Nancy Pelosi’s Choice On Torture

[babylonsister]

I think this is correct; the rethugs are being allowed to frame this debate by her silence. She should demand a full probe, for all of us.

http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/probes-of-bush-administration/nancy-pelosis-opportunity/

Nancy Pelosi’s Choice On Torture
Greg Sargent


Nancy Pelosi is facing a clear choice. She can grab on to the Republican attacks on what she knew about torture and convert them into a political opportunity by daring them to support a full probe of the torture program. Or she can hope that the GOP attacks go away, remain on defense, and risk letting Republicans succeed in defining the debate.

Dick Cheney, by calling for the release of cherry-picked info that will supposedly support his claim that torture worked, has placed Congressional Republicans in an untenable position. He’s forcing them to echo his call for the selective release of classified intel for political purposes, which makes it tougher and tougher for them to oppose a full accounting.

GOPers such as Pete Hoekstra are undaunted by the untenability of this position, and are demanding the release of info that will supposedly prove Pelosi knew about waterboarding. What of the Dem response? Democratic insiders complain to The Politico that it hasn’t been aggressive enough.

It’s true that Pelosi has been abroad for the past few days, hampering her office’s response. But the fact remains that Pelosi has not exploited the inherent contradictions in the Republican position.

The question is whether Pelosi will try to turn the tables, calling the GOP’s bluff and insisting that Republicans join her call for a full accounting or be hypocrites who only want intelligence released if it will help the GOP cause. If not, the GOP will get closer to taking control of this debate. It’s her choice.

[emulatorloo]

1. Absolutely -- we are seeing more and more contradictions in the Republican scenario

Perfect to call for a full probe.

What I don't get is why the GOP is SO DAMN WEDDED to torture, defending torture, defending Cheney, and so on.

[babylonsister]

2. Yet in the next breath the rethugs are claiming

what's been done in our names isn't torture. This needs some clarifying.

[EFerrari]

3. Nancy needs to ask what did John Warner know when he chaired the Taguba hearings in 2004.

And she should ask Hoekstra where his investigation on CIA destruction of video evidence has led him.

Key House Republican Pledges CIA Tape Inquiry
Rep. Peter Hoekstra, R-Mich., Top Republican On House Intelligence Committee, Says Subpoenas Likely

http://cbs4.com/national/CIA.videotapes.destruction.2.612102.html

:shrug:

[spanone]

4. yep, cheney is miles ahead...the discussions now are 'could cheney be right?'

this is just so fucking sick

[walldude]

5. The repugs are almost as funny about this as some people

on DU. The repugs can't seem to decide if their defense is "it's not torture" or "but it worked" or "it wasn't illegal". So they try to dump it all on Democrats who may have known about it. Then you have people on DU saying that anyone who wants Pelosi investigated is a fool who would rather investigate someone who knew about it instead of the people who did it.

In a perfect world, the planners, the legal people and the people who carried out these horrific acts would be investigated and thrown in prison. Anyone who knew about it including Pelosi and any other Dems would be investigated and removed from office for violating their oath of office. We could clean out half of Congress and the Senate and start with a nearly clean slate.