While tomorrow’s California general elections are understandably receiving the vast majority of coverage throughout California, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has garnered more than her fair share of the national spotlight in recent weeks. Any time that the highest ranking Member of Congress – and third in the line to be president of the United States – says that the CIA misled her and others in Congress (Washington-speak for lied)…that’s not only newsworthy but will also inspire the news media to dig deeper.
What is known is that Nancy Pelosi, as a member of the House Intelligence Committee and before she became Speaker, received briefings from CIA professional staff, not Bush Administration appointees, as she would lead us to believe, in the 2002-2005 timeframe. At these briefings, according to CIA notes (some of which are public and others which will likely soon become public), Pelosi was updated on “enhanced interrogation techniques” used against terrorists captured by the United States military.
Now, in an attempt to rewrite history – and appeal the radical, extreme left-wing base that she represents in San Francisco and that is a mainstay of the Democrats ruling coalition – Pelosi has indicated that she wasn’t accurately briefed. Or was she?
The Speaker’s press conference of late last week, where she attempted to put this issue to rest, was uncomfortable to put it mildly. Her body language, facial tweaks, word parses and jumbled statements indicated that even she didn’t believe what she was saying. The press glommed onto this fact and the story spiraled out of control. And, perhaps realizing that she had “stepped in it big-time,” Pelosi’s weak attempt at an apology to the CIA late Friday failed to put out this now raging fire.
Nancy Pelosi is in way over her head and her attempt to gain political capital by attacking the CIA and the Bush Administration has failed badly. We will undoubtedly find out what the Speaker did or did not know…and when she knew it…in the near future, and that could spell trouble for Congressional Democrats. Here’s why:
First, common sense dictates that an elected official, even the Speaker of the House, shouldn’t openly pick a fight with CIA professionals. Former California Congressman, Clinton White House Chief of Staff and now Obama CIA head Leon Panetta responded forcefully to the Speaker last Friday when he wrote a letter indicating that Pelosi was briefed and briefed properly, as were other members of Congress. More importantly, expect significantly more details of Pelosi’s briefings will trickle out in the days and weeks ahead…likely the result of intelligence officials leaking information (something they’re really good at). At some point, Speaker Pelosi will have to admit that she was briefed on EITs, said nothing either because she was too weak to protest or agreed with their intended purpose, and eat a healthy helping of crow.
Second, for President Obama and Congressional Democrats, this is a public relations nightmare that has the potential to grow larger by the day. President Obama and a number of Congressional Democrats have played to the anti-war left since the Iraq War began. These partisans helped the more liberal Barack Obama defeat Hillary Clinton in the Democrat primary. President Obama and Congressional Democrats are now forced to deal with reality in the handling of Iraq and Afghanistan…and their policy choices, to date, are strikingly similar to the Bush Administration’s policies. Obama has done an admirable job of taking a Realpolitik approach…Pelosi has the potential to upset the applecart.
Third, the silent majority (yes, it does exist) will, once again, see firsthand exactly why Democrats are perceived to be anti-CIA, anti-military and weak on national security. When the top-ranked House Democrat takes on the CIA, it reinforces this stereotype. President Obama won’t be hurt by these revelations, but Democrats in Congress likely will be.
Perhaps it is for this reason that President Obama and his spokespeople have let the Speaker twist in the wind. Equally important, President Obama has resisted Congressional Democrats calls for a so-called “Truth Commission,” which would largely serve no purpose but put this contentious issue off until after the 2010 elections and may poison the 2012 elections. President Obama realizes this reality.
Speaker Pelosi needs someone to throw her a lifeline or, at a minimum, hire solid pubic relations counsel to get her story straight. She is in the Washington, DC spin cycle and there’s no way to get out of the churn…Democrats can only hope that that current doesn’t pull them in as well.