My free advice to Speaker Pelosi (worth every penny!)

Concede & re-focus. Deliver something like the following speech:

Whether or not I knew about our government's torture program, or how much I knew, is irrelevant.

The fact remains, officials in our government authorized, ordered, and conducted torture - IN OUR NAME. The fact remains, Justice Department lawyers twisted the law and debased our Constitution to provide cover for these illegal activities.

I urge the Attorney General to appoint a Special Prosecutor to fully investigate our government's conduct - leaving no stone unturned, exempting no agency or office. Only a Special Prosecutor with subpoena power - the power to compel truthful testimony - can put this sad era in our nation's history behind us.

If I am implicated - either by my actions or my inaction, directly or indirectly - so be it.

But the truth must come out, and the law-breakers among us must be brought to justice.

Thankyou.

With this speech, the Speaker admits nothing, but knocks the wind out her opponents' sails. She no longer engages in a pointless "he said/she said" argument with the CIA - but declares that discussion beside the point. She tacitly affirms her contention that she bears no guilt by asserting her willingness to follow the investigation wherever it may lead, whatever the personal, political, or legal consequences for herself.

And, more to the point, she brings the discussion back to W and his henchmen.