TBogg makes a very interesting and accurate point that Nancy Pelosi has become the next Lynndie England:
Due to “process” reporting we have learned that the Torture Years were not the responsibility of the Administration who demanded them, the legal counsel who found legal justification for them, the medical personnel who stood by and watched, the media talking heads who justified torture based upon a TV show, or the actual torturers who unquestioningly did the dirty work.
Now the Village elders have decided that Nancy Pelosi is a witch who turned us into awful people and by burning her we will be made whole again.
I have had this same feeling the entire past week as I hear the media follow the Republican lead of the witch hunt against Pelosi. Perhaps this could sum up a typical media discussion on torture.
“Yes the United States was involved in what could be called torture. Oh no.”
“OMG! Nancy Pelosi knew we were involved in torture. How could she let this go one?”
Perhaps the most telling of this narrative comes from Newt Gingrich. Here’s what Gingrich told Hannity this week:
“Nancy Pelosi was the ranking Democrat on the intelligence committee. She had an absolute obligation to know what was going on. She had an absolute obligation to speak up.”
So back in 2002, which was at the height of terrorism paranoia, the Republicans are now saying that Pelosi should have said “we are torturing!”. And how would the Republicans, the ranking party in the House, have responded? Pelosi would have ended up being tortured herself, by both the media and the Republicans.
And what about the Republicans that “knew” of this torture? Right now they are calling for Pelosi to be punished for her lack of inaction. So wouldn’t these Republicans also be guilty of the same crime? Of course they would.