Look no further than here for the truth on the Pelosi/CIA flap.

I've recently noted in this space that this whole item is not exactly one of my hot-button issues (i.e., Nancy Pelosi may have said something less than honest? -- NOOOO!), but there seems to be SO MUCH buzz concerning the issue right now that I felt compelled to read up on it and tell it how it is. The whole story seems rather confusing if you just read or watch one or a few isolated stories on the events -- things only seem to clear up if one reads a number of stories. So here goes, as best I can piece together from about 30 minutes of reading:

1. Pelosi's original story, which she apparently repeated for some number of days or weeks, is that she was "never briefed" on the fact that the CIA was using waterboarding on terror detainees. Such original story is important to keep in mind for later in this post.

2. The CIA this week comes out and says that Pelosi was briefed in September 2002 concerning the CIA's use of "enhanced interrogation techniques" on these detainees. Admittedly, however, I don't see where the CIA is claiming that it told Pelosi in September 2002 that waterboarding, specifically, was one of the "enhanced interrogation techiques" that was being used.

3. Pelosi reacts to the CIA this week by claiming that the CIA (at such September 2002 briefing) specifically told her that waterboarding was NOT being used with these detainees.

4. Under republican pressure this week alleging that Pelosi is lying about something here, Pelosi admits today that in 2003 she learned from an aid that other members of Congress had been briefed by the CIA that the CIA was, in fact, using waterboarding on these detainees. In Pelosi's words, "I wasn't briefed -- I was informed someone else had been briefed."

OK, is your head spinning yet? Let's try to cut through the crap here: First, whether Pelosi was told in the September 2002 briefing that waterboarding was being used (as the CIA insinuates), or whether she was told at that time that it was not being used (as she claims), is not really the primary issue here -- rather that seems to me to be more of a garden variety "he said, she said" dispute where either side could be telling the truth (tell me, do any of you really trust EITHER the CIA or Nancy Pelosi?-- I sure as hell don't).

Now, that brings us to the real issue here, which is Pelosi's ORIGINAL and repeated statement that she was "never briefed" on the fact that the CIA was using waterboarding on these detainees. In fact, she did KNOW about it (as she admitted today) REGARDLESS of whether that knowledge came from a "briefing" that she personally attended and received.

Pelosi seems to be trying to cling to the fact that her original statement ("I was never briefed") was technically accurate (if in fact her version of the September 2002 briefing is truthful), when in fact (and here FINALLY we get to the truth) her original statement was HIGHLY MISLEADING AND DISINGENOUS. Think about it: She admits now that she knew about the CIA's use of waterboarding back in 2003, yet she was going around for days or weeks claiming "I was never briefed" on such use of waterboarding. WTF?

To summarize, she may technically be correct that the CIA never PERSONALLY briefed her on the issue, but her admission that she nonetheless was INFORMED secondhand that the CIA was using waterboarding back in 2003 makes her whole original story ("I was never briefed") completely slimey and misleading because it omits a material and closely related fact and fails to tell the whole truth. But does this surprise me in any way? No! That's Nancy!