There's a good article about Pelosi and her mess in the latest Newsweek. It seems very balanced and lays blame on both sides. It certainly feels like it's not just a "liberal media propaganda piece". The final conclusion though is that Pelosi throughout her career has been a winner. When she's in tough spots she finds a way to sink the last minute three pointer, that her public persona is quite a facade compared to the bulldog she can be behind closed doors.

It feels much like the Republicans blind-sided her on this issue but that doesn't square with a tough and seasoned political survivor if she truly has those skills. My guess is there are traps set on both sides. Pelosi is in no danger of losing her congressional seat in her very liberal district and the things she's accused of are not crimes. There's no chance of even getting a censure from her colleagues with the majorities the Democrats hold. She can allow herself to be a sacrificial lamb in the possible trap the liberals are setting.

They have Republicans calling for investigative hearings while pretending to be opposed to them. The Republicans of course are assuming those investigations would be directed at folks like Pelosi and other Democratic legislators that signed on to the buildup of the war. Are they delusional? Do they think that they would actually be able to set the agenda of some independent prosecutor and keep their own demons from being exposed?

My guess is that the Dems are lying in wait for the outcry from Republican leaders to become loud enough they won't be able to back down when the Democratic caucus and the White House instantly change their tone to support the investigations and suddenly the Justice Department is given the green light to expose the entire stinking mess with full indictments of the Bush crew. "Complicit" Democrats like Pelosi will be given a slap on the wrist along with the required face saving apologies.

I can imagine the White House press announcement.

"President Obama has been trying to concentrate only on future challenges and stay out of what would be viewed as partisan retribution for past mistakes and probable crimes but, in the interest of bi-partisan cooperation, we can no longer ignore the calls from our citizens including many Republican leaders calling for full investigations. We know that there will be damage done on both sides of the political divide but we must base our country's image on truth and justice. Today we're appointing an independent prosecutor who will have full access to all branches of government both past and present. If people are guilty of violations of our Constitution, international agreements, or our nation's laws this prosecutor will be free to use the full power of our justice system to bring these individuals to trial regardless of their party affiliation."

I think we should agree fully with Tom and his allies on this one. Let's get to the bottom of the whole stinking mess. Wanna guess who will fare the worst?

Art