Nancy Pelosi

VA GOP Condemns Picture of Obama As Zombie Shot In The Head

Jillian Rayfield | November 1, 2011, 10:33AM

The Virginia Republican Party has condemned an e-mail sent out by the Loudon County Republican Committee picturing a zombie version of President Obama with a gunshot in his head.

Watt, House GOP Leaders, Plan Sneak Attack On Ethics Office

Susan Crabtree | July 21, 2011, 12:23PM

Rep. Mel Watt (D-NC)

Rep. Mel Watt (D-NC), with the help of Republicans leaders, is launching a sneak attack on the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE), the only quasi-independent ethics watchdog policing the behavior of members of Congress.

Watt, a prominent member of the Congressional Black Caucus, may be looking for some retribution against the office for investigating him last year. Along with a bipartisan group of several other members, Watt was part of a wide-ranging OCE probe into the propriety of holding fundraising events with big players in the financial sector within days -- or even on the very day -- of a vote on the Wall Street reform bill. He and the other members were eventually cleared of any wrongdoing but not before the investigation leaked to the press and he and the other members made "under investigation" headlines.

Anthony Weiner

Pelosi Officially Asks For Weiner Ethics Investigation

Susan Crabtree | June 7, 2011, 3:27PM

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (CA) officially requested an ethics investigation of Rep. Anthony Weiner's (D-NY) extramarital sexual online relationships with six woman after he admitted sending lewd photos of himself in a chaotic news conference Monday.

In a terse letter sent Tuesday, Pelosi called for an Ethics Committee investigation "to determine whether any official resources were used or any other violation of House rules occurred." She first said she would call for an ethics probe Monday almost immediately after Weiner admitted to concocting an elaborate hacking tale to keep the online sexual encounters under wraps.

Government shutdown

House Dems, GOP Trade Jabs Over Shutdown

Susan Crabtree | February 18, 2011, 3:41PM

Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH)

House Democratic and Republican leaders traded jabs over the possibility of a government shutdown Friday -- as the two sides remained deeply divided on how far to go in slashing government programs.

The House continued slogging through dozens of amendments to a bill that would cut federal spending by $61 billion over the next six months, and it's unlikely they'll be able to come to an agreement with Senate Democrats on the numbers before their deadline of March 4.

Charlie Rangel

House Votes To Censure Charlie Rangel For Ethics Violations (VIDEO)

Ryan J. Reilly | December 2, 2010, 5:53PM

Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., speaking of the floor of the House of Representatives on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 2, 2010. (AP Photo/House Television)

The House of Representatives voted 332 to 79 to censure Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY) on Thursday for violations of the body's ethics laws.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) read the censure on the floor of the House immediately following the vote.

Today's vote brought an end to the investigation of the long serving New York Democrat, who was found to have violated 11 of the House ethics rules. The charges centered upon four issues: that Rangel used Congressional resources to raise money for an educational center bearing his name; that he failed to report taxable income on a rental villa in the Dominican Republic; the he filed inaccurate financial disclosure forms; and that he used a rent-controlled apartment in Harlem as a campaign office.

Several members from both parties spoke in support changing the punishment from censure to reprimand (For more on how these punishments have played out in the past, see here.)

And Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D-N.C.), a member of the ethics committee, proposed a motion to lessen the sanction from censure to reprimand that ultimately failed by a vote of 146-267. It had the support of 143 Democrats and three Republicans: Reps. Pete King (NY), Ron Paul (TX) and Don Young (AK).

Ethics

Ethics Panel Says House Should Censure Charlie Rangel

Ryan J. Reilly | November 18, 2010, 6:23PM

Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY) should be censured by the House of Representatives and pay back taxes for financial and fundraising misconduct, the House ethics committee recommended late Thursday.

The House of Representatives will likely consider the motion to censure the 20-term congressman after Thanksgiving, the Associated Press reported.

Office of Congressional Ethics

Office Of Congressional Ethics Not Making Friends On Hill

Ryan J. Reilly | September 14, 2010, 2:02PM

Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH), and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)

If you need a friend in Washington, get a dog, the saying goes. Well, the Office of Congressional Ethics could be headed for the pound.

Both Republicans and Democrats are unhappy with the OCE, and no matter what side of the aisle wins in November, the office will likely be neutered or forced the close its doors, the National Journal reports.

Pelosi Pulled Strings For Man Who Funded Edwards' Mistress

Ryan J. Reilly | August 30, 2010, 3:02PM

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi allegedly pulled strings to help a major Democratic donor, Fred Baron, get access to an experimental drug after the manufacturer refused to give permission to use the drug to treat his bone marrow cancer. Though it wasn't public at the time, Baron was simultaneously bankrolling the relocation of John Edwards' pregnant mistress, Rielle Hunter.

Fred Baron, known as the "King of Toxic Torts," built a fortune suing on behalf of asbestos victims, and died shortly before Election Day 2008 at age 61. He served as financial chief for John Edwards and it later came out that he'd been funneling money to Hunter. At the time Pelosi intervened, his role in bankrolling Hunter and her daughter with Edwards was unknown.

Eric Massa

Ethics Panel Questioned Pelosi On Massa

Rachel Slajda | July 2, 2010, 9:11AM

Former Rep. Eric Massa (D-NY)

The House Ethics Committee, in its probe of sexual harassment allegations made against former Rep. Eric Massa (D-NY), has interviewed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Politico reports, likely about how much House leaders knew about the allegations and how they responded.

Politico also reports that the committee will release its report on the investigation soon.

Judicial Nominations

Progressives To Dems: Get Moving On Judicial Nominations

Zachary Roth | May 12, 2010, 12:26PM

As the Senate gets set to take up Elena Kagan's nomination to the Supreme Court, the slow pace of confirmation for lower-court nominations is creating vacancies that are gumming up the system and could even pose a long-term threat to President Obama's agenda. In response, some who follow the process are calling on Democrats to get tougher on GOP obstructionism. "We need a Nancy Pelosi in the Senate," said one progressive activist.

After yesterday's confirmations of Jon DeGuilo and Timothy Black to district court judge-ships, the Senate has now confirmed 26 of President Obama's nominees -- compared to 52 at this point in President Bush's tenure. Forty-two nominations are pending -- 20 in committee, and 22 on the Senate floor. Meanwhile, there are currently 102 court vacancies. That's an unprecedented backlog, observers of the process agree.

Eric Massa

Massa Probe Focusing On Dems' Responses

Zachary Roth | April 22, 2010, 1:28PM

Former Rep. Eric Massa (D-NY)

The House Ethics committee's probe into the Eric Massa affair appears to be focused on whether other members or Hill staffers acted appropriately after receiving complaints about Massa's behavior.

After Majority Leader Steny Hoyer's office was made aware of the allegations against Massa in February, Massa aides were given 48 hours to notify the ethics committee. Hoyer met yesterday with investigators for the panel and released a statement noting that he has "moved to strengthen protections for staff in the wake of this incident."

Right-wing extremism

Going To Extremes: The Obama Era's Top Ten Anti-Government Flare-Ups

Zachary Roth | April 1, 2010, 6:35PM

Clockwise from top left: David Stone, Sr., John Patrick Bedell, Joseph Stack and James von Brunn

The charges filed this week against nine members of the Hutaree Christian militia group have re-focused attention on the resurgence over the last year or so of the broader militia movement.

That resurgence has been driven in part, say experts, by the election of President Obama. But during the Obama era, threats of anti-government violence -- and even the real thing -- have become more widespread. In fact, with disaffected Americans from Massachusetts to California freaking out against the Feds en masse, it sometimes seems that going postal has become all the rage. Of course, in some cases, that anti-government animus long predates the election of our current president. But there seems to be something about the current climate that's contributing to the rash of incidents.

Eric Massa

Pelosi: Earlier Massa Conversation Didn't 'Come Close To Any Kind Of An Allegation' (VIDEO)

Justin Elliott | March 12, 2010, 10:24AM

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)

Interviewed by Rachel Maddow last night, Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that what her staff was told last year about then-Rep. Eric Massa did not "even come close to any kind of an allegation."

She said the conversation, reportedly between Massa's chief of staff and a Pelosi staffer, "repeated something that had been in the newspaper the day before."

Eric Massa

Timeline: What Were Dem Leaders Told About Massa?

Justin Elliott | March 11, 2010, 6:25PM

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), former Rep. Eric Massa and Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA)

Since the House vote today to refer to the ethics committee the question of what Democratic leaders knew about former Rep. Eric Massa before news of harassment allegations broke publicly, it's worth looking at the timeline of what we know so far.

At some point in or before October 2009, Massa took out to dinner a member of Rep. Barney Frank's committee staff, Frank said in a statement today. The staffer told another Frank staffer, who in turn told Frank's co-chief of staff, Maria Giesta.

Eric Massa

Boehner Asks For Probe Of Massa Case

Justin Elliott | March 11, 2010, 12:17PM

House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH)

The Daily Caller reports that House Minority Leader John Boehner will offer a resolution that calls for an investigation of Democratic leaders' handling of the case of former Rep. Eric Massa.

The Caller suggests that Republicans want the ethics committee to look at how Speaker Nancy Pelosi -- whose staff was reportedly told in October that Massa lived with staffers and used sexually explicit language -- handled the Massa case.

NRCC

'Nancy Pelosi' Sends Out Fundraising Email For GOP

Zachary Roth | February 18, 2010, 9:16AM

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)

A fundraising email sent yesterday by the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) appeared under the name "Nancy Pelosi," and was addressed to "Dear Naive Republican."

No, the Speaker hasn't switched parties. Rather, the email, obtained by TPMmuckraker, seems to have been a crude stab at satire by the NRCC, designed to highlight what the committee sees as the failure of the stimulus plan.

Guantanamo

False 'Recidivism' Meme Lives On In Obama Admin Letter, ABC Report

Justin Elliott | February 3, 2010, 5:54PM

President Obama and John Brennan, deputy national security adviser

The Obama Administration has adopted the flawed rhetoric of "recidivism" to discuss former Guantanamo detainees who are now said to be engaged in violence, according to a new ABC report, which uses the same problematic language.

The item by ABC's Jake Tapper, titled "Brennan: All Transferred Detainees Who Returned to Terrorism Were Released by Bush, No Recidivism for Those Released by Obama," broke the news of a letter from national security adviser John Brennan to Nancy Pelosi that states:

Health Care

GOP AGs Escalate Constitutional Battle Against Health Bill

Justin Elliott | December 31, 2009, 10:07AM

South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster

The group of Republican attorneys general threatening a constitutional challenge of the so-called "Cornhusker Kickback" in the Senate health bill yesterday wrote a letter to Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi outlining their complaints. 13 AGs, several of whom are running for governor, signed the letter.

The letter has sparked a new round of media coverage, with little analysis of the constitutional arguments being cited. Under the provision in question, all of Nebraska's expanded Medicaid costs would be covered by the federal government, with other states splitting the cost.

Nancy Pelosi

In Monster Doc, House Spending Published Online

Zachary Roth | November 30, 2009, 4:10PM

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)

Back in early June, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, with a bit of fanfare, requested that the House "Statement of Disbursements" -- a quarterly report of all receipts and expenditures for House members and committees -- be posted online.

Nearly six months later, the SOD for the third quarter has been posted.

PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (2)
Topics: Nancy Pelosi, Russ Feingold

Alan Mollohan

Dem Rep Controls DOJ Budget While Under DOJ Investigation

Justin Elliott | November 24, 2009, 2:44PM

Rep. Alan Mollohan (D-WV)

Rep. Alan Mollohan (D-WV) has his hands on the reins of the Justice Department budget at the same time the Feds are investigating his personal finances and allegations he steered taxpayer dollars to non-profits Mollohan himself created.

The Washington Post today reports on the conflict, which led Mollohan to recuse himself from voting on certain DOJ budget items, including for the FBI, according to his office. He is the chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and Science.

But Mollohan's recusal hasn't mollified one conservative critic of the lawmaker:

Pete Hoekstra

Lacking Evidence, Hoekstra Blames Obama Admin. For Fort Hood

Zachary Roth | November 17, 2009, 6:12PM

Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-MI)

Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-MI) is ramping up his campaign to use the Fort Hood shootings to paint the Obama administration as soft on terrorism.

At a press conference today, where he was joined by several GOP colleagues, Hoekstra, the ranking Republican on the House Intelligence committee, called for an immediate congressional investigation into the shootings, to determine whether the intelligence community needs enhanced tools to combat terror. Hoekstra and his colleagues also suggested, without citing evidence, that the administration had restricted the use of crucial terror-fighting tools that could have been used to stop the attacks.

CIA

Schakowsky: GOPers Who Slammed Pelosi On CIA Lie Charge Should Apologize

Zachary Roth | October 28, 2009, 6:25PM

Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL)

A top Democrat on the House Intelligence committee says Republicans who criticized Nancy Pelosi's claim that the CIA lied to her now owe the Speaker an apology.

Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), who has been helping lead a committee probe into the CIA's process for briefing lawmakers, asserted yesterday that the agency had misled or outright lied to Congress five times since 2001. One of those cases, Schakowsky confirmed, concerned the 2002 torture briefing at which, Pelosi has claimed, she was lied to about waterboarding. Republicans, led by Minority Leader John Boehner, had savaged her for that charge.

PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (7)
Topics: CIA, Jan Schakowsky, Nancy Pelosi, Torture

CIA

Intel Panel: CIA Misled Lawmakers On Torture, Other Issues

Zachary Roth | October 27, 2009, 5:14PM

Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL)

The CIA misled Congress about its torture program and other issues, Democrats on the House Intelligence committee are asserting as the committee continues to probe the matter.

In a hearing of the House Intelligence committee this afternoon, Reps. Anna Eshoo and Jan Schakowsky, both Democrats, pointed to at least five instances going back to at least 2001 in which the C.I.A. withheld information from or lied to Congress.

John Shadegg

GOP Reps File Request With Sergeant At Arms For Muslim 'Intern Spy' Investigation

Justin Elliott | October 22, 2009, 4:20PM

Rep. John Shadegg (R-AZ), Rep. Paul Broun, (R-GA), Rep. Sue Myrick (R-NC), and Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ)

After a week delay, four Republican lawmakers have formally asked the House sergeant at arms to investigate whether a Muslim advocacy group placed interns in national security committees, a spokesperson for the sergeant at arms confirmed to TPMmuckraker this afternoon.

Spokesperson Kerri Hanley would only say that a letter requesting a probe of the Council on American Islamic Relations was received today and that it is under review.

The letter, which you can read in full here, claims that CAIR is tied to "HAMAS" and cites the new WND-published book Muslim Mafia, written by a man who has labeled President Obama "Muslim":

Charles Rangel

Taking Stock Of The Rangel Probe: What's He Accused Of?

Zachary Roth | September 7, 2009, 1:36PM

Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY)

Last week, Republicans intensified their calls for the ouster of Rep. Charles Rangel from his job as chair of the House Ways and Means committee. The Harlem Democrat has been under fire thanks to a string of revelations about irregularities in his personal financial arrangements. But Nancy Pelosi is so far unmoved, with her aides telling Politico she'll wait for the results of a House ethics investigation before taking any action.

The probe has been underway for almost a year, and it's not clear when the results might be made public. So while we all wait, it's worth a quick refresher on what the ethics panel is looking at, and what it might all amount to.

PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (4)
Topics: Charles Rangel, Nancy Pelosi

Charles Rangel

Boehner To Rangel: Step Down Till Ethics Probe Is Complete

Zachary Roth | September 4, 2009, 1:18PM

Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY)

Things aren't looking good for Rep. Charlie Rangel.

Last week, we learned that the embattled New York congressman had failed to disclose $600,000 in assets, as well as tens of thousands of dollars in income, on his 2007 financial disclosure forms.

AIG

Financial Crisis Panel Will Probe AIG Bailouts, Says Chair

Zachary Roth | July 22, 2009, 12:26PM

The man who will lead the special congressional effort to probe the causes of the financial crisis says his panel will also consider the government's response to the events of last fall -- including the controversial serial bailouts of AIG.

In an interview with TPMmuckraker, Phil Angelides, the former California treasurer who was recently named by Congress to chair the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission, noted that the statute that created his panel required it to look not just at the financial institutions that failed, but also at those that would have failed but for massive government intervention. That means that "it's going to be hard not to touch on those issues," said Angelides, referring to the various AIG bailouts -- which some have portrayed as disingenuous backdoor efforts to save AIG counterparties like Goldman Sachs and Merrill Lynch from the consequences of their bad bets -- as well as other moves by the government to prevent a wider collapse of the financial sector.

John Murtha

Murtha, Visclosky, PMA, Kuchera: What's Going On?

Zachary Roth | June 15, 2009, 3:53PM

Rep. John Murtha has long been on good-government groups' lists of the most corrupt lawmakers in Washington. But in recent months, the veteran Pennsylvania Democratic powerbroker has been under particularly intense scrutiny for his ties to two companies that are each the targets of federal investigations.

So it's worth taking a moment to consider what's going on in each case, and what it all amounts to.

PMA

Hoyer: PMA Issue "Ought To Be Looked At"

Zachary Roth | June 4, 2009, 1:50PM

Rep. Steny Hoyer wants an ethics probe of lawmakers' ties to PMA.

Yesterday, the House number two pushed through a resolution requiring the Ethics committee to disclose whether it's investigating members who took money from the now-defunct lobbying firm. And speaking at a breakfast event today, reports The Hill, Hoyer made clear that the true intent of the measure was a declaration that "this is a serious matter and ought to be looked at." He also said Speaker Nancy Pelosi supported the move.

Nancy Pelosi

Pelosi Directs That Lawmakers' Expenses Be Posted Online

Zachary Roth | June 3, 2009, 2:11PM

It's been tough times for investigative journalists lately. But is Speaker Nancy Pelosi coming to the rescue?

In a letter to the Chief Administrative Officer of the House posted on her blog, the Speaker has directed that the quarterly disbursement statements of members of the House be posted online. The statements document the expenditures of every congressional office. Currently, they're only available by going in person to Congress's Legislative Resource Center.

PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (2)
Topics: Nancy Pelosi

Pete Visclosky

Visclosky Hands Off Key Bill, Citing PMA Probe

Zachary Roth | June 2, 2009, 2:27PM

It looks like Rep. Pete Visclosky is starting to pay a political price for his ties to the now-defunct PMA lobbying firm.

Last week, we told you that the Feds have subpoenaed the Indiana congressman for documents relating to the firm. And now Visclosky has announced that he'll hand off to a colleague responsibility for a key appropriations bill on the subcommittee he chairs.

PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (1)
Topics: Lobbyists, Nancy Pelosi, PMA, Pete Visclosky

CIA

Source: CIA Dissembles In Briefings

Zachary Roth | May 26, 2009, 6:32PM

Yet more evidence that the CIA may not have been totally up front with Nancy Pelosi during that contested torture briefing from 2002...

A former "deep-cover" CIA operative tells CQ's Jeff Stein that agency briefers often hide facts or shade the truth. "They mumble, they dissemble, and there's a lot of 'on the one hand... '" said the operative, who has written harsh critiques of the CIA, under the pen-name Ishmael Jones.

PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (14)
Topics: CIA, Nancy Pelosi, Torture

CIA

House Rejects Effort to Probe Pelosi On CIA Claim

Zachary Roth | May 21, 2009, 5:05PM

That GOP effort to get a congressional investigation into Nancy Pelosi's claim that the CIA lied to her about torture? Looks like it didn't get too far.

The Associated Press reports that the House voted by 252-172 to block the measure, which was sponsored by Rep. Rob Bishop of Utah. Two GOPers, Ron Paul of Texas and Walter Jones of North Carolina, joined Democrats in voting against it.

PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (4)
Topics: CIA, Nancy Pelosi, Torture

CIA

CIA Briefing Document Lists Goss As Congressman -- Even Though He Was CIA Director At The Time

Zachary Roth | May 21, 2009, 10:27AM

Another day, another indication that the CIA briefings document that Republicans are currently trying to bludgeon Nancy Pelosi with is deeply flawed and unreliable.

The Associated Press yesterday spotted *(see late update below) two clear new errors in the document -- including one real howler we're kicking ourselves for not spotting ourselves:

PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)
Topics: CIA, Nancy Pelosi, Torture

Arlen Specter

Specter: "CIA Has A Very Bad Record When It Comes To ... Honesty"

Zachary Roth | May 20, 2009, 3:36PM

Support for Nancy Pelosi -- and for our point that questioning the CIA's honesty isn't really too radical a position -- has come from a perhaps unlikely new source.

The Hill reports that Arlen Specter, the new Democrat who as a Republican chaired the Senate intelligence committee, told a luncheon audience at the American Law Institute: "The CIA has a very bad record when it comes to -- I was about to say candid, that's too mild -- to honesty."

PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (13)
Topics: Arlen Specter, CIA, Nancy Pelosi, Torture

Nancy Pelosi

In Savaging Pelosi For "Attacking" CIA, GOP Ignores Its Own Record Of Similar Attacks

Zachary Roth | May 20, 2009, 1:08PM

We really shouldn't have to do this. As we've said before, the idea that it's some kind of outlandish and unconscionable slur to point out that the CIA -- the CIA, for chrissakes! -- can sometimes be economical with the truth is absurd on its face. But the Republican attacks on Nancy Pelosi for daring to make that claim just keep coming, so it looks like we're going to have to point this out:

Shocking as it sounds, the GOP hasn't always been so sensitive about harsh criticism of the CIA -- including leveling the charge that the CIA is being deliberately deceptive -- when it's served the party's political interest.

CIA

Hoekstra: It's Wrong To Call CIA Liars -- Except When I Do It

Zachary Roth | May 19, 2009, 5:34PM

We told you earlier this afternoon about how Rep. Pete Hoekstra, who has called Nancy Pelosi's claim that the CIA lied to her "outrageous," has himself initiated a probe into whether the agency misled lawmakers about a 2001 shooting incident in Peru that caused the death of an American citizen.

And it looks like Hoekstra's hypocrisy goes even further. Think Progress points out that Hoekstra last night went on Fox News, where he explained to Greta Van Susteren that it's fine to criticize the CIA's performance, but not to accuse it of lying:

PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (6)
Topics: CIA, Nancy Pelosi, Torture

CIA

CIA: Like We Said Before, Briefing Document Could Be Wrong

Zachary Roth | May 19, 2009, 3:23PM

The CIA has given another indication that the briefing document with which Republicans are trying to attack Nancy Pelosi is unreliable.

Yesterday, Rep. David Obey sent a letter to CIA director Leon Panetta pointing out yet another apparent error in the document. The Washington Independent's Spencer Ackerman asked CIA for a response to Obey's claim, and got the following statement:

PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (11)
Topics: CIA, Nancy Pelosi, Torture

CIA

Lawmaker: CIA Already Being Probed For Misleading Congress

Zachary Roth | May 19, 2009, 2:25PM

As they go after Nancy Pelosi over those CIA briefings, Republicans have been putting the burden of proof on the Speaker, suggesting that it's all but unheard of for the CIA to mislead others in government. But in fact, the agency is currently being probed for doing exactly that on a different issue -- and the effort was initiated by one of Pelosi's fiercest critics on the torture briefings kerfuffle.

Last night, Rep. Jan Schakowsky, who chairs the oversight subcommittee of the House intelligence committee, told MSNBC's Ed Schultz (h/t Democratic Underground):

PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (35)
Topics: CIA, Nancy Pelosi, Pete Hoekstra, Torture

CIA

UPDATED: Source: "EIT" Term Wasn't In Use When Pelosi Was Briefed

Zachary Roth | May 19, 2009, 12:27PM

Here's yet another reason (as if more were needed) to doubt that that CIA briefings document perfectly reflects what lawmakers were told about torture back in the early days of the war on terror.

Almost every briefing described in the document -- including the September 2002 Pelosi briefing that's directly at issue -- refers to "EITs," or enhanced interrogation techniques, as a subject that was discussed. But according to a former intelligence professional who has participated in such briefings, that term wasn't used until at least 2006* (see correction below).

PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (27)
Topics: CIA, Nancy Pelosi, Torture

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