters and lying to the House is a very, very dangerous thing to have done."

And if it's one thing Gingrich is an expert on it's lying. Just ask his first wife, on whom he cheated while she lay suffering from cancer. What's more "despicable, dishonest and vicious" than that? But when it comes to politics, Gingrich, like many other high-ranking Republicans, suffers from selective memory and blatant double-standards.

Note to Newt: Bush and Cheney lied to America for eight years about national security matters, and perpetrated countless war crimes, and have yet to be punished. Wanna talk about what's truly dangerous? How about lying about WMD and terrorist connections so you can justify invading Iraq, which has resulted in 4300 U.S. troop deaths and tens of thousands of other fatalities, not to mention the hundreds of thousands maimed and wounded. Where's your self-righteous outrage on all that, Newt? Spare us the sanctimony. And be careful what you wish for. Just as the unprecedented personal war you and your band of 1990's 'revolutionaries' waged on Bill Clinton forever changed the tenor of politics and backfired massively on Republicans, so too shall the Pelosi Crucifixion.

It's actually fun to watch and listen as Republicans sink their teeth into the Pelosi scandal. They're a beaten, battered, disenchanted, delusional lot who see Pelosi's foot-in-mouth disease as their ticket back to power. As if the alleged actions of one Democrat is enough to bring down the entire party in the 2010 midterms. Forget the fact that, even if it's true that she lied, who gives a shit? is this really a story? Again, if she lied, she should be punished. And if the Obama administration eventually prosecutes those who knew of and/or authorized illegal torture tactics, then she too should be prosecuted. But the bigger story here, the real story, for Pete's-fucking-sake, is how these blood-thirsty Republicans seem to be forgetting just what the hell Pelosi may have been lying about in the first place.

While right-wing stooges like Gingrich, Minority Leader John Boehner and Hannity would love to divert all the attention onto Pelosi, the real scandal isn't about what she knew, but whether a United States president, vice president and their legal advisors cooked the books so that America could commit illegal acts of torture. What these disingenuous Republicans need to understand, through their shouts of "prosecute Pelosi," is that if she goes down, so do Bush, Cheney and the rest of the torture-mongers who conceived of and perpetrated these "enhanced interrogation techniques." Pelosi's crime, one of stupidity perhaps, pales by comparison.

Comments

[whylie]

Why is it that not even one republican will come forward and say the opposite of what Congresswoman Pelosi has said. She said that they did not tell them they were presently using water board torture at that September 2002 briefing. Not one person has come forward and said that they did inform the House Intelligence Committee in September 2002 that they were using water boarding at that time. The congressional liars(republicans) come out and call Congresswoman a liar but will not state the opposite of what she claims. If she is lying, why do they not say "yes, they did tell us they were water boarding detainees"? All we ever here from the liars is the ambiguous "they briefed us on enhanced interrogation techniques". That is what Pelosi and Panetta said too. So everyone is in agreement that EIT was discussed but nobody is willing to claim that they said water boarding was being used at that time.

[sc300nc]

Nancy is on her way out. Panetta threw her under the bus, where's the Dems defending her? Obama wants her out of the way, IMO. He sees her as a hindrance to his agenda.

She will not be speaker for long.

[Crissy Patters]

I don't believe Pelosi lied, but since there are no notes taken or videos done at the meetings it's he say she said. The GOP can't attack PO because very time they try, they look like a bunch of idiots. Now they look like a bunch of losers, who decided to bully Nancy is their way up. How pathetically sad this party has become.

[citizensrus]

"Ithink this is the most despicable, dishonest and vicious political effort I've seen in my lifetime...I think Speaker Pelosi's in enormous trouble. I think that lying to the country on national security matters and lying to the House is a very, very dangerous thing to have done."
Bush and Cheney both did EXACTLY this many times. Further more, they ordered their staff and the CIA to lie.

[Panola60]

So what if she lied. let's just move on.

[midleoftherd]

Bad scarry attitude.

[lovable]

THIS IS A SMALL CONTRAVERSY . the bigger one is cheney broke the law by ordering waterboard­ing!!!!!!!­!!! the media refuses to concentrate on that because they want him on tv slamming obama . that brings ratings. the media follows fox leads on stories. its sad!!!!!

MIKE WALLACE WHERE ARE U WHEN WE NEED YOU AS AN INTERVIEWER. ??

[midleoftherd]

She would certainly be an accomplice...and you are absolutely crazy if you think the medial follows Fox's lead! The media is so leftis its not even funny. NBC is so manipulated by GE its not even funny.

[LeftRight]

First, that you think the media is leftist...... Thanks for the belly-laugh!

Second, she wouldn't necessarily be an accomplice. Even if she DID know back in 2002 that it was going on, WHAT COULD SHE HAVE DONE TO STOP IT?????? It's against the law for her to come out saying that it's happening, it's not possible for her to get a law passed preventing it, and the Bush admin isn't going to listen to her if she writes them a letter, so WHAT could she have done??

That's like calling a person who is carjacked an accomplice in the bank robbery that the carjacker just committed!

[jcorrington]

Well said Andy!

[CharmiO]

Many thanks, Andy Ostroy, for your hard-hitting reality-mongerings.

As my old great-aunt used to say back in the 50's, "No truer words were ever spoken."

[oncethere]

This Pelosi story sounds like the guy charged with domestic violence who blames his wife for running into his fist.

[Panglos]

My thoughts exactly. What's wrong with a picture where the ones who claim waterboarding is not torture attempt to vilify someone for not crying foul upon (allegedly) learning of it?

Republicans are in fact like an abusive boyfriend. They never think they're at fault, and instead accuse their victims: "I've done nothing wrong. You're the one who's to blame. You knew I was abusive from the start."

[midleoftherd]

Probably because she took the stance publicly that it was wrong and should not of happened when all along she new it was going on. She is just as culpable as those that ordered it. If she would of tried to fight it she then would be exonerated from her part in EITgate. Unfortunately, she probably felt the same as those that pushed for the EIT's at the time, concerned and trying to do all that they could to protect us. I would hate to think that she wasn't smart enough to understand what was happening...after all she is the Speaker of the House.

[miohtx]

its not about that...she claimed she didnt know....since you started along the lines of abuse...if a parent abuses a child and the other parent knows about it...and denies knowing that parent is guilty also. Our leaders are place in their positions as guardians of this country...its laws and its safety....The Bush adminnistration and many today do not feel waterboarding is torture...­...however Pelosi...says she does and always has...it was her responsibility to come forward from the start....but having said that...I think this is nothing but a smokescreen to get us talking about something that is not that important...while a real agenda is taking hold in the background

[JeffreyHF]

Have we already forgotten the Iran-Contra Affair? It may not be "policy" to mislead Congress, but there is a history of it having happened.

[ld]

I've been shocked that very few people seem to have noticed what you've pointed out. The issue is whether we Americans tolerate torture by our government, not what Nancy Pelosi knew. However, the mainstream media has followed Republican lead and made the controversy about Pelosi. I'm baffled how they can do that and still claim to not be mouthpieces for the military/industrial complex, to say nothing of sleep comfortably at night though I'm sure they do.

The worst I've seen is the May 16 SF Chronicle ON THE FRONT PAGE said that the Pelosi scandal would prevent passage of national health care. That's so illogical as to be insane, but there it was. I suppose claiming it's true can make it happen.

[miohtx]

that has to be a first ...claiming the news media is following the Republican....if thats true....remember this event because it wont take place for a long time ever again

[LeftRight]

Except of course, for the fact that it's been happening since the mid 90s at least!! The media (with a few minor exceptions....) has been so far up the collective elephant's a$$ that you can't even see them anymore!

[ObamacratInCA]

"Let me be clear: It is not our policy or practice to mislead Congress. That is against our laws and our values"

That's what Panetta said in reply to Pelosi saying that she was mislead by the CIA, a charge backed up by Bob Graham.

It may not be Panetta's policy as head of the CIA but he wasn't head of the CIA during the Bush administration. He's trying to appease CIA holdovers from the previous administration because he has to work with these guys.

Panetta was not there when all of this was going on. So the CYA wing of the CIA is telling him this what we think we said to our best recollection months after the fact.

There's a whole lot of butt covering going on right now. I'm not going to take anybody at their word until there's an independent investigation.

[miohtx]

Thats amazing that you know whats going on inside the CIA....

[ObamacratInCA]

It would be more amazing if I took what each of them were saying at face value given the seriousness consequences that accompany being complicit in torture.

[altohone]

The idea that a Bush appointee at the CIA would lie to cover up torture sure seems far-fetched.

Just because every public figure in the Bush admin lied regularly, doesn't mean they were lying to Pelosi.


The frothing corporate media who can't fathom a Bushie lying has got to be the funniest part of this whole thing. All those examples yet they insist on doubting our speaker as the first assumption.

[Luke3]

Bill Clinton appointed George Tenet, who was CIA director for Bush as well and oversaw the water boarding in 2002 and 2003. Obama appointed the current CIA director, Leon Panetta, who is calling Pelosi a liar.

[altohone]

Don't get me started on the whole neoliberal/neocon corruption of the "center" thing.
Y'know, the reality you're pretending is a two-party system.

I was referring to the actual person who gave the briefing though.

Panetta saying it isn't CIA policy isn't a denial of what happened, and equating that with calling her a liar is your wishful thinking.

[miohtx]

thank you

[Luke3]

The reason people are up in arms over pelosi is for years she slammed bush for EIT's yet she new about them the whole time and lied about knowing. This story is very news worthy. Pelosi was the ranking member of the house intelligence committee and could have cried foul back in 2002. But she didn't because at the time she thought EIT's were a good idea. If she didn't believe this she would have voted against funding these programs. The record shows she voted to continue these programs. The cat is now out of the bag. All evidence of these programs should be declassified and analyzed by the house, the senate and a third non partisan group to insure accuracy. If someone did something wrong then punish them accordingly, regardless of the letter next to their name.

[CharmiO]

No one in today's group, conservative or progressive, is going to own up to knowing anything, anytime, anywhere, ever. No records were made, or any that were made have since been altered or destroyed. To get to the truth, pulling teeth sans anesthetic or ... er ... waterboarding ... would be easier. Oh, never mind.