Didn’t get the memo
White House press secretary Dana Perino has been front and center of the White House’s push to continue to label Iran a rogue state for its pursuit of uranium enrichment technology. This comes against the backdrop of a new intelligence estimate positing that the Islamic state abandoned its nuclear weapons in 2003. Turns out she doesn’t know quite so much about nuclear weapons as she supposes. And we’re not talking about Iran.
Appearing on National Public Radio’s quiz show, “Wait, Wait … Don’t Tell Me,” this weekend, Perino admitted a story she’d previously only shared in private: When a reporter asked her a question during a White House briefing in which he referred to the Cuban Missile Crisis — she didn’t know what it was. “I was panicked a bit because I really don’t know about . . . the Cuban Missile Crisis,” said Perino, who at 35 was born about a decade after the 1962 U.S.-Soviet nuclear showdown. “It had to do with Cuba and missiles, I’m pretty sure.” The exchange was first noted in the Washington Post.
“I came home and I asked my husband,” she said on air. “I said, ‘Wasn’t that like the Bay of Pigs thing?’ And he said, ‘Oh, Dana.’ ” Perino was referring to the White House briefing held on October 26, when a reporter asked her, “Do you want to address the remarks by President Putin, who said the United States setting up a missile defense shield in Eastern Europe was like the Soviet Union putting missiles in Cuba, setting up a Cuban missile crisis?” “Well, I think that the historical comparison is not — does not exactly work,” Perino had responded.
Sigh, Oh Dana. I guess its OK, cause she shore is mighty purty.
and yet she is correct in noting that GOUSA placement of defensive missles in Europe is not the same as the placement of offensive missles in Cuba.—ie many other countries in Eurasia and MiddleEast can launch missles whereas only cuba could.
So–that job of press secretary is pretty sweet. Don’t have to know anything to know that two situations seperted by 40 years and 9000 miles is not the same.
Hooo, boy. Dumb.
Any bets she took top honors in her Journalism class?
But she admitted it!
I’d Still Do Her™
@bobbo
I’m sure the Russians told their people that their missiles were also defensive, and not offensive.
Us having missiles in Europe so they’re closer to potential “targets”, is no different than Russia having missiles in Cuba to be closer to it’s potential target.
As scadragon pointed out, “Those who are ignorant of history are doomed to repeat it”. You prove that point.
For Dana, the Cuban Missile Crisis was when Bill offered a cigar to Monica in the White House.
Luckily for her the present administration is limp when it comes to ladies.
When questioned on this, her boss George Bush said, ‘ain’t never heard of it either, was that with Teddy and the Rough Riders?’.
Is that the standard now, that we are only supposed to know about the history of which we lived through?
The cuban Missile Crisis was before my time, neither history, nor foreign policy issues are part of my job, I’m kind of hot in my own early middle aged white male geek sort of way, and I still know what the Cuban Missile Crisis was.
She’s got no excuses. But at least she was forthcoming about not knowing.
Sean, the USSR was making expansionist noises at the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis, and we had missiles in Turkey to counter the expected invasion. Remember, this was just after WWII, and Russia was still invading other countries.
Castro had also come to power recently, and was making the same sort of noises Chavez has been making, except a lot more and louder. No one could be certain just what he was going to do. They could guess, but what if they were wrong? And did he take into consideration that the US could crush him like a bug whenever we felt like it? He is a meglomaniac, not sane. A kook. No telling what he would do.
Kennedy quietly pulled the missiles out of Turkey, and most people in the US never realized they were there.
That’s really bad.
That’s as bad as when JFK was embarrassed about the graves of dead U.S. servicemen located in Russia who fought the Bolsheviks from 1918-1920. He should have known, too. Khrushchev had no problem rubbing his face in it. It angered the USSR that we pretended not to have been involved in their civil war when we apparently had no clue we were involved in their civil war.
she’s still a one on the binary scale.
#28, Phillep,
Very close. When Castro came to power, he was socialist but not necessarily a communist. It was only when the Cuban “mafia” convinced the State Department that their rape of Cuba would be better that a revolution did the US declare against Castro and for Batista, the “mafia” puppet dictator. When Castro was rebuffed by Eisenhower he turned to the Soviets for assistance. When the CIA supported the Bay of Pigs invasion, it cemented the relationship.
Most of Central and South America was controlled by dictators at the time. The more infamous in Central America were supported by the actions of the United Fruit Company. At the same time, the Soviets controlled their own little countries with dictators too.
The Cold War was a scary time and the Cuban Missile Crises was the scariest part of it.
What would have happened if America had been more friendly to Cuba instead of all the gangsters? Well, sugar would be a lot cheaper.
At least Monica Lewisnky knew how to give good head.
Europe is a country and Hungary is the capital??
Catshit, oil would certainly be cheaper. There used to be a bunch of refineries in Cuba.
They closed up shop when Castro grabbed power.
Being friends with Castro, though – He and Gueverra murdered a lot of people, including women and children. We avoided supporting one murderous despot, anyhow.
#35
I like the use of “Catshit” I’m stealing it.
And in reference to Murderous despots- Stop look and listen my friend. They have always been around and something says they lurk everywhere still, maybe even in your own back yard. Beware of wolves in sheeps clothing brandishing crosses( or other religious symbols) surrounded by, crazy people and ignoramus’ albeit pretty ones.
Also in THE BOOK OF POWER, by Robert Green, one of the laws of power is to always seem dumber than you are. Don’t let the blonde hair fool you. She’s a viper waiting to strike! (Just kidding)(sort of)
#6 – I don’t care if some random people under the age of 40 don’t know about these events.
But it’s disturbing when the White House Press Secretary doesn’t know about these events.
BINGO!
#16 – Yet another example of the dumbing-down of youth by the US Educational system.
Why is that? Why isn’t it another example of the dumbing down of America by network television reality shows? Or by increased enrollment in Sunday schools? Or maybe you could blame rock music, or sports… or anything… because you have just about as much reason to blame those things too.
American history is ignored in the curriculum, in favor of “conflict resolution within a peer group” and other new-age liberal touchy-feely crap.
Thank the NEA for these kinds of citizens!
Back your bullshit up with facts, or else your just another slack jaw talking out your ass.
#27 – Is that the standard now, that we are only supposed to know about the history of which we lived through?
And how many of us “live through” it? Some of us live through little parts of it.. the vast majority of us watch it on TV.
We interrupt American Idol to bring you a little history happening right here, right now… Use this time to grab a fresh bag of ranch Doritos and some dip…
looks will get you anything
OK,
someone, FIND THE BIG Q-Tip…
#8 Probably home schooled.
By the way, what is the deal with home schooling anyway? Aren’t Americans dumb enough?
Cheers