Mystery official briefs press on Cheney (was it Super Secret Cheney himself !?1)

[maddezmom]

WASHINGTON - Who was the mystery official on Vice President Dick Cheney's plane? There were plenty of clues about his identity if you read a transcript of his remarks.

The rules were simple. The official who briefed reporters on Cheney's plane could be identified only as a senior administration official. But the high-ranking official wasn't very careful about concealing his identity as Cheney wrapped up his round-the-world trip with surprise stops in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Pay attention to the pronouns — me and I — that the official uses in describing the vice president's mission.

~snip~

"The reason the president wanted me to come, obviously, is because of the continuing threat that exists in this part of the world on both sides of the Afghan-Pakistan border," the senior administration official said Tuesday.

~snip~

Let me just make one editorial comment here," the official said. "I've seen some press reporting says, `Cheney went in to beat up on them, threaten them.' That's not the way I work. I don't know who writes that, or maybe somebody gets it from some source who doesn't know what I'm doing, or isn't involved in it. But the idea that I'd go in and threaten someone is an invalid misreading of the way I do business.

"I would describe my sessions both in Pakistan and Afghanistan as very productive. We've had notable successes in both places. I've often said before and I believe it's still true that we've captured and killed more al-Qaida in Pakistan than anyplace else. And I think we're making progress in Afghanistan."

more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070228/ap_on_go_pr_wh/senior_administration_official_3

:rofl:

full brief here:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/02/20070227-8.html

[MADem]

1. The press, apparently, is revolting ,,, at long last...

The brief was to be unattributed, but there was no admonition that direct quotes were not to be used.

[bluerum]

2. The press has been "revolting" for years. Revolting, enabling chicken

shit transcribers.

[MADem]

3. Yes, but apparently they are breaking their chains. They surely knew better than

to write that up in that fashion, but they did it anyway, gleefully.

I am not going to obsess about the failings of the press in the past. It happened, they did not do their jobs, and they know it and we know it.

I'm heartened that they're doing it now.

[bluerum]

4. You are right. Pardon me while I fume. eom

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

5. A fine example...

Of giving up your background source, without *really* doing it.

Dick, you've just been screwed. Hope you like it. It'll be happening again.

[youngdem]

6. Perhaps Cheney doesn't yet command mastery of media leaks and manipulation, no?

The Plame Affair and now this. Hilarious.

He just really isn't that smart. He just looks and acts like a smart old codger, but just like Wolfowitz, Bolton and Rummy, he is really stupid and unaccomplished - at least in a good way.

[maddezmom]

7. and the media is having a good poke at him

:evilgrin: He's a gasbag and a criminal to boot.