Well it looks like the Republican's worst nightmare is being answered, because instead of backing down to their threats and issuing apologies, all congressional Democrats, along with perhaps even President Obama himself, are standing behind Pelosi, and are ready willing and able to discuss the authorization of torture under the Bush administration, and who knew what when.
This CNN article seem to summarize the feeling now taking hold amongst the entire Democratic caucus:
WASHINGTON CNN -- As congressional Republicans continued Monday to stoke the flames over House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's accusation that the CIA lied to her about waterboarding, House Democrats appeared to be standing behind their leader...
CNN quotes Connecticut Democrat John Larson:
"... our caucus is entirely behind her, " Larson said.
... Larson, who chairs the House Democratic caucus, also said that he's spoken to members over the weekend and that they are "solidly behind the speaker."
Another Connecticut Democrat, Chris Murphy, said there's a "total disconnect" between what pundits and talk show hosts are talking about and what he hears from his constituents. Murphy said there might be some impact on the speaker's ability to continue leading if the issue were something people were talking about in his district, but it's not.
Conservative Indiana Democrat Baron Hill:
"I think a lot of people have lost focus on the people who put those torture policies in place in the first place," Hill said. "Nancy didn't do anything wrong, in terms of the legalities, that I'm aware of. I don't know what she was told. I'm not here to cast judgment on her at all."
Why all the confidence in Pelosi? Perhaps it is due to this latest development- the letter by Rep. Obey- WI, written to Panetta disputing details of the CIA account:
A leading House Democrat today demanded a correction from the CIA in its now famous timeline of congressional briefings -- the one at the center of the accusations between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and CIA director Leon Panetta about who was briefed on torture when.
House Appropriations chairman David Obey, a Wisconsin Democrat, wrote Panetta -- a former House colleague -- that the agency "erroneously listed an appropriations staffer as being in a key briefing on Sept. 19, 2006, when in fact he was not."
The CIA timeline showed that Obey aide Paul Juola was in the briefing, but Obey said "in fact, Mr. Juola recollects that he walked members to the briefing room, met General Hayden and Mr. Walker, who were the briefers, and was told that he could not attend the briefing."
Wrote Obey:
"We request that you immediately correct this record."
Far from fleeing Pelosi, Democrats are rallying around her, not least because they feel profoundly betrayed. Not by her, but by the CIA. http://www.sfgate.com/...
The full letter can be read on MSNBC's "First Read" :
May 18, 2009
The Honorable Leon Panetta
Director
Central Intelligence Agency
Washington, DC 20505
Dear Director Panetta:
In light of current controversy about CIA briefing practices, I was surprised to learn that the agency erroneously listed an appropriations staffer as being in a key briefing on September 19, 2006, when in fact he was not. The list the agency released entitled "Member Briefings on Enhanced Interrogation Techniques (EITs)", shows that House Appropriations Committee defense appropriations staffer Paul Juola was in that briefing on that date. In fact, Mr. Juola recollects that he walked members to the briefing room, met General Hayden and Mr.Walker, who were the briefers, and was told that he could not attend the briefing. We request that you immediately correct this record.
Sincerely,
David R. Obey
And the NYTimes polticial blog "The Caucus" is picking up all the loose strands, including Bob Graham's:
Ms. Pelosi, who is under fierce criticism from Republicans over the episode, has also gotten some backing from Senator Bob Graham of Florida, who was the Democratic chairman of the intelligence committee at the time. He said the C.I.A. initially told him he had attended four briefings but his own personal diaries showed he only attended one. He does not recollect any mention of waterboarding at all.
Even the Wall Street Journal's political blog Washington Wire, in their report today on Obey's objections, has cited Senator Graham's rebuttal:
... Former Sen. Bob Graham (D., Fla.) said a briefing he received around the same time as Pelosi’s also neglected to mention that waterboarding had occurred. Graham, who keeps meticulous notebooks of all his activities, also cited errors by the CIA about when its briefings occurred.
So far- I like the way this has been playing out. Obama has been relcutant to get involved, and is reported today as simply having "confidence" in Pelosi, by Bloomberg.
And as some have noticed- Panetta's defense of the veracity of the CIA's word was weak at best, and certainly provides a big enough loophole to allow for mistakes in the record to be acknowledged at a later date.
It looks like a real fight is now on.
The GOP got out their agenda- attack Pelosi. Looks like the Democrats are responding in kind.
So let's see where this ends.
I don't think we're headed toward the ending they wanted, with the Democrats rolling over and apologzing. No, it seems the evidence is just piling up in favor of the Democrats' position, and the focus will not be House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, but in fact, what Pelosi was actually talking about to begin with.