Newt & Nancy: The Torture Debate & Other Thoughts
There has been a constant drumbeat against Nancy Pelosi to resign as Speaker. Newt Gingrich has been at the forefront of this campaign as he has appeared on the various talk shows throughout the past three weeks.
As I have been monitoring the debate, I think Nancy Pelosi did overplay her hand. I wish she would have been a bit more deliberative. She should have made sure that she reviewed her notes to avoid walking into the firestrom. But, it happened. Now, I am seeing reports that the accounts being presented by the CIA is really not as cut and dry as the CIA has led folks to believe.
The CIA's hand are not clean by any means. This is an organization that assured the President of the United States that the weapons of mass destruction were a "slam dunk". They have also had a number of crucial misjudgements about Iran as well which has led us to the challenges we have had. As such, I regard Newt's call for the Speaker to apologize to the CIA rings rather hollow. This is especially so when he slammed the National Intelligence Estimate back in 2007 when it came out with its' determination on Iran's nuclear weapons development.
I know Newt wants to be President. I regard some of his ideas as very interesting. Whether he even has a shot at being President is something that I won't waste my time on. He is filling a vaccum that bodes well for the near term. The need to have a genuine alternative is ever more important. The Republicans are not filling that void right now. That's unfortunate.
As I have been monitoring the debate, I think Nancy Pelosi did overplay her hand. I wish she would have been a bit more deliberative. She should have made sure that she reviewed her notes to avoid walking into the firestrom. But, it happened. Now, I am seeing reports that the accounts being presented by the CIA is really not as cut and dry as the CIA has led folks to believe.
The CIA's hand are not clean by any means. This is an organization that assured the President of the United States that the weapons of mass destruction were a "slam dunk". They have also had a number of crucial misjudgements about Iran as well which has led us to the challenges we have had. As such, I regard Newt's call for the Speaker to apologize to the CIA rings rather hollow. This is especially so when he slammed the National Intelligence Estimate back in 2007 when it came out with its' determination on Iran's nuclear weapons development.
I know Newt wants to be President. I regard some of his ideas as very interesting. Whether he even has a shot at being President is something that I won't waste my time on. He is filling a vaccum that bodes well for the near term. The need to have a genuine alternative is ever more important. The Republicans are not filling that void right now. That's unfortunate.
Mike Pouraryan
