Strengthening Constitutional Self-Government

No Left Turns

I Knew It

Everyone knows that Democrats prefer windsurfing to waterboarding, but today’s lead story in the Washington Post brings to light the inevitable hypocrisy of liberals on this episode: Hill Briefed on Waterboaring in 2002. Among those at the briefing: Intelligence Committee member Nancy Pelosi. Quoth the Post: "on that day, no objections were raised. Instead, at least two lawmakers in the room asked the CIA to push harder, two U.S. officials said. ’The briefer was specifically asked if the methods were tough enough,’ said a U.S. official who witnessed the exchange."

Reminds me of the episode in 1984 when members of the Senate, including especially my sometimes hero Daniel Patrick Moynihan, professed to be "shocked, shocked" to learn that the CIA was placing (non-lethal) mines in Nicaraguan harbors. Of course, the Senate Intelligence Committee had been briefed on the operation, but the temptation to grandstand was just too irresistible when the matter became public. Goldwater, one of the most outraged, at least had a decent excuse: He had missed the committee briefing. What’s Pelosi’s excuse?

Discussions - 2 Comments

Frankly, I'm surprised the Post chose to run the story.

Speculating, I'm going to guess Pelosi will hide behind some excuse like, "We were told it would only be used under extreme circumstances ... not with the vicious and cruel frequency the current corrupt administration has chosen to undertake."

I never liked Goldwater, and to this day I'm puzzled by the fondness with which he's recalled.

Steve, there's a new book about the CIA titled LEGACY OF ASHES, {or ash, something like that}. Anyway, the author rips the "TEAM B" experiment, and rips Team B's results. Now you mentioned Team B in your first volume, and said in the Reagan administration "Team B" would become Team A.

Can you comment on the value and the accuracy of Team B's findings? Because that author didn't simply say it was a waste of time, but that history belied Team B's findings.

Thanks.

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