Nancy Pelosi, “Draining the Swamp” or Sandbagging to protect the House
Opinion-Editorial By Albert N. Milliron, Editor Politisite.com
When Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi took the Gavel to become the first woman Speaker of the House she stated that in her first one hundred days she would, “Drain the Swamp” from nearly ten years of what she called the Republican, “Culture of Corruption”. She had another thing to say I her speech, that “It Just Might Take a Woman to Clean The House” of ethics violations perpetrated by the Republicans.
Recently the Obama Administration released classified documents that contained information about Enhanced Interrogation Techniques (EIT) that were used on high value enemy combatants to foil additional attempts on the security of the United states. These techniques provided actionable intelligence that kept America safe during the, “War on Terror”.
Former Vic-President Cheney and others requested that the released documents were not enough as they did not include whether the techniques worked and what intelligence was obtained by using techniques such as the controversial, “Water Boarding”. The Administration came out with a resounding no when asked. So much for transparency the American people were promised by President Obama.
The Obama Administration then came out in favor of the Justice department doing an investigation to determine if there were any laws that had been broken from the former administration all the way down to the attorneys who drafted the briefs on EIT. That is when things began to go a bit wrong for the democrats.
During a press conference last month, Pelosi stated, “In that or any other briefing we were not, I repeat, were not told that water boarding or any of these other enhanced interrogation techniques were used. They did not tell us they were used, “flat out” They said they were briefed what, “ might be used”. She further related that the, “CIA is in the business of deception”.
Nancy Pelosi has maintained that she is opposed to waterbaording calling it torture. But in 2002 while she was the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, she fully briefed on (AIT) including water boarding that was performed on Abu Zubaydah. Others at the same meeting seem to have a different view of what was disclosed at the meeting she attended.
The question arises, If Speaker Pelosi was so against advanced integration techniques, why did she not go on record as being against the techniques in those briefings. Those concerns do not appear anywhere in the documentation. On the House floor, Pelosi related that she was able to voice her differences under the direction of chairman Congressman Porter Goss and moved that the appropriations be approved by the full House.
With all this, Americans are still waiting for the Swamp to be drained and the House to be cleaned. The most Ethical Congress in History is still lacking. Speaker Pelosi continued with the mantra that Republican operated under a, “Culture of corruption”. The writer sees little to suggest that the democrats have done anything to bring our government back to the people with open disclosure and defrocking those who violate the very oaths they affirm when entering into public service.
Today, Many side of the issue are calling for Nancy Pelosi’s removal, but the Political strategist part of me wonders why the Obama Administration would put Democrat against Democrat with his full authority to diminish Speaker Pelosi. Why many are calling for her resignation since there is a vast chasm between what the CIA and others are saying and when Speaker Pelosi says happened in those meetings, I feel that political expediency to “get rid” of the speaker to install one who will be more committed to the President. While we all hope that our Government works honestly and for the people. The real issue is pushing agendas and gaining power.
The Obama administration now has both houses of congress and will soon have power in the judicial branch. He is working quickly while he is still a popular President to get his agendas presented and passed before the 2010 election. With Pelosi out of the way, he could have a weak speaker who will just allow his full agenda to pass with little or no debate as was the case on the stimulus package. The Obama Motto is, “Never allow a crisis go to waste”. The Pelosi affair is another crisis the Administration will use to his advantages to tie up all branches of government to push his socialist agenda.