Post #278,165
3/13/07 7:35:05 PM
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Washington Post blog series about Gonzales. Part 1 of 4.
[link|http://blog.washingtonpost.com/benchconference/2007/03/alberto_gonzales_a_willing_acc.html|Rough Justice - The Case Against Alberto Gonzales - Part 1]
In Gonzales's press conference [link|http://www.examiner.com/a-617021~Gonzales_Rejects_Calls_for_Resignation.html|today], he gave the traditional non-statement - "mistakes were made". I don't think he fooled anyone and I don't think he raised his stature any.
It's hard to imagine him sticking around much longer, but it's hard to tell with Bush...
Cheers, Scott.
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Post #278,168
3/13/07 7:40:20 PM
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Same as the former CO at Walter Reed
His "apology" consisted of, "Mistakes were made, and I was in charge." That's not an apology, that's a simple statement of incontrovertible fact.
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Kip Hawley is still an idiot.
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Purveyor of Doc Hope's [link|http://DocHope.com|fresh-baked dog biscuits and pet treats]. [link|http://DocHope.com|http://DocHope.com]
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Post #278,188
3/13/07 10:18:23 PM
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Y'know what that sounds like?
It sounds like any ability to say "I made a mistake" has been carefully leached out of him. Such people need some lessons in responsibility.
Wade.
Is it enough to love Is it enough to breathe Somebody rip my heart out And leave me here to bleed
| | Is it enough to die Somebody save my life I'd rather be Anything but Ordinary Please
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-- "Anything but Ordinary" by Avril Lavigne. | · my · · [link|http://staticsan.livejournal.com/|blog] · · [link|http://yceran.org/|website] · |
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Post #278,204
3/14/07 3:20:20 AM
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Nah, I don't think that was quite DrooK's point.
Even a direct statement of "I made a mistake" is still just a statement of fact, not an apology. An apology would be, "I made a mistake AND I APOLOGIZE", or "I made a mistake AND I AM SORRY".
THAT is the bit that has either "been carefully leached out of" these guys -- or maybe they never acquired it in the first place.
(This may go to the very bottom of who -- what -- they are.)
[link|mailto:MyUserId@MyISP.CountryCode|Christian R. Conrad] (I live in Finland, and my e-mail in-box is at the Saunalahti company.)
Ah, the Germans: Masters of Convoluted Simplification. — [link|http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/?p=1603|Jehovah]
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Post #278,214
3/14/07 7:56:03 AM
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"The past exonerative"
[link|http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/14/washington/14mistakes.html|NY Times]: WASHINGTON, March 13 \ufffd Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales fell back on a classic Washington linguistic construct on Tuesday when he acknowledged that \ufffdmistakes were made\ufffd in the dismissals of eight federal prosecutors last year.
The phrase sounds like a confession of error or even contrition, but in fact, it is not quite either one. The speaker is not accepting personal responsibility or pointing the finger at anyone else.
[...]
The nonconfessions inspired William Schneider, a political guru here, to note a few years ago that Washington had contributed a new tense to the language. \ufffdThis usage,\ufffd he said, \ufffdshould be referred to as the past exonerative.\ufffd It's worse in Gonzales's case because [link|http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/13/AR2007031301515.html|he's trying to have it both ways]: Attorney General Alberto Gonzales faced the cameras for all of nine minutes yesterday, but he managed to contradict himself at least four times as he fought off calls to resign over the firing of U.S. attorneys.
"Mistakes were made," he said in fluent scandalese, but "I think it was the right decision." \t "I am responsible for what happens at the Department of Justice," he posited, but "I . . . was not involved in any discussions about what was going on."
"Kyle Sampson" -- Gonzales's chief of staff -- "has resigned," he said, but "he is still at the department."
And, finally, "I believe in the independence of our U.S. attorneys," Gonzales maintained, but "all political appointees can be removed . . . for any reason." Gonzales should go. Cheers, Scott.
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Post #278,292
3/14/07 10:30:48 PM
3/14/07 10:34:19 PM
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[dup]
Is it enough to love Is it enough to breathe Somebody rip my heart out And leave me here to bleed
| | Is it enough to die Somebody save my life I'd rather be Anything but Ordinary Please
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-- "Anything but Ordinary" by Avril Lavigne. | · my · · [link|http://staticsan.livejournal.com/|blog] · · [link|http://yceran.org/|website] · |
Edited by static
March 14, 2007, 10:34:19 PM EDT
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Post #278,293
3/14/07 10:33:50 PM
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Fine distinction, there.
But a valid one.
I was going after their inability to say "It was me..." which is a first level of responsibility, but to own the problem requires remorse and contrition ("... and I'm sorry."), although that can also mean "I'm sorry that you found it" rather than "I'm sorry that I thought I should do it".
Wade.
Is it enough to love Is it enough to breathe Somebody rip my heart out And leave me here to bleed
| | Is it enough to die Somebody save my life I'd rather be Anything but Ordinary Please
|
-- "Anything but Ordinary" by Avril Lavigne. | · my · · [link|http://staticsan.livejournal.com/|blog] · · [link|http://yceran.org/|website] · |
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