Boxed Rice
Boi from Troi cringed when he heard Condi Rice's statement about the tsunami:
As much as I hate to see Barbara Boxer get a punch in, I'm glad somebody objected to that.
Even though Rice was answering a question, it was a tone-deaf thing to say. Others, Democrat and Republican, have said the same thing in the past two weeks. But the more cameras you say it in front of the worse it looks.
Just once, I wish Bush, Powell, Clinton, or anyone else would hear the question, "Do you think this will make Muslims like us?" and not answer with, "Oh, hell, yes!"
Because you know it's going to come out in the next news cycle with the headline "Bush Says Tsunami Helps U.S. Image With Muslims." And the article's going to make it look like this is a stated U.S. policy goal, like the President called a press conference just to tell people that. There will be no indication in the article that this statement was an answer to a direct question, that the story's germ lies in the media's mind.
Instead, they take a header every time. Charlie Brown and the football. It's why I don't watch this stuff on TV. I'd be shouting at the screen, "Don't answer! It's a trap!"
Just once, I want them to answer that question with, "Maybe it will help and maybe it won't, I don't think too much about it. This is an awful human tragedy we're all dealing with right now, and we're not thinking in terms of public relations. We're here to help, no matter who needs it, or what they think of us."
That said, James Taranto gives Boxer a well-deserved technical foul for being just plain wrong about the Iraq War authorization resolution.
Boxer's remark:
And the resolution itself:
"I do agree that the tsunami was a wonderful opportunity to show not just the U.S. government, but the heart of the American people," Rice said. "And I think it has paid great dividends for us."
As much as I hate to see Barbara Boxer get a punch in, I'm glad somebody objected to that.
Even though Rice was answering a question, it was a tone-deaf thing to say. Others, Democrat and Republican, have said the same thing in the past two weeks. But the more cameras you say it in front of the worse it looks.
Just once, I wish Bush, Powell, Clinton, or anyone else would hear the question, "Do you think this will make Muslims like us?" and not answer with, "Oh, hell, yes!"
Because you know it's going to come out in the next news cycle with the headline "Bush Says Tsunami Helps U.S. Image With Muslims." And the article's going to make it look like this is a stated U.S. policy goal, like the President called a press conference just to tell people that. There will be no indication in the article that this statement was an answer to a direct question, that the story's germ lies in the media's mind.
Instead, they take a header every time. Charlie Brown and the football. It's why I don't watch this stuff on TV. I'd be shouting at the screen, "Don't answer! It's a trap!"
Just once, I want them to answer that question with, "Maybe it will help and maybe it won't, I don't think too much about it. This is an awful human tragedy we're all dealing with right now, and we're not thinking in terms of public relations. We're here to help, no matter who needs it, or what they think of us."
That said, James Taranto gives Boxer a well-deserved technical foul for being just plain wrong about the Iraq War authorization resolution.
Boxer's remark:
Well, you should read what we voted on when we voted to support the war, which I did not, but most of my colleagues did. It was WMD, period. That was the reason and the causation for that, you know, particular vote.
And the resolution itself:
Whereas Iraq persists in violating resolution of the United Nations Security Council by continuing to engage in brutal repression of its civilian population thereby threatening international peace and security in the region, by refusing to release, repatriate, or account for non-Iraqi citizens wrongfully detained by Iraq, including an American serviceman, and by failing to return property wrongfully seized by Iraq from Kuwait; ...
The President is authorized to use the Armed Forces of the United States as he determines to be necessary and appropriate in order to--
(1) defend the national security of the United States against the continuing threat posed by Iraq; and
(2) enforce all relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions regarding Iraq.
