Dan Froomkin: The Tell-Tale Stall

[babylonsister]

The Tell-Tale Stall

By Dan Froomkin
Special to washingtonpost.com
Wednesday, December 19, 2007; 1:22 PM

The best indicator of how seriously this White House is involved in a political scandal may be how emphatically it refuses to comment.

By that standard, the CIA's destruction of its torture tapes is shaping up to be a doozy of a White House story.

At yesterday's briefing, White House Press Secretary Dana Perino didn't even pretend to take reporters' questions about the tapes seriously. No matter what was asked, her answer was the same:

"I'm going to refer you to the Justice Department, who is working on the preliminary inquiry with the CIA. . . . I think that's a question that is best put to the Justice Department, and the Justice Department will be able to answer for you. . . . I'm going to refer you to the Justice Department. . . . I'm going to refer you to the Justice Department on that."

Perino, of course, knew full well that the Justice Department wouldn't say a thing, either.

"White House officials are refusing to answer any of these explosive questions," CNN White House correspondent Ed Henry complained on air yesterday.

more...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/blog/2007/12/19/BL2007121901355_pf.html

[iconoclastic cat]

1. Oh, I was thinking it was a *bathroom* stall. nt

[GreenPartyVoter]

7. oy! Me too!

[Greyskye]

2. Same here.

I was envisioning a Poe pastiche of the "Tell-Tale Heart":

TRUE! nervous, very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why WILL you say that I am gay? The desire had sharpened my senses, not destroyed, not dulled them. Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell. How then am I gay? Hearken! and observe how healthily, how calmly, I can tell you the whole story.

It is impossible to say how first the idea entered my brain, but, once conceived, it haunted me day and night. Object there was none. Passion there was none. I loved the old man. He had never wronged me. He had never given me insult. For his gold I had no desire. I think it was his third-eye! Yes, it was this! One of his eyes resembled that of a vulture -- a pale blue eye with a film over it. Whenever it fell upon me my blood ran cold, and so by degrees, very gradually, I made up my mind to tap my shoes in that bathroom stall...

Now this is the point. You fancy me gay. Boi's know nothing. But you should have seen me. You should have seen how wisely I proceeded -- with what caution -- with what foresight, with what dissimulation, I went to work! First I tapped my foot, then I waved my hand...

[iconoclastic cat]

8. That is awesome. Do the whole parody, will you? nt

[Greyskye]

3. .

shameless self-serving :kick:

[verse18]

4. Another Larry Craig scandal?!!

Oh..

[babylonsister]

5. No, worse. nt

[ProgressiveFool]

6. almost, but in this case the administration takes a very narrow stance

i.e. no comment

[Didereaux]

9. As someone else noted: The Whitehouse is taking a WIDE stance on this issue! ;)