Mushrooms, In The Dark and Fed BS By: Mark W Adams

The quest to determine what Nancy Pelosi new about the torture or prisoners by the CIA has really gotten into the weeds, but examining the minutia of what Congressional leaders knew, when, kinda misses the point.

There's a systemic problem with secretly briefing the Gang of Four, or Gang of Eight, whatever, when they can't discuss or refer what they learn to any legal authority. What good it is? How is this "oversight?"

I suppose in theory the idea is that they can make recommendations about future legislation, what to fund and what limits to place on the conduct of secret operations -- but what on earth is a legislator supposed to do if they hear a clear admission of criminal behavior? And in the end, without the ability to explain to their fellow lawmakers what they know, theirs is only one vote among many who decide in ignorance.

Would an option of referring such a case to something akin to the classified FISA court work in such cases? Would that just lead to Congress becoming even more mushroom-like, kept in the dark and fed bullshit?

I really don't have an answer, and as Churchhill said, "Its not enough that we do our best; sometimes we have to do what's required." Yet even in the face of Britain's possible distruction, he did not resort to the kind of barbarism that will define the Bush Administration's legacy.

Perhaps it comes down to character in the end, something unquantifiable. If faith is an indicator, it certainly failed us when you compare the Bible-thumping of nearly all the major players who surrounded the previous president who claimed his favorite philosopher was Jesus. I just know that some truly awful things have been done in my name all of my life, and I'd really like to know how to stop it from happening again.