If the President Says It, It Must Be True
Posted by on September 27, 2006 at 12:57 PM
That's what Tony Snow, the White House Press Secretary said today. I have a bit of trouble following that logic. You see, the President doesn't have such a great track record when it comes to telling truth or dealing with facts.
Via ThinkProgress:
REPORTER: Thanks. You said first of all that Al Qaeda has been degraded. Actually, the report said the leadership has degraded, but its ranks have increased. You also just -
SNOW: Ok.
REPORTER: You also said that you were talking about things the administration has done, and yet the intelligence estimate is taking this into account and coming up with this conclusion that the factors fueling this growth of the movement, that they report, outweigh the vulnerabilities and will do so for some time. That’s not, we’re safer.
SNOW: No, it talks about jihadism.
REPORTER: It’s not, “We’re winning.”
SNOW: Well– It doesn’t draw judgements like that. You’ve read National Intelligence Estimates —
REPORTER: I’m practically quoting verbatim.
SNOW: I know, but look for, “We’re not winning.” Please show me. Well, the President says we’re winning.
Tony Snow was on a roll today. He also flat out lied about the existance of a second NIE, one that focuses on Iraq, despite the fact that it's existance has been confirmed by John Negroponte, the Director of National Intelligence.
Today, Jane Harman, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee called for it's release. In a letter to John Negroponte, she wrote:
I received your letter of September 26, in which you confirmed that the National Intelligence Council (NIC) is writing a National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) on Iraq. Though you promised that the NIE would be completed “in a timely manner,” senior White House officials have indicated publicly that the report may not be completed until January 2007.
This timetable is unacceptable. Sectarian violence, which has reached record levels and continues to grow, is putting our troops – not to mention millions of Iraqis – at grave risk. Furthermore, the proven ineffectiveness of U.S.-trained Iraqi security forces, an absence of effective infrastructure reconstruction, and political crises that threaten the fragile new polity have made it clear that we need a new strategy in Iraq.
NIEs have been produced in as little as several weeks, as in the case of the 2002 report on Iraqi WMD. While I understand the desire to be thorough, events in Iraq make it urgent that the Intelligence Community produce this NIE immediately. If your intention is to delay this report until after the November elections, I do not think that is appropriate given that U.S. troops are at risk at this moment.
U.S. policymakers need the Intelligence Community’s insights to determine how to defend our troops and our interests in Iraq. I urge you to expedite completion of the NIE and to release it in both classified and publicly releasable unclassified forms.
Not surprisingly, the White House has said that the Iraq NIE won't be released until January 2007. Giving them some extra time to hide from the facts.
Comments - 15 »
Comments - 15 «
GOP picks Twin Cities for 2008 convention
I just found this headline on CNN,
The DNC should choose New Orleans for 2008
Posted by KissMyRedWhiteAndBlueAss on September 27, 2006 at 02:22 PM
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I am a Demcorat. I saw Clinton on Fox and saw a man with integrity and with backbone. We need a leader with backbone, who can stand up to the necon BS machine, and who can speak to the point.
We need direction. We need solidity. We need some level of centralization. We need our own Rove.
o We are in Iraq because of the Republican yes machine.
What can we do to counter the RNC machine and Fox?
How do we break through to the American mind?
Posted by mik_in_montague on September 27, 2006 at 04:19 PM
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I am a Demcorat. I saw Clinton on Fox and saw a man with integrity and with backbone. We need a leader with backbone, who can stand up to the necon BS machine, and who can speak to the point.
We need direction. We need solidity. We need some level of centralization. We need our own Rove.
o We are in Iraq because of the Republican yes machine.
What can we do to counter the RNC machine and Fox?
How do we break through to the American mind?
Posted by mik_in_montague on September 27, 2006 at 04:20 PM
All that needs done is to make a commercial showing the towers falling and everyone running. Then show Bush making the statments that he dosen't know where Ben Laden is, Dosen't care where Ben Laden is, that Ben Laden isn't important. A very short 15 sec bite and show it over and over again. Or show that coupled with the scene showing a reporter asking Bush what Iraq has to to with 9/11 i.e. war on terror and Bush replies "Nothing". They are using the war on terror so should the Democrats
Posted by gomer on September 27, 2006 at 05:44 PM
It must be good to be George Bush right now.He can declassify only the parts that favor him and then lie and say the rest jeapordizes "National Security".
Punk!
Posted by FreedomOfSpeechForProgressiveMajority on September 28, 2006 at 12:21 AM
No suprise here. The list of supressed reports grows longer by the day . . . I'm thinking for example, and it's just one example, of all the information that didn't come out about the true cost of the then new Part D Medicare legislation until after it was voted on or passed. It wouldn't be worth the effort to catalog all the information about the so called "war on terrorism" and our efforts to create a flowering Jeffersonian democracy by the Tigris (or whatever it is we're doing over there) that has made it's way into the public debate too late and only by the most round about way.
As to Tony Snow's remarks . . . well, there is no accountabilty in Bush-land, so why expect any now?
Posted by camera56 on September 28, 2006 at 01:26 PM
The problem is that Carl Rove leads the Poll, and the Poll leads the Democrats. Democrats may criticize the attack but never go further and fight back. Yes, Republicans stole and will steal the election again. Whom do we need to blame? Democrats!!! Democrats will just sit there saying, "they are stealing the election" without taking any further action and without taking the election back fiercely by fighting and attacking. The best or the only way for Democrats to win this election is to seize Republican's attack and criticize them and then attack back. Democrats are so spineless and are so afraid of being attacked for attacking. Attack really gives voters' attention and to find out who is wrong and who is right. Where are Democrats’ spines?
Only if you attack, you may lead the poll. Otherwise, Democrats will always follow the poll that follows Carl Rove. John Kerry’s failure is mainly because he was so afraid of attacking and being attacked.
Posted by RogerYes on September 28, 2006 at 04:26 PM
Habeas Corpus it seems Adolf Bush now wants to take away Habeas Corpus, the right for you to see and challange your accusors, Adolf Hitler did this in 1934 to the German People, Hitler also allowed torture, by the Gestpo and the SS. Hitler built consentration camps, Hitler Invaded Poland. Hitler was a conserative, Hitler did wire tapping, Hitler got rid of all the German laws he didn't like, And now are Beloved Dictator Adolf Bush has done the same thing, Wouldn't you call him a Nazite? For he is following Hitler right down the line. What does he have next for America, Re- Elect himself President by All his Yellow Dog Republicans in 2008?
These Good republicans who support these torture Laws should and must be voted out of office, for they are now a threat, to are right to justice and Habeas Corpus! We Have a Fascist Pig President, and his Dictator power must be wiped-out! By the way did you watch the Stock Market, it didn't hit it's all time high, the Federal Reserve wants to wait till tomorrow to reach 11,722, which was lasted reached in Jan. 2000, yes I said 2000, 6 years it has taken This fascist pig government to reach it, using over 15 Trillion Dollars, a 6 trillion dollar surplus in 2000 and a 9 trillion dollar deficit in Oct. 2006! Where has this 15 Trillion dollars gone certainly the poor and the middle class got none but cuts in their budgets!WAKEUP AMERICA!
Posted by DemocracyWon on September 28, 2006 at 06:55 PM
DemocracyWon: I wish you would not insult yellow dogs by equating them to Republicans. Yellow dogs are smarter, have more integrity, and more loyal to their people, than Republicans. Besides I have a yellow dog and know for a fact that he's a Democrat.;-D
The Destruction of the Constitution Bill (aka "anti-Turrorism") legislation has passed, and there were sellouts among the Democrats who voted with the Republicans to hand this spoiled, egoistic not-really-bright rich kid the keys to the kingdom.
When is the party going to stand up to the sellouts, and pull the support for these Republi-lites, who are not only misusing the name "Democrat" but giving the party a bad name???
Posted by Butte on September 29, 2006 at 10:58 AM
I hope all these inconsistencies ,lies etc are being spread far and wide and not just blogs on democrats.org
Posted by lmdresch on September 29, 2006 at 08:08 PM
Having a debate as to whether or not America is winning this war is absurd. Likewise a debate over how this war is making us safer is equally absurd.
It is self-evident to anyone who has been conscious for even a fraction of the past three years that we're not safer. The NIE, whether it is damning of the administration or not, told us nothing we didn't already know.
It is as if Tony Snow is insisting that the sky is really candy apple red.
Posted by edprato on September 30, 2006 at 12:19 PM
I guess what I'm trying to say is that we've already won the Iraq debate. Rove might lead the polls but, as Lincoln famously said: "You can fool some of the people some of the time..." What we have to do over the next four weeks is get ready for Republicans to morph the debate into a referrendum on Jesus, aboration, and gays.
Posted by edprato on September 30, 2006 at 12:25 PM
FOR THE PAST 50 YEARS, THE POLITICAL PARTY OF "CUT AND RUN" IS KNOWN BY THE NAME RE-PUB-LI-CAN. Check the facts:
1953 Korea Commander in Chief, Eisenhower (R),
1973 Vietnam - Commander in Chief - Nixon (R)
1980s Cold War Over - Commander in Chief - Regan (R)
1990s Desert Storm - Commander in Chief, Bush I (R)
We Democrats, so open-minded and fair, we allow Republicans to define our issues. They are masters at turning their weaknesses into strengths. They accuse us of their short-comings. Shakespeare pointed out the trick of accusing others of their own fatal flwas: "Me think that the lady protests too much."
This has to stop.
Posted by javajimj on September 30, 2006 at 12:42 PM
FOR THE PAST 50 YEARS, THE POLITICAL PARTY OF "CUT AND RUN" IS KNOWN BY THE NAME RE-PUB-LI-CAN. Check the facts:
1953 Korea Commander in Chief, Eisenhower (R),
1973 Vietnam - Commander in Chief - Nixon (R)
1980s Cold War Over - Commander in Chief - Regan (R)
1990s Desert Storm - Commander in Chief, Bush I (R)
We Democrats, so open-minded and fair, we allow Republicans to define our issues. They are masters at turning their weaknesses into strengths. They accuse us of their short-comings. Shakespeare pointed out the trick of accusing others of their own fatal flwas: "Me think that the lady protests too much."
This has to stop.
Posted by javajimj on September 30, 2006 at 12:44 PM
The Democrat leadership isn't open-minded. They have holes in their heads.
We need to tighten up the Democrat leadership by locking a few heels, and putting the pressure on them to get a thoroughgoing reality check.
They need to get back to supporting the American people, not the K Street lobbyists, or they'll be the next to go.
Get a clue, DNC! Fire the Republi-lites!!!
Start with disavowing those sell-outs who supported these last two bills to destroy the Bill of Rights!!!
Posted by Butte on October 1, 2006 at 09:24 AM
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