Gibbs: I was told not to acknowledge existence of drone program as Obama press secretary

[The Straight Story]

Robert Gibbs, President Barack Obama's former press secretary, says that he was once instructed by the White House not to acknowledge the administration's use of drones.

"When I went through the process of becoming press secretary, one of the first things they told me was, you're not even to acknowledge the drone program," Gibbs said on MSNBC's "Up With Chris Hayes" on Sunday. "You're not even to discuss that it exists."

Or, to paraphrase an oft-quoted line from David Fincher's 1999 film "Fight Club": The first rule of the drone program is you do not talk about the drone program.

Gibbs, who was recently hired by MSNBC as a contributor, called the proposition "inherently crazy."

"You're being asked a question based on reporting of a program that exists," Gibbs, who served as White House press secretary from 2009 to 2011, said. "So you're the official government spokesperson acting as if the entire program—pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/gibbs-drones-obama-talk-fight-club-174044860--politics.html

[monmouth3]

1. Robert will not get a Christmas card this year...n/t

[forestpath]

2. Yet he scolded "the professional left" for daring to criticize Obama. What a fuckng hypocrite!

[Poll_Blind]

8. He was ordered to scold "the professional left" for daring to criticize Obama.

I wonder who by?



PB

[tavalon]

11. It was his job

It is the job of every press secretary. They are morally challenged people or they wouldn't take the job.

[timdog44]

29. Good reply!

Have not seen a press secretary I liked.

[tavalon]

33. I actually liked Scott McClellen after the fact

[MotherPetrie]

3. Now *that's* transparency!

[whatchamacallit]

4. In best Mr Microphone voice

'Hey everybody no need for concern, Obama said some... stuff in a cool Google+ Hangout!' Yay!

[ProSense]

12. Hey

"'Hey everybody no need for concern, Obama said some... stuff in a cool Google+ Hangout!' Yay!"

...you forgot the link: http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022421836

[KoKo]

21. Quote from there: Obama said: "I think..."

Obama: “First of all, I think, there’s never been a drone used on an American citizen on American soil. And, you know, we respect and have a whole bunch of safeguards in terms of how we conduct counterterrorism operations outside the United States.

He says "I think.." not I know. He could have said "under my watch as President there has never been a drone used on an American Citizen on American soil." He could have assured us that that has not been done ...but, he says "I think" ...why doesn't HE KNOW?

What he says also verifies that he's aware that Alawaki's son (an American Citizen) was killed outside of American Soil. I guess the kid born in Denver searching for his father was just in the wrong place at the wrong time? Somebody told the President that the kid was a terrorist or he was standing next to a targeted terrorist and "stuff happens."

[Poll_Blind]

5. Jon Stewart Shreds Obama: You're Only 'Transparent About The Last Guy's Secrets' (LINK)

Obama On Hypocrisy Over Drones: You're Only 'Transparent About The Last Guy's Secrets'

PB

[mfcorey1]

6. He is playing to the criticism that now that he is a MSNBC analyst, he will be an Obama

supporter on all the programs. But to come out with this approach is a little over the top for Gibbs. He just sold the President down the river. Wow, with a friend like him, the White House has upped their enemies list.

[frylock]

20. Gibbs better keep his eye out for any drones..

He just sold the President down the river? really?! then what the fuck has Obama done to us with his secret death drone programs? hope n change y'all.

[KoKo]

22. Gibbs is a Campaign Operative...maybe he's looking to court the

"Progressive Left" that he trashed. Some good money might be made there for 2016 in the Congressional Campaigns. Why he's tacking left is a question...but these Campaign Ops are always deceitful.

Look at Carville and Begalla hiring themselves out all over the world to run election campaigns for aspiring Dictators and other foulness.

It's what and who they are. Still....it was really AWESOME that he said that....for what it's worth.

[Robb]

7. Like every other classified program, ever.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

9. Letting the people in a democracy know what their public servants do is scary for politicians.

Based on such knowledge the public might just vote them out.

[KoKo]

23. They might end up even getting prosecuted...in years forward...

if things don't go as well as expected. They trip up or circumstances change with the population.

It's happened. Not so much here...but, its happened historically when the population is so demoralized and kept under a thumb of power by Financial Industry and Government collludes. We didn't expect to see such circumstances here with our Constitution and Bill of Rights....but, all such things only last for time it takes for those safeguards to be undone in EMPIRE.

[tavalon]

10. The character of CJ Craig exemplified this well

The Press Secretary needs to be able to lie, baldfaced, and then sleep at night, what little night is given. It's not a job for the morally firm. I could never do the job and I don't trust anyone who could, and that includes people from either side of the aisle. I feel a great deal of gratitude and even grudging respect for those who choose to speak up after their tenure. Scotty McClellen and now, Robert Gibbs.

[KoKo]

25. And remember Clinton's first Press Secretary Dee Dee Myers..

She sort of let loose with a few itmes when she was canned early on.

She's now working for something horrendous...but, I'd have to dig to remember what it is. She was disappointed with Clinton at the time, though, as I remember it...and the feeling was mutual.

[arcane1]

26. Indeed. That's why, if I ever needed a press secretary, Ari Fleischer would be my #1 choice

He was a freakin' genius at that job, for better or worse.

[tavalon]

27. Yep, best to give it to a sociopath

[arcane1]

28. Exactly :)

[pasto76]

13. shocker, dont talk about top secret national defense/military assets and programs. Wow

I can see the comments didnt take long to start.

nothing unusual about keeping national defense secrets...SECRET!

'transparency' doesnt mean that we get to know everything. Sorry that there are genuine bad guys out there and the drones are the perfect tool to get them.

[Ed Suspicious]

14. That is a very convenient hiding place. What about the bad guys who we think are the good guys?

[KoKo]

32. Yes...it's often hard not to get them confused if one is history reader...

it requires much "note taking" and diagram charts to keep track of it all through the years.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

30. Right. If they call it "top secret national defense," that should be enough for us.

[99th_Monkey]

15. NOT without good reason either. These drone strikes are freaking Int'l WAR CRIMES. ~nt

[AnotherMcIntosh]

31. Are we allowed to say that?

[99th_Monkey]

34. My silence, and/or willful ignorance, would be complicity.

At some point, you'd think that even DU would have to "draw a
line" SOMEwhere along this slide into complete loss of civil liberties
at home, and complete arrogance abroad w/ drone wars.

Obama's doing things that Romney could have NEVER gotten away
with doing, which tells me something.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

35. It's gotten worse. Some not only display willful ignorance but demand that others be silent or be

subject to their rude threats.

Some don't want the truth.

[EastKYLiberal]

16. Smart move. There's much whining and gnashing of teeth everytime someone mentions it. nt

[99Forever]

17. Golly.

What a fucking surprise, eh Cheer Squad?

[Rosa Luxemburg]

18. The drones were on the news so it wasn't exactly a secret

3 days after Obama's 2009 inauguration drones were used in Pakistan. Twas reported on TV.

[Cleita]

19. I saw that this morning.

Not an easy job, if you have to be disingenuous to begin with. No wonder press secretaries burn out.

[TwilightGardener]

24. Gibbs. Meh. I defended him as press secretary at first, but now I think he's kind of

a not-bright guy. I wouldn't talk about this until after the Obama Presidency, if only because of this: we all know the drone program exists now, somehow. To talk about WH inside policy and process while they're in the second term is just bad form. Gibbs isn't compelling enough to be another George Stephanopolous, so he's just going to spill little damaging secrets here and there for "impartiality cred".