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Note to CNN: There is no Assistant Secretary of State for African American Affairs.

A CNN chyron from this morning’s press conference:

newcnn.JPG

Susan Rice, the Obama administration’s new U.N. Ambassador, was not the “Assistant Secretary of State for African American Affairs.” There is no such position at the State Department. From 1997-2001, Susan Rice was U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs.

Update The New York Times reports that Rice "was a point person in responding to Al Qaeda’s 1998 bombing of United States Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. But her most searing experience was visiting Rwanda after the 1994 genocide when she was still on the N.S.C. staff":

As she later described the scene, the hundreds, if not thousands, of decomposing, hacked up bodies that she saw haunted her and fueled a desire to never let it happen again.

“I swore to myself that if I ever faced such a crisis again, I would come down on the side of dramatic action, going down in flames if that was required,” she told The Atlantic Monthly in 2001. She eventually became a sharp critic of the Bush administration’s handling of the Darfur killings and last year testified before Congress on behalf of an American-led bombing campaign or naval blockade to force a recalcitrant Sudanese government to stop the slaughter.


23 Responses to “Note to CNN: There is no Assistant Secretary of State for African American Affairs.”

  1. Badmoodman says:

    Note to CNN: There is no Assistant Secretary of State for African American Affairs.»

    – - This must be the same distinction as Dwight Schrute is the Assistant to the Scranton Branch Manager and not the Assistant Scranton Branch Manager.


  2. DNFP says:

    Bolton, meet Rice.

    Ying and Yang.


  3. Nevar says:

    CNN may be suffering from Palin’s Syndrome.


  4. 1Watt says:

    and these are the ones looking to supplant the AP as a wire service?


  5. Zimzone says:

    CNN, the most trusted name in news.

    ‘If the facts don’t fit, we make shit up!’


  6. stewarjt says:

    This is not the first time CNN made a factual error.


  7. Leftside Annie says:

    Good grief. Perhaps CNN or FUX will run a chyron claiming that she was the Secretary of Ham Hocks and Watermelon, too.


  8. theswan says:

    This is an appointment the progressives will agree with. Hooray!


  9. stewarjt says:

  10. raynman says:

    hammocks?

    I thought Bush was the one sleeping on the job….


  11. McWars says:

    AbleCluster Says:
    And exactly what would an Assistant Secretary of State do? Hand the Secretary of State toilet paper when its time to wipe? Gimme a break, who cares!

    Right on! It’s like trolls who waste their time spamming threads!

    Bush bot fever


  12. McWars says:

    AbleCluster Says:
    And exactly what would an Assistant Secretary of State do? Hand the Secretary of State toilet paper when its time to wipe? Gimme a break, who cares!

    Right on! It’s like trolls who waste their time spamming threads!


  13. McWars says:

    sorry for the double post. the first was under moderation and when I deleted the link (thinking that was the culprit) I resubmitted only to find the block on the original comment removed.


  14. impeachcheneythenbush says:

    AbleCluster – flagged for commercial spamming.


  15. konchster says:

    You mean USA World Police aren’t going to stand by as murder is committed while themselves committing the same act. I am pumped ever day as I watch Barack take the reins of this great nation in his hands How wonderful will it be to have a President speak decisively in English.


  16. impeachcheneythenbush says:

    I’m delighted with Susan Rice as the U.N. Ambassador, and perhaps NOW something will actually be done to stop genocide on this planet. The Bush administration has been playing footsie with Sudan because of their oil, while people are being slaughtered by their own government. It’s not the only place, either. If there’s any just reason to take military action, the prevention of genocide is that reason.


  17. JosephNobles says:

    Appointments like this one are rain to the desert. Keep up the good work, Mr. Obama!


  18. SP Biloxi says:

    “Note to CNN: There is no Assistant Secretary of State for African American Affairs.”

    lol CNN is in the running with Fox Clown Network of blunders. Are you sure that the CNN journalists went to the University of Gumby?


  19. jimi13 says:

    I wasn’t able to screencap it, but this morning CNN managed to spell their homestate as “Goergia”, on a story about Sarah Palin speaking there. This from a firm based in Atlanta.

    It looks like they’re hiring part-timers and interns to do copyediting…


  20. MapleStreet says:

    Secretary of State for African American Affairs

    Wow – you mean the African Americans have secceded from the Union ? Well I guess if the Confederate States can do so in order to preserve oppression of the people of color, the people of color can do so to escape oppression ?????


  21. Marie says:

    Aside from the CNN error, I like Susan Rice and she was my choice for Na’l Sec. Advisor, but the UN is a good fit for her.
    She is way too smart to not be given a position in the new admin.


  22. Alejandro says:

    There’s also no such thing as “The Office of the President Elect.”


  23. EugeneDebs says:

    Alejandro Says:

    Did you really think that made a point? It is an accurate designation of what he IS. It isnt an office but it IS a designation. Turning the office of Assistant Sec. of State for African affairs is a COMPLETELY different thing than what CNN called it. The government obviously doesnt need diplomats for AMERICANS IN THIS COUNTRY. That was actually pretty stupid.



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