We Want The Airwaves Back»

Media Matters points to a jawdropping exchange from the document dump out of the DOD media-manipulation program. This is from an April 2006 meeting between Rumsfeld, “Perfect Pete” Pace and their favorite retired-officer TV personalities.

UNIDENTIFIED 1: Some have characterized [inaudible]. But I would also disagree with you, sir, respectfully. You are absolutely brilliant in front of the camera. And anybody –

RUMSFELD: It’s by acting. Because I don’t spend any time –

UNIDENTIFIED 1: It doesn’t matter. The point is that you are. And I think most of us would agree with that. And –

RUMSFELD: But I — but — but –

UNIDENTIFIED 1: — to take the offensive is — because many of us go on every day. We don’t agree with everything the administration does, maybe with some of your decisions and — but we get beat up on television sometimes when we go on and we are debating, and then we take the — and we’re all thick-skinned, or we wouldn’t continue to do this.

RUMSFELD: Mm-hmm.

UNIDENTIFIED 1: But we would love — I would personally love — and I think I speak for most of the gentlemen here at the table — for you to take the offensive, to just go out there and just crush these people so that when we go on, we’re — forgive me — we’re parroting, but it’s what has to be said. It’s what we believe in, or we would not be saying it.

[crosstalk]

UNIDENTIFIED 1: And we’d love to be following our leader, as indeed you are. You are the leader. You are our guy.

What Rumsfeld could never understand is that his credibility crisis cannot be solved by lying. It seems so obvious when put that way, but some people are so convinced of their own brilliance that the basic truths escape them. It’s the difference between intelligence and wisdom.