White House pushed for private briefings from Petraeus.
By on Aug 17th, 2007 at 2:20 pm
White House pushed for private briefings from Petraeus.
Yesterday, White House spokesperson Gordon Johndroe claimed it “has always been our intention” to have Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker testify publicly about their September Iraq report. Today, Greg Sargent uncovers that the White House has been pushing for a private briefing for months. A statement from the House Foreign Affairs Committee explains:
Administration officials told senior Congressional staff in early July that they preferred to have Ambassador Crocker and General Petraeus testify in closed session before the entire House of Representatives, rather than in open hearings.
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As for the content of the looming report, anyone who has ever used the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet program knows what’s coming next. Americans should expect to see the old “Fill Right” trick. That is, when producing a long-term financial model or forecast, the Excel user in the absence of research, data, or just common sense, simply copies the value or formula from one cell (for, say, monthly or quarterly sales) to all the succeeding cells (months or quarters in ensuing years). The result is an impressive looking spreadsheet, but one whose projections are baseless and without foundation.
As the interim surge report made clear in July, President Bush like any failed CEO has been relying on the old fill-right gimmick since the Iraq war commenced. Starting in 2003, Bush simply selected the cell containing the phrase “We’re Making Progress” and filled right…
For a screen shot and more details, see:
August 17th, 2007 at 2:25 pm“White House to Author ‘Fill Right’ Iraq Report for Petraeus.”
The WH misleding the American People?
August 17th, 2007 at 2:26 pmTruly Shocking.
All they ever do is lie!!
It’s who they are. It’s what they do.
August 17th, 2007 at 2:26 pmTestifying with Duct tape over his mouth, probably.
August 17th, 2007 at 2:27 pm“behind closed doors, and not under oath”
will be on W’s headstone…
August 17th, 2007 at 2:36 pmwill be on W’s headstone…
Comment by Kay — August 17, 2007 @ 2:36 pm
Nah… it’s gotta be “I’m the Decider!”
August 17th, 2007 at 2:39 pmWH continues to propagate bullshit which is all they know how to do really well.
Karl Rove taught them well and now we have to hear more bullshit from him when he should be in jail.
August 17th, 2007 at 2:39 pmWhat I would rather see on GDumbya’s tombstone:
“Mission Accomplished”
or, maybe, “Now Watch This Drive”
August 17th, 2007 at 2:39 pmhttp://ccoaler.blogspot.com/2007/08/russias-strategic-bombers-airborne.html
Russias strategic bombers airborne again
August 17th, 2007 at 2:40 pmAngry One,
Or “Goal Seek” in Excel.
It doesn’t matter what Patreus says, not one whit. If his report has 99 pages of death and destruction and horrible news and one page saying the price of rugs has dropped 10% in the last quarter, Chimpf*ck and the Boyz will bold that page and tell us we are making progress.
How can you even think of quitting now when victory is around the corner? The next six months are going to define this whole fiasco. Hell, I bet Snowflake has already written the press release.
August 17th, 2007 at 2:41 pmor how ’bout :
“here lies a man who lied all the time and had no curiosity about the world”
August 17th, 2007 at 2:41 pmOr how about:
“If only I had quit drinking and drugging when I told everyone I did”
August 17th, 2007 at 2:43 pmwhy would you want to hide the glorious debacle that is the Iraq War? wouldn’t that indicate a problem of some sort….strange.
August 17th, 2007 at 2:46 pmThe truly ironic aspect of all this is that no one believes the report already. He can testify where ever he wants. The report is already considered worthless.
August 17th, 2007 at 2:51 pmHe can testify where ever he wants. The report is already considered worthless.
Not only is it worthless — it is actually already written. It was Rover’s last official duty before he packed up and went back to Texas.
August 17th, 2007 at 3:02 pmWH continues to propagate bullshit which is all they know how to do really well.
Karl Rove taught them well and now we have to hear more bullshit from him when he should be in jail.
Comment by km4
True enough. My question is why do we let them get away with it over and over agin? If you know you are being lied to, why stand there and simply accept the lies?
August 17th, 2007 at 3:20 pmdim wit,
It is a little ironic. Like the boy who cried wolf, if there was anything positive comng out of Iraq, we have been lied to so many times that they wouldn’t be believed. Not that I think that wil happen
KKKarl has polarized this nation like never before. 28% will believe anything Boy George says and 72% will believe nothing he says. Bush has been totally neutered by KKKarl’s politics. (And by his incisors too probably)
August 17th, 2007 at 3:26 pmDuh Bush does not want Betrayus to spew lies on C-SPAN cameras.
August 17th, 2007 at 3:29 pm> If you know you are being lied to, why stand there and simply accept the lies?
Too many American’s are sheeple, apathetic, or just plain ignorant.
August 17th, 2007 at 3:39 pmIs there anybody out there that really believes this BS? IMHO, this story about the WH wanting to hide General Petraeus testimony is a PR stunt to try and give it validity. Don’t we already know the general is going to tow the administration’s line? Of course we do, and so does the WH. That’s why they’re using our mistrust of their every action against us, like some sort of reverse-psych-ops maneuver.
August 17th, 2007 at 3:48 pmkm4,
What would you suggest? I think a lot of people here write to our reps, write letters to editors, participate in demonstrations, squirt Liquid Nail in the keyholes of cars with W04 stickers, and stand up strongly to the Bushbots in discussions.
I would love to put a broadhead through Bush’s guts for what he has done to the country, but that would make him a martyr and me in jail. And I like my freedom too much.
What do you suggest?
August 17th, 2007 at 3:48 pmI was just kidding about the Liquid Nails folks, that would be mean.
Funny, but mean.
August 17th, 2007 at 3:54 pmWhat do you suggest?
Comment by nanlichi — August 17, 2007 @ 3:48 pm
#
I liked the Liquid Nails idea ;>)
But Drano in the gas tank is prettier to watch.
August 17th, 2007 at 4:04 pmIf you know you are being lied to, why stand there and simply accept the lies?
Too many American’s are sheeple, apathetic, or just plain ignorant.
Comment by km4
I totally agree km4
August 17th, 2007 at 4:04 pmnanlichi, what do I suggest?
Doing more of what you say plus an even bigger Netroots effort in 2008 that clearly helped the Dems pick up 6 Senate seats and twenty something House seats in Nov 2006.
The GOP has a shitty Netroots efforts so the GOP convinced ‘The Decider’ to let go of Rove so he can continue to propagate unmitigated bullshit over broadcast and cable news channels.
So getting back Executive Branch in Nov 2008 is a must have to help re-balance the very skewed MSM spin.
August 17th, 2007 at 4:12 pmAgreed km4. I think this next election will see more activity on the grassroots level on the Democrats side than ever before.
I there is any silver lining in the Bush debacle, it’s the bright light shining on the Repugs activities, and what they will do if unchecked. KKKarl has wrecked the Repug’s chances of being in control for a lot of years.
August 17th, 2007 at 4:21 pmBDS
August 17th, 2007 at 11:07 pmSenator David Vitter would love to have a private briefing from General Petraeus.
August 17th, 2007 at 11:10 pmBush wants a closed hearing because he doesn’t want the American people to know how little progress has been made with the surge in Iraq.
August 18th, 2007 at 2:15 amtrolls? comments?
August 18th, 2007 at 8:22 am