P.J. Crowley Resigning As State Department Spokesman: Report

[chill_wind]

Source: HuffPo and CNN

"P.J. Crowley is resigning as spokesman for the State Department, CNN reports.

This is a developing story... More information to come..."

State Department's P.J. Crowley stepping down
By: CNN Senior White House Correspondent Ed Henry

(CNN) – P.J. Crowley is abruptly stepping down as State Department spokesman under pressure from White House officials because of controversial comments he made last week about the Bradley Manning case, CNN has learned from senior officials familiar with the matter.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/03/13/state-departments-p-j-crowley-stepping-down/

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/13/pj-crowley-resigning-as-s_n_835077.html

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Robb]

2. It will be informative to see Crowley's explanation.

[Robb]

6. Crowley (via Michael van Poppel's Twitter):

"Given the impact of my remarks, for which I take full responsibility, I have submitted my resignation."

[JanDutchy]

39. Statement 'To serve and protect has limits', thé reason to have democratic underground.

When the inherited un-check and unbalances of Bush's Administration isn't brought to Justice and the ICC in The Hague, you can only have this kind of comments.

MotivaTed by jealousy `- because she wasn't elected by dem's - Hillary stated: ´Saving Lives At Birth: A Grand Challenge for Development and ´Congratulations to Newly Named Foreign Minister spokesman Michael Hammer´ ..


Thank G´d , free at last she thought - according to brain listeners - thinking forward to the next elections aa candidate to be refused.

Prophecy
Obama who listened once to me after repeated the same advice - `throw the net at the other side of the truthboat because there are more supporters - sacked Hillary in the next couple of months-year.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

3. Said comments from link:

What’s being done to Bradley Manning by my colleagues at the Department of Defense “is ridiculous and counterproductive and stupid.” He paused. “None the less Bradley Manning is in the right place”. And he went on lengthening his answer, explaining why in Washington’s view, “there is sometimes a need for secrets… for diplomatic progress to be made”.

[xchrom]

4. recommend

[Ghost Dog]

5. How weird. I thought "P.J. Crowley" was a pop group.

What was I thinking of?

Edit: :smoke:

[msanthrope]

13. PJ Harvey? n/t

[Ghost Dog]

17. Mmmmmm Hhmmmm.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzwG3r9_L9o

[pam4water]

65. P. J. O'Rourke ?

[chill_wind]

7. TPM press twitter

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/live/presstwitterflat.html

[faz]

8. Maybe he's not good at lying

Good for him!

[frylock]

9. you don't "win the future" with folks going off-script like crowley did

[MikeW]

10. Crowley had to know hed get fired for what he said

[Robb]

11. It would seem Sec. Clinton has been looking for a reason for some time:

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0311/51197.html">According to Politico:

Crowley, a respected National Security Council spokesman under President Bill Clinton, has been on the outs with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who made him her assistant secretary of state for Public Affairs.

Michael Hammer, President Barack Obama’s NSC spokesman, had been sent to State earlier this year, with the plan for him to succeed Crowley.

The process was speeded up after attendees at a Massachusetts Institute of Technology appearance by Crowley reported that he had called the Pentagon’s handling of Manning, who is detained at the brig at Quantico, “ridiculous and counterproductive and stupid.”......

Edited to add: I'll be, Politico had its facts straight. Hammer is "acting" spokesman, effective immediately.

[Autumn]

15. I can't keep up, I thought Politico was a RW rag? n/t

[Robb]

18. Indeed. nt

[ElsewheresDaughter]

51. correct, Politico is a RW rag

[Autumn]

53. Thank you. it's hard to remember

which news sites that people post are frowned upon.

[Autumn]

56. computer hiccup sorry

[roguevalley]

26. you can't keep people with integrity in this government. its forbidden

your ethics MUST be situational.

[Robb]

28. LOL Well, I'd go easy on praising Crowley.

This might have to be chalked up to stopped clock theory.

[MikeW]

55. Im guessing this wasnt the first issue for him

He prob. had other run'ins with Clinton and others on other matters.

[roguevalley]

58. true but I clutch at crumbs. LOL!

[nalnn]

80. Thanks for saying that

For me that very thing often determines how I vote.

[snagglepuss]

12. +1

[shireen]

14. WTF????!!

what he said was accurate, it WAS STUPID!!!

I wish there was a way we could express our support to him!

[sabrina 1]

22. You can. You can talk to him on his Twitter feed directly.

Going to do than now, actually. He will need support before he starts apologizing.

[chill_wind]

24. Sabrina, post the link when you have it

I have visions of RW/freeper/pentagon apologist slime falling all over themselves to castigate him.

It doesn't sound like he's doing any apologizing, though. (link downthread, standing firm..)

[sabrina 1]

35. Here you go.

http://twitter.com/#!/PJCrowley

I just left him a message, thanking him for telling the truth.

I was afraid he'd start apologizing also. Maybe he got tired of being a 'messenger' for policies he didn't agree with. People WERE blaming him for the statements regarding the Egyptian revolution he was making intially.

Good for him if he's standing firm. We need more people to take a stand, I hope he doesn't cave in.

[chill_wind]

47. Thank you!

:hi:

[earthside]

16. Tragic.

Instead of Pres. Obama or Sec. Gates quietly ordering a modification of Manning's treatment, Crowley is forced to resign.

How else do you put it? Another step on the pathway to the Obama administration's alignment with Bushism.

[Plucketeer]

25. My first thoughts too!

- head lowered and shaking in disgust -

[sabrina 1]

19. What's controversial about opposing torture?

Wow, I wasn't sure if that was why they fired him. But this administration is becoming an embarrassment for Democrats.

So, you have to support torture in order to have a job with this admistration it seems.

I truly regret not knowing what I was supporting in 2008.

We were fooled. Badly.

[kirby]

29. Ask Obama...

"President Barack Obama later insisted he had received assurances that the terms of Pte Manning's confinement were "appropriate".

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12728315

[sabrina 1]

40. I am so sick of these weasel words.

They must think we are stupid. He also said that they were consistent with our policies. And that is the problem as the world knows.

I would expect this from Bush, so was never disappointed, but from a Democrat who promised to restore the rule of law, it is nothing short of sickening.

[jkappy]

81. Now I Despise Obama as a Person, too! This is going way

beyond the beyond... and is so the opposite of his class moments over the gay suicides and in the wake of the Gifford attempted assassination. I dismissed him as a political person a long time ago, and now I have to dismiss his personal side too. I care that much about Manning, as I think, we all should.

[chill_wind]

20. Crowley stands firm on his comments

Taking responsibility for his stance/views doesn't mean he plans to withdraw his words.

http://twitter.com/edhenrycnn/

#
# PJ Crowley: "exercise of power in today's challenging times & relentless media environment must be prudent & consistent w/our laws & values"

1 minute ago via Mobile Web

# Crowley stands firm on Manning comments: "intended to highlight the broader, even strategic impact of discreet action" by natsec agencies

2 minutes ago via Mobile Web

[sabrina 1]

36. Good for him. He's turned from a frustrating bureaucrat into

a man of principle over night. And firing him was a big mistake as it will only draw more attention to the wrong being done to Bradley Manning, and probably others in our gulags.

I posted his twitter feed above, but here it is again in case you missed it.

http://twitter.com/#!/PJCrowley

[GodlessBiker]

21. Obama and Clinton don't want to face the truth on this issue. Good luck, Mr. Crowley.

[sabrina 1]

46. The truth is they condone torture, so I guess they have faced

the truth and have decided it's okay. Torture is big business. The Germans eg, have been exposed for the selling of torture equipment to Dictators and their abominable secret police now that protesters have raided secret police headquarters in Egypt and Tunisia.

Obama works for the MIC and clearly is not about to do what Crowley just did, speak out against torture and then do something about it. He has backed away from all of his campaign promises. I imagine someone sat him down and pointed out the 'business realities' of ending torture. All those contracts, imagine the money lost if we actually stopped torturing people.

Maybe Crowley just couldn't take it anymore, being an enabler to a brutal regime, after watching what is going in the ME and N. Africa. Good move, because sooner or later violators of International Human rights law do end up being prosecuted.

Look at Latin America. It took 30 years to bring the torturers to justice, but it is finally happening. Maybe Crowley is smarter than the rest of this administration and knows that things happen a little faster in today's world.

I know I sent him a message on his twitter acct as did many others about U.S. criminal policies that he apppeared to be excusing a few weeks ago.

[Bragi]

78. Even for an empire, torture isn't a profit centre...

It's a necessary overhead expense. A few people make a buck supplying torturers with equipment and with people to be tortured, but that isn't the point. The point is terrorizing the population so they know what the state can and will do, and know that there are no legal or poitical impediments to them so doing.

[pam4water]

23. For one tiny little piece of true the got fired :( K&R Tried tweeting about it. I'm still figuring

out twitter.

[sabrina 1]

37. Here's his twitter acct link

http://twitter.com/#!/PJCrowley

If you don't have an acct you probably can't send him a message, but it really is easy to start one. And they don't ask for any intrusive personal info.

[pam4water]

66. OK I got that far and I tweet @PJCrowley That I thought it was wrong to ask him to step down over

his comments? Is that what I'm supposed to do? Assume people get notified when every the @username is mentioned.

[sabrina 1]

69. If you have an account, the message you sent him

should show up on your home page also. He will get it on his page. Thank you for doing that. When they do something right we ought to tell them. :-)

[snot]

27. K&R'd

[JJW]

30. Truth to Power

He makes O, Hillary, and the Pentagon look stupid and amoral.

[Maineman]

31. That figures - thanks to the military industrial complex

[blackspade]

32. I called this one two days ago!

I guess the truth hit to close to home for Obama.

[FlyByNight]

33. I'm sure Crowley's statement about Bradley Manning's...

...(mis)treatment had nothing to do with the abrupt dismissal/resignation. Right?

[chill_wind]

34. CNN- "abruptly resigns". "officials were furious."

http://whitehouse.blogs.cnn.com/2011/03/13/crowley-resigns-as-state-department-spokesman/

[sabrina 1]

38. Why should we be surprised?

Stupid people, they are only confirming that going after Wikileaks and Manning is a witch hunt to defend their torture policies and war crimes.

Not to mention that Wikileaks cables revealed how the U.S. was so angry at some of the most respected Human Rights judges from the European Human Rights Court.

And we know now from Wikileaks cables, that this administration directly interfered with the Spanish Court's investigation of Bush's torturers in an attempt to protect them from the law.

There can no longer be any doubt that this administraion was not just 'looking forward' when they refused to prosecute war crimes, they were lying. Because their policies are no different.

Change? What did THAT mean? Definitely not what we thought it meant.

[underpants]

41. As well he should. Look I don't like what they are doing and it was great for PJ to say so

but the POTUS can not have spokesmen going off message and actually countering the message.

Flame away if you want, I am just saying that there isn't a single POTUS or Governor or small businessman who will have people in the organization going public and countering them.

[sabrina 1]

45. Condoning torture is not a 'message' anyone should support

Just following orders is not an excuse for those who do.

And you're wrong about leaders not having people in their organizations who disagree with them. It's very likely that Crowley, who was taking the heat (I know I sent him a message on his twitter feed about the policies of supporting dictators he was trying to cover for) for the horrendous policies on torture of this administration, tried to talk to them about doing something about Manning's situation if for nothing else, it was bad, bad policy not to. A strong leader WANTS people in his administration who are not just yes men. Or maybe the president is just a spokesperson, as Crowley was and takes HIS orders from whoever is running this country.

If that is the case, I hope Obama will soon do as Crowley did, take a stand against torture even it means losing his job. I would admire him greatly if he did that. Otoh, maybe he doesn't see anything wrong with torture, but I thought that about Crowley also and was wrong.

I'm sure this didn't happen spontaneously. And no American citizen is obligated to cover up for torture or other war crimes. In fact they are required NOT to.

NOW, he knows what happened to Manning. He too tried to do something about torture, and was ignored, so became a whistle-blower. Crowley oddly now finds himself in a similar position. You cannot speak out against torture in this administration.

And to think we supported this. Biggest regret of my life.

[underpants]

57. I agree with all of that

except supporting Obama - the alternative?

My point is that Crowley had to know that he would get canned for it. Good for him to bring it out into the light although the reporting on it will only be bad about Obama - not the torture (that will hardly be mentioned) but that Obama fired him.

[EFerrari]

59. All true but I notice Crowley criticized the Pentagon, not the President.

So it makes me wonder what kind of struggle is going in the background.

[DeSwiss]

42. Well, that didn't take long.

- Nope, not long at all. He should be glad he's leaving. These people have no integrity nor any conscience, at all. Totally corrupt......

We have to understand that government as we know it today, is not in place for the well being of the public, but rather for the perpetuation of their establishment and their power. Just like every other institution within a monetary system. Government is a monetary invention for the sake of economic and social control and its methods are based upon self-preservation, first and foremost. All a government can really do is to create laws to compensate for an inherent lack of integrity within the social order.

In society today the public is essentially kept distracted and uninformed. This is the way that governments maintain control. If you review history, power is maintained through ignorance. ~ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPmHaTirnCc">Peter Joseph

K&R

[sabrina 1]

60. "If you review history, power is maintained through ignorance."

Yes, but that is changing rapidly as the revolutions in the Arab world are demonstrating. The young people were able to get information their parents were denied. STate TV was no longer their only source of information.

Wikileaks, and there will be more of them, also has helped shine a light on the dark secrets of governments around the world. This has all empowered ordinary people and is scaring those who HAVE dirty secrets enough to that Hillary Clinton recently found she needed to address the problem.

As she said when asking for funds 'to help us get our message across', Al Jazeera, RT and other news orgs are now delivering real news to the world and the U.S. is 'losing control of the message'.

She was not happy about those news orgs, but she recognized that the real news trumps propaganda which the U.S. used to have control over, every time.

She should not be talking about 'our message', what is 'our message'? That democracies are bad (Latin America) and dictators are 'our good friends and allies' as Obama and she said about Mubarak?

No, what she should have said was, the people need the truth in order to preserve democracy. But she didn't. She bemoaned the fact that the truth people are now getting, is causing the U.S. Imperialist state to 'lose control of the message'.

Those of us who supported these people were badly fooled into thinking they were different. The all work for the MIC and none of the current politicians we have are going to change that.

[DeSwiss]

62. Precisely.

Which is why I believe that the whole system must be replaced because you can't fix that which is inherently flawed.

We must evolve or perish.

The oligarchy must be torn down completely -- it is us or them.

Number of millionaires in the world (2009)
19,900,000 or (0.0028828516492623414901197125689067 of the world population)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millionaire#Number_of_millionaires_in_the_world

Number of people in the world (03/01/11)
6,902,887,287 or (0.997117148350737658509880287432 of the world population)
http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/popclockworld.html

- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=le9y22XsXy4&feature=feedu">We-Must-Shift-The-Paradigm

[BlueIris]

43. I'm sure Mr. Crowley will get a better job soon.

And look back on this and see it for the minor bump in the road it was.

[Arrowhead2k1]

44. Fucking bullshit!

He was the most respectable person in this administration.

[Name removed]

48. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[vicarofrevelwood]

49. they would have to fire My ass...

My response would be; "Mr. Potus, I am an American Citizen And Have a right to speak out, I am entitled to My Opinion. And Sir with All due respect, Yours stinks too."

[Name removed]

50. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[defendandprotect]

52. We've lost a positive advocate here -- and left with those defending torture -- !!

[lovuian]

54. Is ridiculous and counterproductive and STUPID

answering that what is being done to Manning by Defense Department officials "is ridiculous and counterproductive and stupid."

well said and he is showing he is FED UP

Manning is being tortured by this administration no doubt about it

OBAMA and CLINTON ....there is NO EXCUSE for this behavior

except get a mirror and look in it and see Cheney and Bush

[ClarkUSA]

61. Crowley: "The unauthorized disclosure of classified information is a serious crime under U.S. law."

Some people were asking for the text of his statement. Here it is:

STATEMENT BY PHILIP J. CROWLEY

The unauthorized disclosure of classified information is a serious crime under U.S. law. My recent comments regarding the conditions of the pre-trial detention of Private First Class Bradley Manning were intended to highlight the broader, even strategic impact of discreet actions undertaken by national security agencies every day and their impact on our global standing and leadership. The exercise of power in today's challenging times and relentless media environment must be prudent and consistent with our laws and values.

Given the impact of my remarks, for which I take full responsibility, I have submitted my resignation as Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs and Spokesman for the Department of State.

I am enormously grateful to President Obama and Secretary Clinton for the high honor of once again serving the American people. I leave with great admiration and affection for my State colleagues, who promote our national interest both on the front lines and in the quiet corners of the world. It was a privilege to help communicate their many and vital contributions to our national security. And I leave with deep respect for the journalists who report on foreign policy and global developments every day, in many cases under dangerous conditions and subject to serious threats. Their efforts help make governments more responsible, accountable and transparent.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x628148

[JanDutchy]

64. According to NY Times : it was in the Air :

In U.S. Signals to Egypt, Obama Straddled a Rift
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/13/world/middleeast/13diplomacy.html?_r=1

And Under International Law it is not a crime to speak the truth and moreover to disclose information on brutal violence of Human Rights and the Geneva Convention by the USA .





Why is the USA NOT still a member of The International Criminal Court (ICC) ?

http://www.icc-cpi.int/Menus/ASP/states+parties/

[1monster]

63. The truth quite often carries a sting -- The White House must be needing quite

a bit of Benadryl because their reaction to that sting seems over the top.

[SpankMe]

67. Tell the truth, then quit.

Apparently, there's no room for any dissent or debate in the Obama administration. The net orientation of the staff grows more and more conservative with each passing day as people who think out loud are forced to quit.

[struggle4progress]

68. State Department spokesman quits after criticizing WikiLeaks suspect's treatment (WaPo)

By Mary Beth Sheridan
Sunday, March 13, 2011; 9:15 PM

... Crowley had a difficult relationship with Philippe Reines, a senior adviser to Clinton, and had less access than some of his predecessors to the nation's top diplomat. For most of the past year, Clinton hasn't taken a spokesman on her trips overseas.

Even before the latest controversy, Crowley had been expected to leave within months, possibly for an ambassadorship. That prospect is now out. Crowley will be replaced at least temporarily by Mike Hammer, a longtime diplomat who recently returned to State after serving as National Security Council spokesman.

Clinton said in a statement that she had accepted Crowley's resignation with regret.

"His service to country is motivated by a deep devotion to public policy and public diplomacy, and I wish him the very best," she said ...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/03/13/AR2011031303664.html

[hedgetrimmer]

70. WikiLeaks detention critic quits State Dept.

Source: Chicago Sun Times

WASHINGTON — Chief State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley quit on Sunday after causing a stir by describing the U.S. military’s treatment of the suspected WikiLeaks leaker as “ridiculous” and “stupid,” forcing President Obama to defend the detention as appropriate.

Read more: http://www.suntimes.com/news/nation/4300387-418/wikileaks-detention-critic-quits-state-dept.

[DURHAM D]

71. This is definitely not latest breaking.

Check for prior posts please. Its been repeatedly posted and has been discussed here all day.

[boppers]

72. Oddly enough, this is the first time I've seen it in an OP.

I have, however, seen lots of fall-out threads.

[DURHAM D]

73. I just counted a dozen OPs.

There could be more - I just skimmed.

[boppers]

74. I have a long ignore list.

:shrug:

[hedgetrimmer]

75. I've not seen it

and it was posted on news sight 23 minutes before I posted it here. Get her locked if its duped.

[Crabby Appleton]

76. Posted about 11 hours ago - 71 comments

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4768894

[hedgetrimmer]

77. OK Crabby! Lock it down.. lets get that moderator on this.

[nalnn]

79. Weird

I somehow saw this coming