When Obama released the "torture" memos a few weeks ago, he did it for purely partisan purposes. He wanted to stain the Bush administration once more, give some red meat to his zealous base and all under the guise of us coming clean for past sins.
Little did he know that he was setting off what could be the downfall of the first woman Speaker of the House:
CIA Director Leon Panetta challenged House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s accusations that the agency lied to her, writing a memo to his agents saying she received nothing but the truth…Obama decided to go to battle with the CIA by releasing the memos and learned of his mistake rather quickly. He atoned for that by going to Langley and pumping up the staff there. He also declined to release pictures of alleged enhanced interrogation techniques (although they are slowly leaking out anyway by someone with access). He knew he screwed up and he knew it looked partisan and shady.
Panetta, President Obama’s pick to run the clandestine agency and President Clinton’s former chief of staff, wrote in a memo to CIA employees Friday that “CIA officers briefed truthfully on the interrogation of Abu Zubaydah, describing ‘the enhanced techniques that had been employed,’” according to CIA records.
“We are an agency of high integrity, professionalism and dedication,” Panetta said in the memo. “Our task is to tell it like it is — even if that’s not what people always want to hear. Keep it up. Our national security depends on it.”
Nancy Pelosi jumped into the fray and then was rebutted by Dick Cheney. She went on the offensive yesterday and looked guilty as hell doing it. Now we have an Obama appointee saying that Pelosi is a shameless liar. Panetta would never have even considered this were it not for the tacit approval of the White House since he basically has no spine.
The saga continues and it's probably going to end with Pelosi stepping down and Steny Hoyer assuming the leadership post. San Fran Nan appears to have done herself in.
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