Perino Dismisses Pre-War Downing Street Memo: ‘It’s Been Debunked By Me’
Perino Dismisses Pre-War Downing Street Memo: ‘It’s Been Debunked By Me’
Earlier this week, Karl Rove said that President Bush would not have invaded Iraq if he knew there were no WMD. In today’s press briefing, Helen Thomas asked White House spokeswoman Dana Perino whether Rove is “in charge” of promoting Bush’s presidency. Perino responded, “No, I am. I have a team of people who’s helping talk about the president’s decisions that he’s made over the past eight years.”
Defending Bush’s pre-war intelligence failure, Perino claimed that “other leaders from all around the world” thought Saddam had WMD. When Thomas noted that British intelligence — referring to the the Downing Street Memo — disagreed with Bush, Perino simply said that the memo had been “debunked”:
Q: What about the chief of British intelligence saying you were going to fix the facts around the politics?
PERINO: I think that that’s been debunked.
Thomas quickly countered, “It’s never been been debunked.” Caught off guard, Perino admitted that she was the one who “debunked” it:
Q: It’s never been debunked.
PERINO: Well, it’s been debunked by me.
Q: Good for you.
PERINO: Good for me.
Watch it:
Recall, the Downing Street Memo — which was authored by former British foreign policy aide Matthew Rycroft before the Iraq war — reported: “Bush wanted to remove Saddam, through military action, justified by the conjunction of terrorism and WMD. But the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy.”
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51 Responses to “Perino Dismisses Pre-War Downing Street Memo: ‘It’s Been Debunked By Me’”
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Perino: Because I said so.
Yeah, I'm buying that.
NOT.
December 4th, 2008 at 4:28 pmNo wonder they 86ed Helen Thomas... she not only asks the right questions, she makes them look foolish when they try to wiggle their way out of answering.
December 4th, 2008 at 4:29 pmI love Helen Thomas!!!
December 4th, 2008 at 4:29 pmPERINO: Well, it’s been debunked by me.
"... because I said it was debunked... Nanya-nanya nanya...", she continued.
December 4th, 2008 at 4:33 pmBambi must not have received the message about not calling on Helen.
As a taxpaying American, I debunk Perino, Snow, McLellan & Fleischer.
The only thing debunked today is the BUSH administration...
December 4th, 2008 at 4:33 pmWell, alrighty then! I guess that Perino has been busy researching and debunking that... NOT.
What a liar! I never thought that anyone could out-lie the late Tony Snow. But this woman is a piece of work!
December 4th, 2008 at 4:34 pmgood for helen thomas!
hang in there, lady! respect is on the way!
December 4th, 2008 at 4:39 pmPERINO: When I say something is debunked, that's it -- end of argument!
You know, it's bad enough when you have a Vice President who thinks of himself as omnipotent. But when the malady spreads down to the Press Secretary...
December 4th, 2008 at 4:39 pm... whether Rove is “in charge” of promoting Bush’s presidency. Perino responded, “No, I am. I have a team of people ...
uh huh... i think it was keith olbermann, maybe rachel, who asked if rove was working in the white house again... "are we paying [him]?" [for the bush legacy project]...
perino seems to want that matter out of the way... ?
December 4th, 2008 at 4:44 pmMy God! The arrogance of Purina Dog Chow is breathtaking.
December 4th, 2008 at 4:45 pmSo is her stupidity and ignorance!
What would have been really awesome is if after Perino's smart-assed reply, Helen Thomas pulled out a vintage derringer and popped Perino in the leg...
December 4th, 2008 at 4:46 pmI thought Bush was the 'decider'. Now we have PuppyChow Perino claiming to be 'Chief Debunker'?
Jan 20th is still way too far off.
December 4th, 2008 at 4:49 pm#12, Brown Acid:
December 4th, 2008 at 4:50 pmIf I were on the jury I'd Have to call it as, "She had it coming"! Even down to the last 47 days, this Administation still rejects our reality and tries, over and over again, to substitue one of its own!
Impeach, There's Still Time!
The air in Perino's head could be used as backup in case the Earth is somehow deprived its 21% oxygen and 78% nitrogen.
December 4th, 2008 at 4:52 pmDana must be one of our trolls -- if I say/write it IT'S TWUE!!!
December 4th, 2008 at 4:54 pmI debunk thee, I debunk the, I debunk thee.
December 4th, 2008 at 4:55 pmBegone! Thou art debunked.
Apparently, debunking means sticking your fingers in your ears and shouting "I'M NOT LISTENING!LALALALALLA!"
December 4th, 2008 at 4:59 pmWe need more of people like Helen Thomas.
For over half a century Helen Thomas still one of the best in field of jounalism.
She dares to ask proper questions without fear and she does't put up with deceptive and misleading answers.
December 4th, 2008 at 5:08 pmToo bad Helen Thomas can't teach the rest of the White House press corp how to do their job.
December 4th, 2008 at 5:08 pmWhat a snippy c*nt! "Good on me!"
Another on a long line of btches to be btch slapped.
I have burned through an entire lifes worth of negativity hating these slimy, lying bastards. I truly wish them all a long life of suffering illness. Shingles for the lot!
December 4th, 2008 at 5:12 pmNot so shocking an exchange coming from the people who told Ron Suskind back in 2002:
Yes -- let's study what they've done. And once we're finished studying, let's prosecute them and imprison them, thus creating yet even another reality which should, to put it succinctly, trump the ever-living sh*t out of their pseudo-reality.
Just saying . . .
December 4th, 2008 at 5:12 pmZooey Says:
Dana must be one of our trolls — if I say/write it IT’S TWUE!!!
Like Hussein, the MUSWIM!!!!!!
(Hi Zoo!)
December 4th, 2008 at 5:17 pmThe 1st paragraph of this story is incorrect. It reads, 'Helen Thomas asked White House spokeswoman Dana Perino whether Rove is “in charge” of promoting Bush’s presidency.'
Helen actually asked about promoting Bush's "legacy".
She tries to ask her question again at the end of the clip. Basically pointing out that its an unusual use of taxpayer time and money.
December 4th, 2008 at 5:18 pmBack to the beauty shop after January, Dana?
December 4th, 2008 at 5:21 pmGood Gawd!!!
She just keeps getting stoopider by the day.
Why doesn't the press corps just laugh in her face when she says stuff like that?!?!?
Cheers,
December 4th, 2008 at 5:33 pmAre these guys desperate to rewrite history to keep Bush out of Prison for his WAR CRIMES?
December 4th, 2008 at 5:34 pmDon't forget, Bush's only reason for going after Saddam Hussein was that "He Tried To Kill My Daddy".
December 4th, 2008 at 5:34 pmPerhaps the problem is that Perino doesn't quite know what the word "debunk" means.
After all, this is the woman who didn't know what the Cuban missile crisis was.
Being a Bushie means never having to apologize for your ignorance.
December 4th, 2008 at 5:35 pmFirst and foremost they wanted to control that part of the world. You are always going to have to give some sort of justification to the American people. The justification they chose was terrorism and WMD.
This does NOT mean that Iraq had WMD or ties to terrorism. They were actually a buffer against the terrorists and hated by bin Laden and al Qaeda. It just means from a public relations point of view of selling the war, these are the two reasons they chose. The "slam dunk" comment meant that it definitely could be sold---not that the reasons were true.
December 4th, 2008 at 6:02 pmA follow-up Dana: What do you think of Dubya saying a few days ago that we had to invade because Saddam would not let the inspectors in? Those of us in the real world know that he did let the inspectors in.
December 4th, 2008 at 6:06 pmHelen Thomas Rocks!
December 4th, 2008 at 6:15 pmArrogant and disrespectful to the point that folks are angry to the point of violence.....
gop doing what republicans do.
remember when they told the democrats to sit down and shut up that they were in power now?
I hope that people who voted these people into office are happy with what the gop did with the "power"
I've not forgiven them for letting this happen and probably won't be over it for a long time, if ever.
December 4th, 2008 at 6:27 pmCan we be rid of this vile woman already?
Sigh.
December 4th, 2008 at 6:36 pmI read the headline and bust out laughin where to they get thses ppl and what nerve they have I guees when asked on the application on special skills she must have written I lie with the worst of'em
hey dana u must be a huge fan of lumps of coal in ur stockin huh???
December 4th, 2008 at 6:44 pmI grow more impressed with Helen Thomas each day that passes without her spitting in Purina's face. Personally, I would be in prison for punching her square in her stupid, lying, mouth after the first so-called press conference.
December 4th, 2008 at 7:42 pmThere's a difference between denying and debunking. See, with debunking, you provide evidence that a claim is false. With denying, you just say it is false, as Perino did in the press conference cited above.
I didn't think it was possible after McClellan and Snow, but Dana Perino has brought the credibility of the office of White House Press Secretary to new lows. I'd believe the National Enquirer over her. About anything.
December 4th, 2008 at 7:52 pmHelen Thomas! There are not a lot of True Progressives left anymore, but she certainly is.
I remember her back in the early days of the Kennedy administration. She was always fiery, and gave it to the Ruling Elite as best as she could. I hope she keeps and eye on Obama because he has a big job in front of him. The Ruling Elite® or War Party® and Everyone Else are both vying for his attention.
Now Perino......As long as Dumbya does not declare Martial Law and Barack O does listen to the people instead of the corporations more, good riddance!
December 4th, 2008 at 7:56 pmWorking fort Bush = lying. Lying & lying & lying. Perino is the absolute proof of that. She is a sad, despicable liar for Bush & co. Perino - how can you ever sleep again? You know you lie, yet you pretend you don't. Disgusting.
December 4th, 2008 at 8:50 pmrepugs are so full of it.
mooseyak - doesn't how to debate, instead she turned the debates into a generic repug talking "points" bs hour.
chimpy - the transition well go easy; I'm the greatest president; I wonder how chimpy feels when he walks in the shadow of President-ELECT Obama while the world makes fun of chimpy-SELECTED? HAHAHAHAHA
deathcheney - laws are for the little people; halliburton owes me bigtime
prina the stupid ballerina - I'll lie to the best of my ability. (We all know that ain't much)
repugs love to prolong their own demise they keep pulling from their stupid tree.
I don't trust one elected repug and about 1/3 of the US population
December 4th, 2008 at 9:13 pmPerino, So it has been debunked by her? Well gee, then we can take her word for it and forget it. Forget that it has been proven to be a true memo of what was discussed at that meeting.
And right now, under the auspices of Karl Rove and the legacy team in the White house they are working like beavers to re-write the Bush legacy. This is why Bush has done no work for the last several weeks. He is giving interviews to all who will listen by saying nothing is his fault. The intelligence was bad and if only he had known etc. Of course the fact that he cherry picked the intelligence, and fired anyone not saying what he wanted to hear means nothing. It now reads like he is saying, the other dude did it. Not me.
This also says he was an ineffectual President. He didn't even know what questions to ask. Now it is strictly the fault of CIA.
Dana Perino is now spending her last weeks, doing what she has always done, trying to spin. The White House is now spinning 24/7. They are spinning so fast they can barely walk a straight line. The trouble is they forget that with all the interviews the President has given out on TV and in books, he is quoted differently from what he says now.
Just a couple of years ago he interviewed with Brit Hume, Fox of course. He said even if he had known before the invasion what he knew now, he would still have invaded Iraq.
But just a couple of days ago, he told Charlie Gibson, that if the had known the intelligence was bad, he would never have invaded. You cannot have it both ways, but the White House keeps trying. These people have no shame. Bush even said the same thing about invading Iraq anyway, in an interview with Bob Woodward several years ago.
Now to hear Bush, it is as if he wasn't even in the White House when all this happened. They are blaming Clinton, and the CIA. And the recession is an Obama recession.
Bush is an innocent bystander. Perino's nose might grow with another lie like this one.
December 4th, 2008 at 10:48 pmceltic cynic Says:
Don't forget, Bush's only reason for going after Saddam Hussein was that "He Tried To Kill My Daddy".
Hussein said no matter he agrees chimpy will sneak attack. (paraphrase)
Outed Plame.
"I'm the war president."
"Mission Accomplished"
chimpy's legacy is on the line with
OT -- Maddow's eyes look as if she was crying.
December 4th, 2008 at 11:19 pmHow does this absolute liar of a woman live with herself? Hell is filled with habitual liars, Ms. Perino. Your spot is ready and waiting.
December 5th, 2008 at 12:00 amArrogant vacuousness. I would like a job as a mouthperson: I can be real stupid.
December 5th, 2008 at 12:08 amSomehow I doubt this works for things like traffic tickets, but it's worth a try. . .
December 5th, 2008 at 12:11 am.
The only thing Barbie Perino is an expert at is on LYING and EXCUSES!
.
December 5th, 2008 at 12:50 amjpopphan Says:
Well, alrighty then! I guess that Perino has been busy researching and debunking that… NOT.
What a liar! I never thought that anyone could out-lie the late Tony Snow. But this woman is a piece of work!
Yes, I only imagine what horrifice and painful parting is in store for Pressroom Barbie, just like Snow. Lets think of the possiblities. I say she gets the flesh eating virus.
HANG NY AND ALL Bush apologists!!!!
December 5th, 2008 at 8:06 amFred Says:
Arrogant and disrespectful to the point that folks are angry to the point of violence…..
gop doing what republicans do.
remember when they told the democrats to sit down and shut up that they were in power now?
I hope that people who voted these people into office are happy with what the gop did with the “power”
I’ve not forgiven them for letting this happen and probably won’t be over it for a long time, if ever.
WHOA, WHOA, WHOA FRED. Steady now. THERE IS NO reason to EVER "get over this." That is the same BULLSH IT they told us to do with 2000 election. NEVER GET OVER SUBVERSION AND TREASON THEY HAVE PERFORMED. Ever since ROnnie Raygun, when he conspired to make the Government, OUR GOVERNMENT, The one people dies for and we constructed for the people, by the people, and of the people, the day he said to be fearful of the words about I am from the government and I am here to help, THAT is the day a flamethrower should have been used on the GOP. Totally eradicate these TREASONOUS SCUMBAGS. They must be snuffed out like the infestuious prion disease that they are. They are anti-Democratic to the core, and cannot even CONCEPTUALIZE the foundation of our government, let alone anyone EVER thinking they shouldbe allowed to ever be in a position to attempt to claim the power of governing.
NEVER, NEVER, NEVER. PERIOD. CRUSH THE GOP!!!!
December 5th, 2008 at 8:15 ami want to see Purina *CRUSHED*.
December 5th, 2008 at 8:34 amHelen Thomas is a national treasure. And apparently the only real journalist covering the White House.
December 5th, 2008 at 11:08 amThe State Department's Bureau of Intelligance NEVER got it wrong. It is recorded in the NIE that most Congresspersons never read that they did not believe that Iraq had WMD. The State Department's Bureau of Intelligence may not always have the right answer, but my reading of books about the history of Afganistan and Iraq over the last 25 years leads me to believe that the State Deparment's Bureau of Intelligence has been more often right than the CIA has.
December 5th, 2008 at 11:10 am#3
I second that!!!!!
December 5th, 2008 at 3:42 pm