Gingrich Is Right on Pelosi: Her Spin on Torture Is "Vicious and Dishonest"

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Barack Obama stepped in it and opened up a can of worms when he got up on his high horse about torture. Then Obama had to admit that waterboarding provided intelligence to keep Americans safe. Now Obama has to deal with the fact that his own party's fingerprints are on it, and Obama may just want this torture business to go away in the end because it is becoming a political liability to himself and his party.
Pelosi's major moral failing here is she is willing to bring down the intelligence community to save her own skin. The dems are now fighting a 2-front war, the Republicans and the CIA. Next time Obama might want to keep his mouth shut.
The political arena is a pendulum swinging back and forth. Many people have written the Republican party off, but how soon they forget that the GOP held all of the cards not that long ago before the voters had enough. Barack Obama came into office with huge support, but that support was not unconditional. Obama cannot continue to blame Bush, spend up the wazoo, and blame the US for the past indefinitely. He will be held accountable. No slick talk about hope and change is going to save Obama's hide, and for that matter, his own party.
Nancy Pelosi should resign because she is embarrassing her party and because she tried to bring the CIA down to save herself. Every second she is in power she has a bullseye on her back and for good reason. I'm also willing to bet that many other democrats have their fingerprints on this as well.
Some comments on this blog have eluded to the idea that torture is wrong and illegal. I don't share that sentiment. War is not pretty, especially against terrorists. People like Al-Zarqawi murder Americans with impunity, and set up attacks on innocent civilians. They are not soldiers in uniform fighting for a country or government they are terrorists. When they are captured POW's, you can't simply keep them in a POW camp "until the war is over" because terrorism is ongoing indefinitely, hence they cannot be released from jail. There is no signed treaty with Al-Qaeda terrorists. When Al-Qaeda officially surrenders and shows the white flag, then their POW's can be released. Furthermore, terrorists torture and murder with impunity without response from liberals. Hence, for liberals to get on their high horses about torture is rediculous.

Caine of CA 2:56PM May 17, 2009

It is whimsical watching the media fawn over the likes of Newt Gingrich, Dick Cheney, Karl Rove and Rush Limbaugh in their attempt to manufacture a Democratic political firestorm, diverting attention away from Republican policies that sanction torturing of the imprisoned.
The Republican Party will continue to hemorrhage until such time as the new voices of the party park in the corner the ethics-challenged Newt Gingrich. It is absolutely wild watching the man who abandoned one wife after she got cancer, another wife while as House Speaker he took up with a congressional staffer (at the same time, sanctimoniously lambasting Bill Clinton for his daliances) who when Speaker was cited by the House Ethics Committee for his misdeeds.
And we don't need to go there on Limbaugh, Cheney or Rove do we ????
Wake up GOP and get new talking heads for your party.

Jimmy K. Bond of VA 1:21PM May 17, 2009

ARE WE STUCK ON STUPID'with this Pelosi circus are we to believe this ditz can't remember what was said in 40 some briefings,are we to believe that the CIA lied exclusively to Pelosi.
It's time for San Fran Nan to go home and bake cookies, she is a disgrace to our country,and this lying needs to stop among politicians.
We need a complete overhall of of government,
We need term limits,We need a balanced budget amendment to our constitution.
We need to change our election laws and use the same ballot for the entire country,all voters black, hispanic and white must have ID and proof of citizenship,the vote count must be done in the same way we count our gold at Fort Knox with the same security to ensure fairness on both sides,if a dispute occurs the parties will need to go before a court equally divided between conservative and liberal judges no exceptions.
Community action groups like Acorn, Unions, and others barred from voting places.
We need to do whatever is needed to clean up DC and we need to do it now.

Ron Daniels of FL 12:09PM May 17, 2009

If Speaker Pelosi knew about the Bush torture regime, let's find out, but let's make sure we investigate everything, not just this distraction the Republicans have created.
If Speaker Pelosi's knowledge makes her complicit in the torture that was carried out in our name, she belongs in jail.
But if she goes to jail, she'll be in line behind about 50 Bush Administration officials and right alongside a whole bunch of other Representatives and Senators.
If not telling the truth about torture gets you in trouble, George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and most of the Bush Administration insiders would never see their families again.
And by the way, Newt Gingrich is one of the last people on earth who I feel would be qualified to give me a lecture on truthfulness or morality.
The fact that 'what did Pelosi know and when did she know it' is a story at all is an indication of what a bunch of lazy, idiot sheep the media has become.
OUR GOVERNMENT TORTURED PEOPLE IN OUR NAME! The rest is a flyspeck on the page.

jimatmadison of WI 7:48AM May 17, 2009

STOP! The Attacks On Speaker Pelosi
Last time they tried to attack Speaker Pelosi ( second in line to the President of the United States) it was about her alleged abuse of military transportation. This attack as expected turned out to be bogus. It turned out that the previous Speaker (Hastert - a Republican) made far more use of military transportation. It turned out that Speaker Pelosi was possibly overly prudent and too self-restrained in her use of military transportation.
Now Republicans are trying to attack her about allegedly having been told by the Bush administration about things she was not told about, like water boarding. Republicans are attacking her because she is being so effective at getting the peoples work done in congress, like healthcare. And Republicans want to stop her. Don't put up with that. Every time they attack Speaker Pelosi they are attacking you and the rest of the American people. If they go after her, go after them even harder.
They are trying to con Speaker Pelosi and the American people. And here is how it works. Approximately 6 years ago CIA had a briefing with Pelosi and congress, but DID NOT tell congress and Pelosi that the Bush administration was using torture ( water boarding ) on detainees. Then the Bush administration sent in Porter Goss to head the CIA and to destroy, and doctor records in part to make it look like Pelosi, and the Democrats in congress were onboard with the illegal torture of detainees by the Bush administration.
See, apparently at these intelligence briefings members of congress are not allowed to take notes. And if they do, they are not allowed to keep them. Apparently the CIA makes notes, but the members of congress are not allowed to see those notes either. And they can't tell anybody about what was said at the briefings. But the CIA can come back six years later and claim they told members of congress something six years ago that they did not tell them at that time. And they can use falsified notes to substantiate their claim. Planting disinformation was the type of thing the CIA became very good at during the time Porter Goss was a young CIA agent. Just gotta love it. :-)
If you will remember, their was a mass exodus of senior CIA officials after Porter Goss took over. And the complaint at the time was that longtime, highly experienced agents were being replaced by other people based mostly on their political loyalties to the Bush administration and their extreme right-wing ideologies. Which is just exactly what you need if you want people who will be willing to break the law under orders. Sound familiar? I don't think you can trust any CIA records after Goss took over.
I have nothing but the utmost respect, and admiration for the dedicated and patriotic members of OUR! Central Intelligence Agency. When the Bush administration betrayed one of OUR! agents (Mrs. Wilson) it made me boiling MAD! I think our new Director Pennetta has got some internal investigation and agency house cleaning to do. If you backtrack on the individuals that have been making the false attacks on Speaker Pelosi, and trace who they have had contact and conversations with, you should be able to connect the dots and catch your conspirators.
The key that the CIA records are falsified is Sen. Bob Graham and his journal, and common sense. :-) By the way, I think Mr. Pennetta is an excellent choice to head the CIA and fix it.
They are trying to kill healthcare reform. And continue our healthcare crisis. Don't put up with that.
PASS THE WORD.
To The Congress Of The United States:
If it is true that you are not allowed to have or make any permanent records of your intelligence briefings for later clarifications, and protection, that is ridiculous. That leaves all of you vulnerable to just this type of scam that is being perpetrated on Speaker Pelosi. So here is what you can do about it to protect your-selves in the future.
Members should be able to make notes and other recordings of these briefings. Then these briefings and recordings can be reduced to a computer file that can then be encrypted and digitally signed with a detached digital signature using key encryption. Then each of you can encrypt, and sign each others copy of the record that can only be unlocked with the other parties key. And both parties copies can be verified with each others copy of the files detached digital signature.
Very easy. Very secure. No more exposure to falsified records down the road. :-)
You see, it almost doesn't really matter what CIA allegedly did or didn't tell Speaker Pelosi, and congress. Because the briefing format is so deficient of any checks, balances, or verification that all we know is that all external briefing accounts support Speaker Pelosi's version of events. Pelosi and congress should have been given every benefit of the doubt. And that should have been it.
There are many other booby traps out there set for you congress. Be careful.
God Bless You
jacksmith — WORKING CLASS
p.s. I still think the timing of Sen. Bob Graham's ruptured cerebral aneurism was suspicious. More so now, than before.

jacksmith of TX 12:41AM May 17, 2009

if Bush was so bad, then why does everyone compare Pelosi to Bush? I thought Democrats were better than Bush? I mean Bush was a warmongering hate crimer cocaine addict imbecile so why is he the barometer that Pelosi is held to? If so why even vote her in if she is no better? We voted out Republicans for this behavior, lets vote out Pelosi as well. Or does she get a pass because of the blind sheep that call themselves Democrats? You're both a bunch of morons. Its the same guy/girl. Bush-Pelosi-Biden-Palin-Obama-McCain, they're the same lying theiving scum.
In fact, by comparing Pelosi's indiscretions to Bush's, you just admitted it yourselves.
So take all your venom towards Bush and direct it at Pelosi because according to you the stuff is so similar that Repubs should find it analogous and make the leap in logic between the two.

carlo of MA 10:07AM May 16, 2009

IN DEFENSE of the SPEAKER of THE HOUSE
by William E. Jackson Jr. (May 16 - Huffington Post)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/william-e-jackson-jr/in-defense-of-the-speaker_b_204204.html
Excerpts
- Despite CIA Director Leon Panetta's morale-booster claim that agents do not mislead Congress
--he was not at Langley during the last administration and is in no position to know when the CIA has prevaricated with Congress
--they have lied to and misled members of Congress on numerous occasions in the last 30 years! Sens. Goldwater and Rockefeller,
among others, have so charged. Get real!
- Are Pelosi's critics suggesting that half-informed Democratic leaders (not in the Executive Branch)
should have stopped the Republican leaders of the Executive Branch (the White House of Bush/Cheney)
from ordering the torturing of terrorist suspects, a practice that began even before the Justice Department
had signed off on its legality?! Moreover, is the CIA suggesting that Congress should have intervened after being briefed,
the company in effect pleading: "
William E. Jackson Jr article is a must read everyone! The excerpts here are your invite for the complete article.

Robert of NY 8:42AM May 16, 2009

I think Newt Gingrich is running for President in 2012 and this in my humble opinion is the reason he is going on the attack.
Also its seems too well planned so it has to come from the top and lets not forget Bush
is rehabbing or trying to anyway as we all read a few articles that his former staff were doing this or that for this. Can't rehabb if someone is suggesting a truth commission now can we? I wouldn't be surprised if Rove hand was involved.
Whats sad Newt is that this all started with Bush and his manipulating everyone including the CIA. Thats why the employees of the CIA shouldn't worry. Hear that Leon. They should not worry! After Bush the CIA moral must have very low. All of our moral was low so we can ID with this too.
A lot of stories are waiting to come out. Keep in mind everyone that the focus should be on the ones like Bush and Cheney. Newt is grand standing! Let Eleanor Cliff deal with him on Sunday. She knows how to debate someone like Newt because she is a expert.

Ross of MI 7:36AM May 16, 2009

Penetta even said the CIA was telling the truth. Pelosi needs to resign.
Back in April of 2007, Pelosi accused then-Attorney General Alberto Gonzales of lying and demanded his RESIGNATION.
"… Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has lost the trust of the American people. The nation cannot have a chief law enforcement officer whose candor and judgment are in serious question. The president should restore credibility to the office of the attorney general. Alberto Gonzales must resign."

Robert of NY 4:12AM May 16, 2009

should be executed.
So you are upset that Pelosi might have known about the crimes of the Bush administration?
No, that was not the concern, you selfish evil.
I guess we can expect your full support in prosecuting them all for crimes against humanity.
You have just commited a crime against truth. You should be fully prosecuted.
Same Old Republican Same Old.. just reverse everything you said. You were lying. your republican character assanation has no credibility.

Ze of NJ 3:07AM May 16, 2009