OK, I Give Up: Let Pelosi's Head Roll

Do the ends justify the means? It certainly looks like the defeat of Nancy Pelosi will be the end of the "torture gate" scandal, whose means I find very questionable.

This morning, the Washington Post is indirectly pointing the finger at White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and President Obama for allowing CIA chief Leon Panetta to bluntly accuse Pelosi of lying. They say such a blatantly (un?)political attack on a fellow Democrat could only have come from the top down, particularly considering Panetta's D. C. savvy. They say it is the same thing the Bush White House did to Trent Lott. At the same time, Politico is publishing an article called, "Conditions for a coup in Congress," implying Pelosi may be challenged, and shut out, as Speaker this year. They posit that Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) would be more palatable to the White House as Speaker. They also claim it is the same thing the Clinton White House did to Newt Gingrich.

Up to this point I have defended Speaker Pelosi in this "torture gate" mess. I maintain still that she had little to do with it and that she has been scapegoated by the GOP and the former Administration. However, someone reminded me the other day that it was Pelosi who said impeachment (of Bush) was "off the table" at a time when there was considerable Congressional and popular support for such a move, and time to accomplish it. Perhaps she had little power to stop waterboarding in 2002, but she had ample power to stop George Bush in 2006, and hold the entire Administration accountable for the whole ball of wax. Instead, she opted for personal gain (using her political capitol to get elected Speaker) and refused to allow impeachment proceedings to even reach an exploratory committee. She could have stopped them. Who knows? If she had been successful, even moderately, she could have been President by now. (And people accused Hillary Clinton of being complicit with the Bush administration because of one vote...)

Again, do the ends justify the means? Possibly. When you look at the whole ball of wax, just maybe. This could all blow over, too. But it looks to me that it is steadily blowing up. Maybe my wish will come true. But what monster's head will grow back in Pelosi's place? She was such a good, loyal lap dog to President Obama when he was campaigning, up to and including making snide comments to the press about his primary challengers (and fellow Democrats.) But once she realized he would not return the favor in kind, she turned on him a little. Congress has not offered the rubber stamp they could, that's certain. And although they talk tall about how that is not the goal, and not what anyone wants... yeah, right. Every President wishes Congress would just do their will. Maybe Steny Hoyer already made some promises... or maybe Congress, and the White House are finally just sick of her.