Pelosi should step down

May 15, 9:29 AMColumbia Conservative ExaminerAnthony G. Martin

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As the story continues to unfold concerning Nancy Pelosi's puzzling 'fuzzy memory' concerning Congressional briefings on enhanced interrogation techniques, one thing is becoming clear.  The Speaker has attempted to hide what she knew from the public for the single reason that she wants to use the issue to hammer Republicans.

For this reason, the Speaker needs to step down.

Pelosi's problems grow more ominous by the day.  First, she told us she supported prosecuting Bush administration officials concerning the approval of the use of 'waterboarding' to obtain information from terrorists that saved hundreds of thousands of American lives.  Then, the CIA released information on regular briefings provided to Congress concerning these techniques, beginning in 2002--information that confirms Pelosi was present at at least one briefing.  At this point, Pelosi called a news conference in which she denied being told that waterboarding was used, although she admits 'it was mentioned.'  Not long afterward, news leaked out that Pelosi's top aide had been informed of the use of waterboarding, and he states that he informed the Speaker.  Pelosi then took to the airwaves once again to defend herself, claiming that she was informed of the waterboarding 'only after it had already been used.'

Then came the painful, gut-wrenching news conference yesterday, during which Pelosi made the outrageous charge that she had been misled by the CIA.

The Speaker was clearly unnerved and appeared somewhat confused.

And even the mainstream media, which up until this point has been solidly in the Obama-Democrat camp, sensed blood in the water.  Even the most partisan of news reporters have instincts that kick in, finally, even when their darlings among the liberals appear to be going down for the count.

Pelosi was hammered by the press corp that previously had granted her a pass on almost every single flaw she exhibited.

Even giving Pelosi the benefit of the doubt does not erase one glaring problem with her story.

Let's suppose, for example, that Pelosi was not informed of the use of waterboarding at first.  Let's suppose that she was not part of any CIA briefing that confirmed that the technique had been used.  And let's suppose that it was, indeed, an aide that was given this information, which he says he passed along to Pelosi.  And then, let's take her at her word that she became aware of the technique, therefore, only after it had already been used.

Even granting her all of this, we are still back at square one.  Pelosi has admitted that at some point between September of 2002 and December of 2003 she became aware that waterboarding had been used.  

The question is, why didn't she object at that point?  If, as she claims, waterboarding is torture and illegal, then it would seem that discovering the fact that your government had used it would be ample reason to scream bloody murder.  Yet at no point did Pelosi raise a voice of protest, push for investigations, or publicly castigate the CIA and the Bush administration for engaging in 'torture.'

That is, not until now, a full 7 years after the fact.

Why did Pelosi wait so long?

The fact that she has admitted she knew about waterboarding 6 or 7 years ago and did nothing by way of protest or objection puts her squarely in the same boat with those within the Bush administration, along with Republicans in Congress, who knew the same thing and said nothing.

All of these facts lead to one unmistakable conclusion.  The Speaker's motives are purely political and involve an astonishing hypocrisy.  She has totally lost her credibility not only on this issue but on any issue, given that she has demonstrated she is more than willing to accuse, slander, and vilify others for things of which she herself was a part.

The Speaker should step down for the good of the country.

For more commentary on a variety of issues, please visit my blog, updated daily, at The Liberty Sphere.