Uh-Oh, Nancy Pelosi Caught In A Lie

In the “Uh-Oh” department, Deirdre Walsh and Pam Benson reported at CNN in 2009 what Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said: “We were not — I repeat — were not told that waterboarding or any of these other enhanced interrogation methods were used.” Paul Kane, at the The Washington Post, reported that Pelosi claimed she was never briefed on “Enhanced Interrogation Techniques” (EIT). Pelosi said, “Flat out, they never briefed us that this was happening.”

Even PolitiFact weighed in what Pelosi claimed, declaring her claim to be false.

But now we find that Pelosi did, indeed, receive a briefing about EITs. Marc A. Thiessen, writing at “WPOpinions,” a Washington Post web page, reported, “… former CIA counterterrorism chief Jose Rodriguez provides new evidence that Rep. Nancy Pelosi lied when she declared she had not been briefed about the use of waterboarding.”

Thiessen continues, “In his new book, Hard Measures, Rodriguez reveals that he led a CIA briefing of Pelosi, where the techniques being used in the interrogation of senior al-Qaeda facilitator Abu Zubayda were described in detail.”

Rodriguez, in his book, says that her claim that she [Pelosi] was not told about waterboarding at that briefing, “is untrue.” Rodriguez writes that he told Pelosi, “We explained that as a result of the techniques, Abu Zubaydah was compliant and providing good intelligence. We made crystal clear that authorized techniques, including waterboarding, had by then been used on Zubaydah. We held back nothing.”

Pelosi did not object to waterboaring being used. “So Pelosi was another member of Congress reinventing the truth. What’s the big deal?” asks Rodriguez. He then explains, “…the message they [the Obama administration and Congress] are sending to the men and women of the intelligence community who to this day are being asked to undertake dangerous and sometimes controversial actions on behalf of their government. They are told that the administration and Congress ‘have their back.’ You will forgive CIA officers if they are not filled with confidence.”

If Rodriguez is right, it means that Pelosi stood up in a news conference and lied to the American people.

In the House of Representatives Order Code RL31382, “Expulsion, Censure, Reprimand, and Fine: Legislative Discipline in the House of Representatives,” there is this passage: “…the House has the right to discipline those who breach its privileges or decorum, or who damage its integrity or reputation, even to the extent of expelling from Congress a duly-elected Member.” (page CRS-2)

If, in fact, Pelosi repeatedly lied to the American public, does she not “…breach its privileges or decorum…” of the House, as well as “…damage its integrity or reputation…?” Further, why should we believe ANYTHING she says?

For much more information about this situation, see Guy Benson‘s article at Townhall.

But that’s just my opinion.

“It isn’t so much that liberals are ignorant. It’s just that they know so many things that aren’t so.” – Ronald Reagan

Cross-posted at RWNO, my personal web site.