My favorite straight-faced quote: "It's about how we collect intelligence to protect the American people. And that is a very serious responsibility of Congress to do the proper oversight."

Evidence of her commitment to do the proper oversight:

• Did not question what she was told
• Did not act on what she had been told
• Did not share what she had been told

I dispute that Peosi is the Worst ... Person ... in the World. Remember, Dick Cheney still lives.

She is, however, way too mesmerized by the Washington power game. The past eight years showed what child's play it is for a determined executive to strip constitutional authority from a Congress entirely focused on its own perks and electoral interests.

In 1992, with the "advice and consent" of Congess, the U.S. signed the UN convention against torture. As Pelosi rightly notes, that gave it oversight responsibilities. The idea that secretly briefing a couple of legislative "leaders" could somehow override the publicly expressed will of the entire Congress is an unconstitutional travesty. That Pelosi and her ilk accepted such a proposition in exchange for being "kept in the loop" shows terrible judgment and a lack of principles.

But I wouldn't single out Pelosi for blame. The vast majority of congresscritters, even those currently out of the loop, aspire to "play with the big boys." The careful doling out of insider knowlwdge is a tried-and-true tool for an unprincipled president (or usurping VP).

By all means, shame Pelosi, as a warning to others in Congress. But realize what's at fault here is the entire sycophantic, self-aggrandizing, self-serving culture that has taken root in Washington. It will take more than a change in administration to weed out.