"Aye, free! Free as a tethered ass!" —W.S. Gilbert
"All the affairs of men should be managed by individuals or voluntary associations, and . . . the State should be abolished." —Benjamin Tucker
"You must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself." —James Madison
"Fat chance." —Sheldon Richman
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
The CIA Wouldn't Lie!
I find it hilarious that the right-wing of the War Party is so up in arms over the suggestion that the CIA might lie to a member of Congress. Seriously, does this even need a comment? (Not that Nancy Pelosi can't be lying this round.)
It's all just political grand standing. Newt Gingrich knows as well as anyone, as the former speaker, everybody in politics lies, including their precious generals and covert operations - though it is funny to suggest that COVERT operations wouldn't lie...
I think the CIA's public statements in general are like as not to be lies--but in this case it's pretty weird that Pelosi waited until now, over a year after the story that she'd been briefed on waterboarding appeared in the press--to make her denial. I wouldn't be at all surprised if she were lying to cover her posterior. Going along with the Bushies on torture would have been all too typical for a Democrat, given their mindset in 2002.
I recall the weeks of waving flags after 9-11, and statements by Tom Daschile and his ilk that "there's no daylight" between them and Bush (or Dan Rather's "tell me where to line up, Mr. President"), and I felt like I was living in a giant insane asylum. When we really needed an opposition party to be skeptical and slow things down, the Democrats turned their bellies up like whipped dogs. All the revisionist history in the world won't absolve them of that.
It's almost as funny as Hannity's outrage that someone would accuse "the Commander-in-Chief" of lying "in wartime."
ReplyDeleteKevin, exactly right. These guys are too much. Did you hear the tone in Gingrich's voice when he denounced Pelosi? Hilarious!
ReplyDeleteIt's all just political grand standing. Newt Gingrich knows as well as anyone, as the former speaker, everybody in politics lies, including their precious generals and covert operations - though it is funny to suggest that COVERT operations wouldn't lie...
ReplyDeleteI'd forgotten about it until Niccolo mentioned generals, but how about the manufactured outrage over MoveOn's "General Betray Us" ads?
ReplyDeleteWouldn't it be in the best interests of the CIA to inform congress about anything shady they do? Including congress gives them cover.
ReplyDeleteI think the CIA's public statements in general are like as not to be lies--but in this case it's pretty weird that Pelosi waited until now, over a year after the story that she'd been briefed on waterboarding appeared in the press--to make her denial. I wouldn't be at all surprised if she were lying to cover her posterior. Going along with the Bushies on torture would have been all too typical for a Democrat, given their mindset in 2002.
ReplyDeleteI recall the weeks of waving flags after 9-11, and statements by Tom Daschile and his ilk that "there's no daylight" between them and Bush (or Dan Rather's "tell me where to line up, Mr. President"), and I felt like I was living in a giant insane asylum. When we really needed an opposition party to be skeptical and slow things down, the Democrats turned their bellies up like whipped dogs. All the revisionist history in the world won't absolve them of that.
Hard as it is, I lean toward the CIA on this one.
ReplyDelete