Which is more naive? Clapper answering honestly or the White House saying he’s wrong given the public is likely to believe the experts with the data? Assuming, taking a crackpot view, that there wasn’t a coordinated effort to get that message out while denying or disassociating the White House. Or is this just the spooks wanting to embarrass the pols?
The columnist Michael Kinsley once quipped that in Washington a “gaffe” is when a political notable accidentally tells the truth. Intelligence and national security officials are describing the latest controversial statements about Libya by National Intelligence Director James Clapper as that kind of “gaffe.”
At a Congressional hearing on Thursday, Clapper said that rebels trying to oust Muammar Gaddafi from power had lost momentum and that the Libyan leader could well survive for some time to come. “We believe that Gaddafi is in this for the long haul…He appears to be hunkering down for the duration.”
“This is kind of a stalemate back and forth,” Clapper said, but added that, “I think over the long term that the (Gaddafi) regime will prevail.”
White House officials subsequently distanced the administration somewhat from Clapper’s remarks and President Obama repeated on Friday that he wants Gaddafi to go.
Clapper was criticized for his his upbeat assessment of Gaddafi’s prospects. Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican member of the Armed Services committee, called his statement “devastating” and while “some of (Clapper’s) analysis could prove to be accurate,” the intelligence czar was unwise to voice it in public.
Ooops! Hit “submit” a little early. I meant to suggest Uncle Dave run a spell check on his headline. That’s a interesting word to misspell.
[Fixed. I spell as well without a spell checker as _____ [it's fill in the blank fun time]. –UD]
Animby–being “self aware” myself, I often recognize my slow drift to the leftermost. Or is it only a shift in my beloved voting PUKES becoming more and more self/all of us destructive with the same mindless BS they have gotten away with for years now?
Does one legitimize a steaming pile of crap if one doesn’t call it for what it is?
Wouldn’t your criticism be more appropriate/better founded if my comments weren’t right on the mark?
I find quite a few of Dallas’ off topic anti PUKE comments to be quite funny. Maybe that actually does reveal my own bone?
Still–years before you started making housecalls ((btw==most excellent post a while back on what I can’t recall just now, but I thought “Wow!”–very medically related, or maybe foreign country related. Not the gitmo rant)) this website was “ill” with the heavy handed douchbaggery of the PUKES. Dumbo’s left and right of center left were being spineless==think John Kerry and Algore. Libs like myself were not defending their positions–let the PUKES roll right over them.
Not my nature. So I should hide my true and appropriate feelings in order to advance what value? You don’t feel the swirl around the drain tightening up while the PUKES by some manner ((probably KOCH millions in secret and fradulent funding?)) should be covered by the doilies of polite society?
You could be right. I am still amused that only Lyin Mike on ocassion rises with an actual argument as opposed to mindless talking points==and he still lies too often. Even drunk, I can fashion a better PUKE position than these tools do.
FISCAL CONSERVATIVE is a very strong position. Lots to argue==but none of them do. Why? Because they are just that stupid. Poor chess players, only baying hounds running in a pack.
Our country is being poisoned by this stupidity. Dare none call it for what it is???
Political threads call for politcal analysis: PUKES are destroying this country while mindlessly “thinking” they are patriots==and thats only the best case. In the worst case, which I think is more prevelant the higher up the shit pole you go: pure malevalent self interest to the effect that another million on top of the millions I already have and can’t possibly spend is WORTH taking social net safety services away from the poor.
ITS VERY DISGUSTING=====WHY AREN’T YOU EQUALLY OUTRAGED!!!!!! //// Well, I probably wouldn’t either with banana leaves everywhere to wipe my ass. Furry creatures too?
More phone work? I don’t envy you. while my friends would do 5 countries in two weeks, I would leave the group and do one city in one month. Really got to know Paris, Rio, Munich, London, Tehran, Thessonaliki, etc and some counties and districts. Killer to travel and not actually see anything.
I am alive to my excesses, but the PUKES aren’t really taken on by argument. There is more than name calling and label hanging in my efforts.
Miss Manners is irrelevant when the times call for change. Nail me when you see my excess on a non-political thread? or otherwise my rebuke is not justified?
Or not. Those who won’t take advice are rarely worth a second chance.
He pretty much read a report on the uprising in Libya from Al Jazeera TV.
#20 You just found #19 real self, just as I did. Pitiful, to say the least. I used to think about him the same you did. Now, you’ve seen the light.
Hence, why I sometimes refer to him in the spanish-to-english translation of his nickname (typo & all): Dumbbo.
Pedro of the Ilk–yes, more name calling without substance. Very different than name calling WITH substance.
“withOUT” versus “with”–see the difference?
I’ve only seen you come “alive” this last year on some subject concerning Germany, forget what it exactly was. How you gain pleasure by being so in a rut is beyond me. I’ll bet its a puzzle to Dallas as well?
Silly.
The greatest intelligence asset the former resident of the White House had was George’s twin girls. The Obama administration lacks even that level of resource.
Klein: Farrakhan, Gadhafi supported U.S. terrorist group. Obama himself tied to extremist friends of embattled Libyan leader
http://therealbarackobama.wordpress.com/2011/03/04/klein-farrakhan-gadhafi-supported-u-s-terrorist-group-obama-himself-tied-to-extremist-friends-of-embattled-libyan-leader/
Its Optics only, for public consumption. They are rejoicing over this, not dismayed at all.
That’s why he said it publicly, Obama is well pleased his buddy will survive.
Actions speak louder than words, especially in politics where almost everything is misdirection.
The delay in aid helps his buddy, the insistence the world agree before there is action…is a fig leaf.
World agreement takes years on almost anything takes years…They will delay for as long as Qadafi needs them to.
But when it came to America’s 44th president, Gaddafi offered only warm words, calling him “our son” and “our Obama,” and saying, “The election of Obama is the beginning of change.”
“We are content and happy if Obama can stay forever as the president,” Gaddafi said
http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/23/AR2009092303488.html
Any form of ‘Democracy’ based on a politically supported deceit of those who vote, particularly by those whose administrative employment is of a permanent, or semi-permanent nature is a denial of the central importance of truth for ‘informed support’ of those claiming to be in a democratic society.
A Democracy which exists on a bed deceit of those who you claim to represent is bound to fail. Hence the fall of Mubarak, Gaddafi, al-Tikriti (Hussain), and countless others.
The real sin is, of course, committed by those in elected office who give support to administrative lies knowing full-well that lies are being told. One really must question whether such people have any respect for the truth and, of course, just what else are they being untruthful about?
#28–Norman==I’m confused. What do the three TRYRANTS you list have to do with democracy?
Bring it closer to home and everything you say makes some sense. Too many just judge the fight, rather than the equities.
#28 In Obama’s case, everything…Every big speech Obama gave since becoming president, on the economy etc, has contained distortions and outright deception, often employing unsound analogies to misdirect from the truth.
His latest speech claiming to be the cause of more oil production, the latest example.
The only difference of late, more are willing to challenge the President about his lies, at first, none would dare for fear of being called racist.
Very clever progressive strategy, call all who object to lie and distortion, racist…it worked very well for a time.
TEAdupe==you’re a racist!!!!!!!!! Surprisingly, its the white half of Obama you hate. You know—the educated part.
So envious.
#17
Which is more pathetic:
- Obama’s lack of leadership or
- Bobbo’s ignorance of political reality
There is a big difference between our Commander-in-Chief voting “present”; and having legitimate programs to downsize the government and cut waste.
Bobbo go back to your padded room and play with your unicorns and rainbows.
Now JB==of course its more pathetic that Obama fails to demonstrate leadership. After all, he’s the Pres, and I’m just a troll.
Don’t we all prefer tax breaks for the SUPER rich while unilaterally invading a peaceful country of no threat to ourselves under the leadership of COWBOY DIPLOMACY?
I know I do. Nice Orwellian equation: War Mongering = Leadership.
good one JB. You’d be first in my cabinet. Door locked. Key thrown away.
Looks like Bobbo’w gone senile.
Writes a lot, says nothing. Endless babbling. Incoherent.
Compelling to watch, like a train wreak in slow motion.
#31 Not racist, only a critical thinker who can prove logically Obama is a master of deception.
His use of fallacy, false dilemma, and non sequitur is on par with religious cults.
Its amazing he hasn’t been thoroughly exposed, it wouldn’t be hard to do.
Every speech contains distortion, misdirection, outright deception.
#34 I said it before, #33 is the new conFusion
#31 The saying:
“You know he’s lying, his lips are moving.”
Was made for Obama.
If no one undertakes the easy task of documenting his use of logical fallacies and outright distortion, I might…
Never has a US President lied so blatantly, with such abandon, and received virtually no criticism for it.
Its seems analogous to the affirmative action hire, he can’t be criticized, regardless how incompetent.
#35 The most ironic part is that Bush allowed foreigners to be mistreated/tortured in foreign lands while Obama mistreats/tortures US soldiers inside the US. That wikileaks has proven this admins transparency to a T.
Alright sheeples, time to prove once again your main motto: “is good if we do it, bad if they do it”
“Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican member of the Armed Services committee, called his statement “devastating” and while “some of (Clapper’s) analysis could prove to be accurate,” the intelligence czar was unwise to voice it in public.”"
Obama is not alone in not wanting to hear accurate assessments. It seems conservative South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham recognizes the truth but does not like when this man states it.
#39 You distorted Graham’s argument…he believes it harms the US when these assessments are made public…that a host of unintended consequences occur that are bad for the US…
For example, how many will now delay aiding the rebellion…believing it lost, and therefore against their own interest to incur Gadafi’s wrath?