Monday, March 15, 2004
Dr. Rice And Sec. Rumsfeld Fight Off Misquotes Of “Imminent Threat”
Yesterday on Meet The Press:
MR. RUSSERT: The president said he (Saddam) was, "a unique and urgent threat." It was, "a unique urgency," "a grave threat."……. Scott McClelland, deputy press secretary, said it's "an imminent threat."……. In hindsight, looking back, it was not an imminent or urgent threat.
DR. RICE: I think what the president said in his State of the Union, Tim, is that we cannot wait until it becomes imminent…… We all believed that it is an urgent threat and I believe to this day that it was an urgent threat.
Note the trick Question and the False Statement: “Scott McClelland, deputy press secretary, said it's ’an imminent threat.’ "
This was proven False back on Feb 2, 2004. Look at our blog:
Democrats Lie about "imminent danger" Misquote
McClellan was actually talking about Iraq potentially posing an "imminent threat" to Turkey if a war started, which would justify invoking the NATO charter and allowing alliance members to help defend Turkey.
Many in the Media used the CAP's 'dishonest portrayal of the quote' and apologized to McClellan and the White House.
CBS News’ Face The Nations tries to Trick Sec. Rumsfeld:
SCHIEFFER: ….. Knowing what we now know, Mr. Secretary, do you think it was still wise to take this invasion? Did Iraq pose an immediate threat to this country?
Sec. RUMSFELD: Bob, the answer is I do believe it was the-it was the- the right thing to do. And I’m –I’m glad it’s done………..
SCHIEFFER: …If they did not have these weapons of mass destruction, though, granted all of that is true, why then did they pose an immediate threat to us, to this Country?
Sec. RUMSFELD: Well, you’re the- you and a few other critics are the only people I’ve heard use the phrase “immediate threat’ I didn’t. The President didn’t. And it’s become kind of folklore that that’s-that’s what’s happened. The President went….
SCHIEFFER: You’re saying that nobody in the administration said that.
Sec. RUMSFELD: I-I can’t speak for nobody- everybody in the administration and say nobody said that.
(You could see Rumsfeld Thinking “What a stupid question-How can I speak for Everybody or Nobody”)
SCHIEFFER: Vice President didn’t say that? The…
Sec. RUMSFELD: Not –if-if you have any citations, I’d like to see ‘em,
Mr. FRIEDMAN: We have one here. It says ‘some have argued that the nu’-this is you speaking- “that the nuclear threat from Iraq is not imminent , that Saddam is at least five to seven years from having nuclear weapons. I would not be so certain.”
Sec. RUMSFELD: And....And….
(You could see the look from Sec. Rumsfeld and what he must be thinking….You dumb Idiot…I didn’t say that Iraq is a “imminent threat” … I only said: “ I’m not Certain that Saddam is at least five to seven years from having Nuclear Weapons.” You can’t put words in my mouth- you Slack-Jaw, Dribbling, Mental Midget)
Note: These are our words, Not Sec. Rumsfeld.
Mr. FRIEDMAN: It was close to imminent. (No- it was not close)
Sec. RUMSFELD: Well I’ve- I’ve tried to be precise, and I’ve tried to be accurate….
Journalists and pundits will continue to use “dishonest portrayal of quotes” like the ones used on Sec. Rumsfeld and Scott McClelland. When they rely on partisan sources, we will continue to verify the proper context of their quotes.
Yesterday on Meet The Press:
MR. RUSSERT: The president said he (Saddam) was, "a unique and urgent threat." It was, "a unique urgency," "a grave threat."……. Scott McClelland, deputy press secretary, said it's "an imminent threat."……. In hindsight, looking back, it was not an imminent or urgent threat.
DR. RICE: I think what the president said in his State of the Union, Tim, is that we cannot wait until it becomes imminent…… We all believed that it is an urgent threat and I believe to this day that it was an urgent threat.
Note the trick Question and the False Statement: “Scott McClelland, deputy press secretary, said it's ’an imminent threat.’ "
This was proven False back on Feb 2, 2004. Look at our blog:
Democrats Lie about "imminent danger" Misquote
McClellan was actually talking about Iraq potentially posing an "imminent threat" to Turkey if a war started, which would justify invoking the NATO charter and allowing alliance members to help defend Turkey.
Many in the Media used the CAP's 'dishonest portrayal of the quote' and apologized to McClellan and the White House.
CBS News’ Face The Nations tries to Trick Sec. Rumsfeld:
SCHIEFFER: ….. Knowing what we now know, Mr. Secretary, do you think it was still wise to take this invasion? Did Iraq pose an immediate threat to this country?
Sec. RUMSFELD: Bob, the answer is I do believe it was the-it was the- the right thing to do. And I’m –I’m glad it’s done………..
SCHIEFFER: …If they did not have these weapons of mass destruction, though, granted all of that is true, why then did they pose an immediate threat to us, to this Country?
Sec. RUMSFELD: Well, you’re the- you and a few other critics are the only people I’ve heard use the phrase “immediate threat’ I didn’t. The President didn’t. And it’s become kind of folklore that that’s-that’s what’s happened. The President went….
SCHIEFFER: You’re saying that nobody in the administration said that.
Sec. RUMSFELD: I-I can’t speak for nobody- everybody in the administration and say nobody said that.
(You could see Rumsfeld Thinking “What a stupid question-How can I speak for Everybody or Nobody”)
SCHIEFFER: Vice President didn’t say that? The…
Sec. RUMSFELD: Not –if-if you have any citations, I’d like to see ‘em,
Mr. FRIEDMAN: We have one here. It says ‘some have argued that the nu’-this is you speaking- “that the nuclear threat from Iraq is not imminent , that Saddam is at least five to seven years from having nuclear weapons. I would not be so certain.”
Sec. RUMSFELD: And....And….
(You could see the look from Sec. Rumsfeld and what he must be thinking….You dumb Idiot…I didn’t say that Iraq is a “imminent threat” … I only said: “ I’m not Certain that Saddam is at least five to seven years from having Nuclear Weapons.” You can’t put words in my mouth- you Slack-Jaw, Dribbling, Mental Midget)
Note: These are our words, Not Sec. Rumsfeld.
Mr. FRIEDMAN: It was close to imminent. (No- it was not close)
Sec. RUMSFELD: Well I’ve- I’ve tried to be precise, and I’ve tried to be accurate….
Journalists and pundits will continue to use “dishonest portrayal of quotes” like the ones used on Sec. Rumsfeld and Scott McClelland. When they rely on partisan sources, we will continue to verify the proper context of their quotes.
