Reply #19: I would argue a huge proportion of the American people lack the ability of "self reflection:

[beachmom]

Like the Tea Party Set (that is now how I refer to the shrunken conservative movement). They suddenly are mad about the deficit when they really didn't give it much thought, except a passing mention, during the Bush years. There is a complete lack of self reflection of what went wrong, and why their party was so completely thrown out of power. That doesn't happen for nothing, or because the populace got bored.

I feel with all their flaws, Democrats DID do self reflection after 2004, and that is why we have a better Party then we did at the beginning of the 21st century. Still, we have to acknowledge that some members of our party were briefed on the interrogation program and did not protest. They were spineless and NON-reflective. They were complicit, and that includes the House Speaker. Although this is very disspirting, this actually gives us an opportunity to make this issue truly non-partisan, as it should be. This is about who we are as a people and what we believe, NOT what political party we belong to (or if we belong to no political party).