Comments Posted By G Pruitt
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In this particular case, I believe you are splitting hairs. The partisan hacks have their long knives out. Regardless of the circumstances if Secretary Rumsfeld ever utters the words "I was wrong" in any context or conversation that will be the story.
I remember when 70 odd complaints were lodged against Newt Gingrich. One of them - One of them - had merit. It was a relatively minor infraction, and if I'm not mistaken, it was completed by someone else. I'm not justifying it. I am not condoning it, but, given the press coverage, you would have thought he had killed someone - on live TV. The fact that he had admitted a "Mistake" was the story. The Speaker of the House made a "Mistake."
In the environment you describe, no official should ever answer questions in an extemporaneous format. No person in his position can possibly remember every utterance or response to every question. It is impossible.
At the time, Secretary Rumsfeld believed the intelligence. Many officials believed the intelligence - on both sides of the Atlantic and the political spectrum. They had plausible reasons to do so. They may have been wrong. That is the truth.
If conservatively disposed ideologues will not defend conservative (or in this case right of center) officials, we might as well give up now. We don't stand a chance against people who care little about logic or hypocrisy when they defend their political leaders.
Comment Posted By G Pruitt On 5.05.2006 @ 09:56
