On Thursday, Speaker Nancy Pelosi told the press that the CIA lied and they lie all the time.
On Friday, she released a statement backpedalling from Thursday’s accusations and instead tried to blame Bush:
“We all share great respect for the dedicated men and women of the intelligence community who are deeply committed to the safety and security of the American people. My criticism of the manner in which the Bush Administration did not appropriately inform Congress is separate from my respect for those in the intelligence community who work to keep our country safe. What is important now is to be united in our commitment to ensuring the security of our country; that, and how Congress exercises its oversight responsibilities, will continue to be my focus as we move forward.”
Pelosi is clearly trying to divert attention from her embarrassing comments on Thursday and put the focus back on the Bush Administration for misleading America.
But even this is confusing …
Founding Bloggers posted this video on what Speak Pelosi said about Saddam’s chemical and biological weapons of mass destruction:
Pelosi has a history of conflicting statements not just on waterboarding but on Iraq.
The Corner reported this from John Boehner’s office in June 2006:
Pelosi on Iraq: Then vs. Now
June 14, 2006House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has called Operation Iraqi Freedom a “war of choice” and a distraction from “the real war on terror.” At a “Take Back America” rally yesterday, Pelosi elaborated on her rationale:
PELOSI NOW
“During the debate on the war, I was the senior Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee. I saw all the information, all the intelligence. And my statement was that I will not vote for this war because the intelligence does not support the threat being claimed by the administration.”
But in fact, during the long debate on whether to authorize the use of military force against Iraq, Pelosi indicated that the intelligence she saw DID support the administration’s claim of Saddam Hussein as a “gathering” threat:
PELOSI THEN
“As a member of the House Intelligence Committee, I am keenly aware that the proliferation of chemical and biological weapons is an issue of grave importance to all nations. Saddam Hussein has been engaged in the development of weapons of mass destruction technology which is a threat to countries in the region and he has made a mockery of the weapons inspection process.”
During debate to Authorize the Use of United States Armed Forces Against Iraq, Pelosi said:
PELOSI THEN
“Yes, he has chemical weapons, he has biological weapons, he is trying to get nuclear weapons.” And she told Tim Russert on a November 17, 2002 appearance NBC’s Meet the Press, “Saddam Hussein certainly has chemical and biological weapons. There’s no question about that.”
But flash forward to the “Take Back America” rally where Pelosi insisted:
PELOSI NOW
“[T]here was never anything in the intelligence that said Iraq posed an imminent threat to the United States, never.”
So which is it? As the House prepares to debate the war in Iraq and the Global War on Terror, these brazen flip-flops only further underscore Capitol Hill Democrats’ lack of seriousness in combating terrorism. When it comes to strengthening national security, the American people have a clear choice between Republicans who want to meet the challenge and Democrats who want to relent and retreat.
Obviously, Pelosi has a long history of making “contradictory” statements.
It’s just too bad our media is too biased and corrupt to notice.
UPDATE: Pelosi’s May 2002 statement casts further doubt on her claims.
