Sunday, February 24, 2013

Gibbs Was Told Not to Acknowledge Drone Program

Wow.

Robert Gibbs, President Barack Obama’s former press secretary, says that he was once instructed by the White House not to acknowledge the administration’s use of drones.

“When I went through the process of becoming press secretary, one of the first things they told me was, you’re not even to acknowledge the drone program,” Gibbs said on MSNBC’s “Up With Chris Hayes” on Sunday. “You’re not even to discuss that it exists.”

Or, to paraphrase an oft-quoted line from David Fincher’s 1999 film “Fight Club”: The first rule of the drone program is you do not talk about the drone program.

Gibbs, who was recently hired by MSNBC as a contributor, called the proposition “inherently crazy.”

“You’re being asked a question based on reporting of a program that exists,” Gibbs, who served as White House press secretary from 2009 to 2011, said. “So you’re the official government spokesperson acting as if the entire program—pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.”

(7) Comments
Posted by Owen at 1757 hrs
Military + Politics + Politics - General

  1. Why would this elicit a “wow”?

    “It’s working and we don’t want to talk about it.
    Sounds like every US government since 1796.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 24, 2013 at 1847 hrs


  2. “It’s working and we don’t want to talk about it.

    Read more carefully - that statement would be an acknowledgment - i.e., to paraphrase, “The drone program is working and we don’t want to talk about it”.  He could not have said that without violating the Obama directive.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 24, 2013 at 1938 hrs


  3. And note, this is from the administration of President “Mr. Transparency”.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 24, 2013 at 1941 hrs


  4. And this surprises who?

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 24, 2013 at 2000 hrs


  5. We certainly can expect all the anti-war leftists criticizing, protesting, and foaming this as vigorously as they did on Club Gitmo.

    Somehow, I think its more likely that Bill Clinton will lecture about marital fidelity.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 24, 2013 at 2007 hrs


  6. The whole premise of lack of acknowledgement only works if impartial investigative reporters are extinct.  Well looky there, an extinct species that liberals approve of!

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 25, 2013 at 0828 hrs


  7. If this was a story about Bush, maley and co’s heads would be exploding about now.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 26, 2013 at 1717 hrs


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