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Petraeus: How Many Times Do I Have to Defend My Stats?
Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA) didn't have much success in getting Gen. Petraeus to go into more detail about how he's derived his statistics for civilian casualties and sectarian attacks. Petraeus reminded Smith -- who misspoke by claiming Petraeus didn't present his total-casualty stats -- that he's presented Congress with the statistics that he has. But notice that Petraeus doesn't answer Smith's question about how Shiite-on-Shiite attacks or other, murkier "ethno-sectarian violence" (to use the general's phrase) gets classified.
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Comments (3)
Julie wrote on September 10, 2007 8:27 PM:I saw somewhere today that Ray McGovern(sp?) suggested that Patraeus be sworn in, and that McGovern was then kicked out of the hearing. No matter what you think about McGovern, it was a good suggestion, kind of a shot across the bow of this administration that nothing is going to be accepted at face value by the Dems any more.
Oh, that's right (~smacking forehead~) I forgot that Dems need to look as mawkishly sentimental about the military as the next party. Gag! Sorry, but that "support our troops" drivel is intended as a emotional thought-stopper, a technique used to block a rational line of thinking, questioning, one often used by cults. I'm getting tired of it. And if I get one more of those emails with the loud tinny music and waving flags, I am GOING TO SCREAM! When are people going to realize that that stuff isn't about supporting our troops, but about militarizing our country beyond recognition as a democracy? And, before any of them ask, no, I didn't spit on any of the troops returning home from Vietnam, I married one of them.
Dawn wrote on September 11, 2007 1:14 AM:I was listening to most of the hearing on cspan radio when I was at work, and it was obvious that Petraeus was doing a LOT of talking. Seeing the video makes it clear how exasperating it was for the questioners when he was going on and on and not answering their questions. He was masterful at running out the clock on these guys who were trying to be respectful and not interrupt much. It will be interesting to see how the Senate handles him tomorrow.
VL wrote on September 11, 2007 9:18 AM:Powell and Rice are good at this too.
Ask for information from Powell and you get, "Well, according to the information I am getting on the ground from the captains, according to the information I am getting on the ground from the majors, according to the information I am getting on the ground from the major generals, according to the information I am getting on the ground from our brave battalion commanders--who, may I say, are the ones on the ground getting the information to the captains, getting the information to the majors, getting this information up to the majors, and up to the major generals, I can tell you that we do have information, and it's very good, solid information that comes to us from the majors on the ground, that comes to us from the captains on the ground, that comes to us from the brave battalion commanders on the ground, who, may I add, . . . "