well... maybe Pelosi didn't know

From Time:

Pelosi's Probably Right

The article notes the prevaricating language of CIA apologists as well as well-documented inconsistencies in the Agency's story.

Again: so what?
At this point it doesn't matter.
The loyal opposition will continue to run with this UNTIL... Speaker Pelosi delivers 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.

The idea is to concede the point and re-focus on the match. (If you're not crazy about tennis metaphors, how 'bout, "bend but don't break", or "run away to fight another day", or "duck and counter-punch", or "parry and thrust"?)

Such a speech disarms the loyal opposition, giving them little to tilt at.

"You say I'm a lying whore? Fine - you're right. It doesn't matter. What matters is that W's MINIONS TORTURED IN OUR NAME!
Me? I'm prepared to accept the consequences of my actions. Are you?"