Comments (63)

Mae Coleman wrote on September 21, 2007 5:41 PM:

Dana- STFU, you stupid, stupid bitch.

Michael Lafferty wrote on September 21, 2007 5:47 PM:

I don't know.

I don't know… I don't know.

And, so on. Eight times in that short 3 minute and 9 second snippet.

It all sounds just too familiar. Did all of these senior staff personnel attend the same public speaking seminars?

So, just what the hell DO you know, Dana?

JEP wrote on September 21, 2007 6:00 PM:

If the military did this work it is traditionally tasked with, then Erik Prince of Darkness and his sidekick Mr. Black (sure has an otherworldly, ominous sort of ring, huh?) would not have raked in millions and millions of dollars.

Considering that, at least superficially, none of our Generals get a cut of their soldier's pay, and no doubt the managers of Blackwater get a piece of every mercenarie's moolah, one might assume that this has become a profiteer's war, manned by privateers.

It is State sponsored terrorism... and it is coming home to roost.

How ironic, now so many people fear a perverted version of an old movie, instead of a Red Dawn, we will face a mercenary "red white and blue dawn."

This is nothing less than the apex of the proverbial accumulation of unwarranted power by the congressional/military/industrial complex Eisenhower warned us was coming.

Well,it is here, fully armed and full of prejudice.

And they used our own tax money to build it.

M M wrote on September 21, 2007 6:00 PM:

Dana's hot, no doubt, but she's not the most effective spokeswoman in the world even if she's trying to deflect all these inquiries.

plane wrote on September 21, 2007 6:04 PM:

She's really good at speaking many words while saying nothing at all.

Diane wrote on September 21, 2007 6:05 PM:

Oh lordy, Bush may have found a rival for the stupid award!

JEP wrote on September 21, 2007 6:07 PM:

I think I just figured out why Snow bailed when he did.

So how would Tony have handled the same questions?

We will never know, they have tossed their latest sacrificial psuedo-spokesperson.

The poor girl is obviously way in over her head, she's ready and willing to say whatever it takes to move the Big Lie along for another day.

At least she will be able to tell her grandkids she was the WH Press Secretary.

Like Petreas will tell his progeny he was THE General in Iraq.

But we all know they were last-ditch, desperate options when the real players jumped off the ship.

Mike H. wrote on September 21, 2007 6:10 PM:

Look at the long list of White House spokespersons including Tony Snow.

All find themselves in the absolutely impossible position of defending the indefensible. Unfortunately, none of them have enough personal integrity to tell their puppet masters to 'shove it' and walk away from the job.

Can you define "Hack."

But, after 1 20 2009 they will all find jobs in the private sector selling more cheap BS.

(Why I left government - 'it quite nearly killed me!')

JEP wrote on September 21, 2007 6:11 PM:

Gates..."I don't know."

Petreas..."I don't know."

Perrino..."I don't know."

Are we seeing a pattern here?

megisi wrote on September 21, 2007 6:16 PM:

I read an article that said Blackwater does not provide health care coverage for its mercs.

Well, someone is receiving coverage at that company. Their contract is with a Michigan health insurer.

31tudor wrote on September 21, 2007 6:19 PM:

And who said Maliki is a puppet?

Mike Mid City wrote on September 21, 2007 6:26 PM:

I seem to remember the Marines doing a reasonable job of embassy security.

douchebaguette wrote on September 21, 2007 6:28 PM:

whatever...

she's cute as hell

gwpriester wrote on September 21, 2007 6:31 PM:

To paraphrase the neo-cons, it's better to have them (Blackwater) fighting over there so we don't have to fight them (Blackwater) over here.

ArrrW wrote on September 21, 2007 6:32 PM:

Maybe the Iraqi security forces could scoot over so that Blackwater could sit in on those U.S. Army "training sessions".

Pat Pattillo wrote on September 21, 2007 6:34 PM:

Blackwater is yet another tactic in the overarching conservative strategy to distance themselves from consequences arising from the the means employed in accomplishing their goals. Highly paid security forces immune from prosecution for war crimes? Decreasing dependence on US military? Increasing our dependency on them? Profiting from no-bid contracts?

Their utopian world is one in which, regardless of outcome, they will always be able to shrug their shoulders and plausibly deny accountability.

The hens have invaded the fox house in unprecedented ways and they will not stop. They must be stopped.

It should not be unexpected that contracts involving some 9 billion dollars are under criminal investigation. Investigations that would never had occurred with the former Republican majority.

gavin immerson wrote on September 21, 2007 6:45 PM:

Ms. Perino's "Deer-in-the-headlights" style is reminiscent of Perini Schleroso, Andrea Martin's great SCTV cleaning lady.
Watch for her to start briefing in a wet t-shirt (a la Rove) soon as the ring continues to close.

JimBob wrote on September 21, 2007 6:51 PM:

Poor kid's got the dream job of a lifetime, only when she was setting out her careers plans she didn't count on shilling for a dishonest, corrupt and incompetent administration. Kind of like getting to star in a movie, only to learn on the first day of shooting that the script is a POS and your character is a jerk.

karl wrote on September 21, 2007 6:54 PM:

"Perrino..."I don't know."

Are we seeing a pattern here?"

Yes. Lazy reporters don't want to take the time to contact the State Department. They would rather prove the stand-in for Bush is not omniscient. It gives them snarky, smug warm feelings.

Daddy Love wrote on September 21, 2007 7:00 PM:

They might as well have had Alberto Gonzales answering...

chabuka wrote on September 21, 2007 7:07 PM:

If this young democracy would just stand up and throw Blackwater out...if the Maliki government in Iraq would only stand up and say no...we would just not let them!...Bush/Cheney

chabuka wrote on September 21, 2007 7:08 PM:

If this young democracy would just stand up and throw Blackwater out...if the Maliki government in Iraq would only stand up and say no...we would just not let them!...Bush/Cheney

chabuka wrote on September 21, 2007 7:08 PM:

If this young democracy would just stand up and throw Blackwater out...if the Maliki government in Iraq would only stand up and say no...we would just not let them!...Bush/Cheney

chabuka wrote on September 21, 2007 7:09 PM:

If this young democracy would just stand up and throw Blackwater out...if the Maliki government in Iraq would only stand up and say no...we would just not let them!...Bush/Cheney

Myklus wrote on September 21, 2007 7:11 PM:

karl said "Yes. Lazy reporters don't want to take the time to contact the State Department. They would rather prove the stand-in for Bush is not omniscient. It gives them snarky, smug warm feelings."

This has been in the Press long enough for her to be briefed.

Try is to remember that the White House is responsible for the actions of the state department.

This has been going on for half a decade.

It is just a slimy "plausible deniability" attempt that she could not force herself to buy into to be convincing.

YoloMike wrote on September 21, 2007 7:12 PM:

Here's an idea for the next Prez. Let's pull out all of our troops immediately and leave the mercenaries there, to be paid only after they have established "a free and democratic Iraq that is not a threat to US interests in the region." Either they pull out and the "free market" decided against war, or they stay in to be wiped out by Iraqis. Either way, America wins.

Hector wrote on September 21, 2007 7:15 PM:

31tudor "And who said Maliki is a puppet?" During the Paris peace negotiations, after the North Vietnamese delegate had for the nth time referred to the Saigon government as US puppets, the bedraggled US negotiator asked, "How can they be our puppets when they never do what we tell them to?", to which the North Vietnamese delegate replied, "They're just BAD puppets."

karl "Lazy reporters don't want to take the time to contact the State Department. They would rather prove the stand-in for Bush is not omniscient." As Bush never tires of saying, he is "the commander guy." He therefore is responsible for so fundamental a matter as the split between the Iraqi government and a major US contractor. He, not the State Department, took this country to war. He, not the State Department, determines US conduct in Iraq. Or so his "stand-ins" in Congress and he himself, contend. And as to the alleged unfairness of expecting the "stand-in for Bush is not omniscient", she's not the "stand-in" -- she's the White House spokesman. It's her job to know these things and, if she does not know, to say, "I will find out and get back to you. Thank you."

Robert wrote on September 21, 2007 7:21 PM:

An inept spokesperson to be sure; it's time for a pro.

As a factual matter (see posts above), military has never been charged with protection of diplomats, except in brief, exigent circumstances.

Same goes for Marine Security Guards - they protect the embassies, but not individuals going about their duties in the host country. They are not trained for it and would likely fight any attempt to expand their role.

Doofus wrote on September 21, 2007 7:27 PM:

Amerika, meet your Brownshirts: Blackwater. Coming soon to a false-flag terror incident near you!

SecurityMom wrote on September 21, 2007 7:30 PM:

In this administration, the job description for White House Press Secretary should read "to convey contempt for the truth, the voters, and the press." The Press Secretary is the lead actor in a weird little bullying drama King George puts on to mock the idea of an open government. Dana Perino was given this position precisely because she isn't poised or articulate.

IMO wrote on September 21, 2007 7:37 PM:

The one thing that Blackwater, like BushCheney, wants least of all is scrutiny of its business practices and its non-existant accountability. The one thing that is needed is a lot more pointed, public questions.

Bruce Webb wrote on September 21, 2007 7:45 PM:

Hector that was hilarious, though all too sad.

Chalabi! Allawi! Maliki! Bad Puppets! To which we could probably add Bremer!

Oddly Wolfowitz, Rumsfeld, and Cheney will never make the list "It's great to run the puppet show, as long as I am the puppetmaster".

Figbash wrote on September 21, 2007 8:14 PM:

Dana channels not Tony, not even Air Flyshit, but li'l Scotty McClellan.

"In Robert Draper’s new book Dead Certain, he writes that chief of staff Josh Bolten’s first choice to replace Scott McClellan as press secretary was Donald Rumsfeld’s former spokeswoman in the Pentagon, Torie Clarke. Clarke informed Bolten that she would “rather commit suicide” than take McClellan’s job. [snip] -- from Think Progress. I guess Torie, though not as "cute" (whoever the hell gives a shit about that), at least had half an active brain cell.

Jeff Grunewald wrote on September 21, 2007 8:16 PM:

She's WAY more smug and annoying than Tony Snow, if that's possible.

pny wrote on September 21, 2007 8:36 PM:

This is not a woman who "doesn't know" because she's dumb or smug. She "doesn't know" because she's afraid she'll say something that Cheney didn't approve first. Cheney is behind that Blackwater deal and she's scared of him.

Kate Henry wrote on September 21, 2007 8:44 PM:

Wow, that woman is in WAY over her head. It's going to be fun watching her disintegrate day after day. Just as long as the reporters don't wimp out and feel like they are harassing a puppy.

Me_again wrote on September 21, 2007 9:05 PM:

Ah, ah, ah excuse me, but what month is it?

September!!! Isn't that Quail and Dove hunting season? Can't expect Cheney to have his finger on Bush's every stupid thought.

Time to get drunk and shoot someone else in the on face.

questioneverything wrote on September 21, 2007 9:08 PM:

Her job description is to lie for the white house. Period.

Is any of the $6 billion or $88 billion of private contracts now under CRIMINAL investigation attributed to Blackwater? To who, exactly? Hope we get some info. This should have happened 4 years ago. Who was in the majority then who let this happen? Would it be the Republicans? What a surprise. Wonder which senators and reps got kickbacks for this scheme. Why don't they want to leave Iraq exactly?

Could Dana address the most massive fraud ever perpetrated on the American taxpayer? Nah.

fuzz wrote on September 21, 2007 9:23 PM:

I started playing this without realizing my speakers were unplugged.

Wow.

Turn off the audio and just watch her facial expressions.

Spotty Dog wrote on September 21, 2007 9:25 PM:

Do I remember reading that Blackwater mercs are paid 30K per month? Sure why not outsource the protection of US government officials to a privately owned militia? Someone is making a lot of money and it's the not the privates wearing the US Army uniforms.

Anyone know who provided protection for US government and state department officials during the Vietnam War? Another poster indicated that the Marines only guard Embassies and not state department officials. How long has this been going on?

Utopia wrote on September 21, 2007 10:16 PM:

Perino is a lightweight who is in waaay over her head. She will not last the rest of Bush's term in office. Especially if she keeps saying "I don't know". Isn't it her job to know? If not, what good is she?

U

litigatormom wrote on September 21, 2007 10:31 PM:

This press conference sounds like that anxiety dream you have where you find yourself on stage and don't know what the play is or what role you have. Except this appears to be Dana's reality....

Robert wrote on September 21, 2007 10:59 PM:

A poster has asked how long it has been the case that Marine Security Guards protect diplomatic facilities. The answer is that has been the case since the Guard program was instituted. The history is available through Google and other sources. As on many topics, some facts are relatively easy to come by.

Obviously, the people inside the facilities are protected by the Marines and, more importantly in terms of numbers and treaty obligations, by the host country.

As to Vietnam, most diplomats were not given personal protection and moved throughout Saigon on their own. Those of the highest rank usually had host country personal protection as they moved about the city or elsewhere in the country.

Department of Defense in general, and the Marines in particular, do not believe personal security to be a part of their mission and resist all attempts to use them for that purpose. Even routine guard duty at many military installations is relegated to civilians. This has been the case for years and should come as no surprise.

anonymouse wrote on September 21, 2007 11:17 PM:

Something to perhaps remember....
When a crook and/or con (or a bunch of crooks and cons) get together to begin their illegal activities, it is not the honest person with integrity they attract... it is other cons and folks looking for the instant shell game and windfall. I would suggest that very few of the contractors working at the high levels of our government currently have much honesty OR integrity. If they did, they most likely would not desire to be involved with the folks who are now leading our government and its agencies.

Honest people with integrity would have never set up Blackwater or any other contractor to the degree that there is no responsibility or consequences for their actions.

In fact, folks who actually cared just a little bit for the innocent victims in Iraq would want to protect them, not allow them to be slaughtered without recourse.

Our currenty administration is acting according some internal mechanism that has nothing to do with actually wanting a democracy or caring about human lives or anything else which involves "others". It is a totally self focusing behavior, such as a one or two year old child displays. The child is somewhat acting as though he/she is playing with another child, when in fact, the child is focused on himself. Its just the NEARNESS of the other child which gives the appearance of playing together.

Agents of god, I believe follow the same pattern. The actual goal is not to attain some meaningful external resolution but rather to "listen" and do what god says, whether it is to kill all the heathens or lead the faithful wherever god wants the agent to lead them... without questioning.

The second example (in my opinion) is more dangerous because one and two year olds don't normally have access to nuclear bombs.

wiseoldgranny wrote on September 22, 2007 12:08 AM:

What no one is talking about is that Blackwater was in New Orleans and there were people killed on an overpass and did not have guns. Blackwater? I don't know. It's a question that should be asked.

KingDave wrote on September 22, 2007 12:41 AM:

Robert wrote: military has never been charged with protection of diplomats, except in brief, exigent circumstances.

True. Normally the host country provides any needed security. No need for mercenaries. Give them a bodyguard of Iraqi police. After all, things are going well there, shouldn't be a problem. Not for long, anyhow.

tajjie wrote on September 22, 2007 5:10 AM:

My goodness, she talks as fast as an auctioneer.

Nobody's buying, but neither the WH stenographers nor the American public have given a damn about the multiple armies of (corporate) mercenaries, whether guarding American officials or interrogating prisoners. There's no way to put put a smile on this; most I suspect think it's the cost of doing the business that they supported in '03, voted for in '04, and against in '06. The Congress can be frozen in a perpetual gridlock, but the buyers remorse hasn't become outrage except among those who saw the trainwreck before it happened.

That's why Congressional Dems can hand the scream team more access and less oversight after turning on the lights and seeing that the cockroaches aren't even bothering to scramble for the woodwork.

Read how Gallup reports the before/after polling on Petreus. The left rightly points out that the vast majority want us out of Iraq on a timetable regardelss of the situation on the ground, think that we're either not helping by being there, or actively hurting the situation, and think that there's been no progress. Gallup bills this as America agrees with Petreus--and when you look at the results you realize that their interpretation is accurate. The vast majority of Americans think that that's what Petreus said. Really.

Doesn't matter what Dana said. This junta is going to get away with their crimes.

DrBB wrote on September 22, 2007 8:02 AM:

Gosh what nice looking spokesbots the GOP android factory is putting out these days.

footsore wrote on September 22, 2007 10:08 AM:

Host country? We are talking about Iraq. Host implies that we were invited.
footsore

chard wrote on September 22, 2007 10:17 AM:

Not really, footsore,
A parasite is not invited by its' "host."

VL wrote on September 22, 2007 10:46 AM:

This is merely the Five O'Clock Follies redux, with added banality.

As long as "I don't know" and referrals to unnamed officials at one department or another for information are acceptable answers, this will continue and increase.

I wonder how press conferences in Argentina's Dirty War were handled. "You'll have to ask the military those questions" could be a straight answer, or it could be a threat.

IGiveUp wrote on September 22, 2007 11:00 AM:

C'mon guys. She wasn't hired because of her political acumen.

If someone ugly (like Gonzo) keeps saying "I don't know", the media gets testy. She can say it all day long. That way, Bush's other appointees don't have to say it.

umpete wrote on September 22, 2007 11:48 AM:

"I don't know," and "I don't recall," weren't these the famous replies from Prez Clinton during his interrogation???

The press is indeed lazy, if they think these responses are newsworthy...

It is easy to kick "Blackwater" while it is down....you must remember that much of the culture in Iraq involves lying about incidents that involve non-Muslims ... so wait for final information before drawing any definite conclusions ... One item that does not add up regarding the latest shooting, is that a woman and child were killed....not sure how many women and children are riding around vehicles these days in Iraq, but it seems they are always the victims

Harry R. Sohl wrote on September 22, 2007 12:08 PM:

Hey, Scott McClellan's looking pretty good with that longer hair and the highlights!

...not sure how many women and children are riding around vehicles these days in Iraq, but it seems they are always the victims

Weren't there 18 to 20 deaths reported? So, what happened to the other 80%-90% of the murdered people in your "example"?

Besides, the people we shoot always seem to be Al Qaeda.

Max Renn wrote on September 22, 2007 12:49 PM:

Like Fuzz above, I turned off the sound -- very telling because you can see exactly when she gets the question she's been dreading. Her expressions tell it all, the words are really unimportant.

Strangely enough, this no-sound technique works with most politicians and ALL republicans. Great fun to watch the outpouring of venom the small telling facial expressions can't conceal. I tried this for the first time with a tape of Shrub during his first debate with Kerry. God, the guy looked like an absolute lunatic... anger, fear, insolence and completely unhidden contempt every second he was up there.

We all know the expressions of hate but the smooth, soothing politicians words lull us into ignoring what is plain...well, what is as plain as the look on your face.

Turn off the sound! WATCH and you shall see.

muymalgal wrote on September 22, 2007 12:50 PM:

she is the sacrificial lamb, but i still wouldnt fuck her with someone elses dick.
the guys working for blackwater make 550 a day. does that not make everyone sick, the have "state of the art" equipment, the best in body armor, paid for by the us taxpayer. our military are comming back with around 75% of the injuries being head injuries, and brain damages. Much of those could be avoided if we added a 75 dollar insert into the helmets. tsk tsk. the body armor company a couple of years ago, got awarded another us contract even though it was determined their product did not protect our soilders. bullets went right through it. but hey, lets order some more of those. meanwhile the owner of the armor company has a ONE MILLION DOLLAR BAT MITZVA (i know my spelling sucks) for his 13year old daughter, they even flew in Don Henley for the event, bet the 13 year olds were thrilled.
these blackwater gestapo are loyal to one thing, their paycheck, and what do you know, the company was started by a right wing christian extremist!!!

gregor wrote on September 22, 2007 2:28 PM:

Nothing new here.

After all, the largest colonial enterprise in the eighteenth century was a business entity, not a nation.

Jane wrote on September 22, 2007 7:51 PM:

Poor,poor Blackwater: they got caught murdering people unnecessarily -- for what the 7th time?

I guess that means they are down and we shouldn't kick them around anymore.

The head of Blackwater is a Catholic convert and his sister is married to Amway heir Devoss who lost a race to become Governor of Michigan. She herself was a big power in Republican party circles in Michigan but got crosswise with them. She lead a campaign for vouches in Michigan which the voters rejected.

olo wrote on September 22, 2007 11:48 PM:

MS. PERINO: I don't know why......
MS. PERINO: I think you're going to have to ask the State Department ...
MS. PERINO: I don't know. You're going to have to ask the State Department.
MS. PERINO: I'm not, I'm not going to comment on it.
MS. PERINO: It could be. I don't know....
MS. PERINO: I don't know. I think what we need to wait...
MS. PERINO: I don't know. I don't know, I'd have to look.
MS. PERINO: Well, I think that there is because -- I think that is because there is a need. I don't know why it was originally set up that way.

Why do these moronic reporters (read: stenographers) bother to wake up in the morning; Fucking masochists.

Steve Paradis wrote on September 23, 2007 8:40 AM:

"Ms. Perino's "Deer-in-the-headlights" style is reminiscent of Perini Schleroso, Andrea Martin's great SCTV cleaning lady."

As opposed to Tony Snow's imitation of Martin Short's Nathan Thurm? And Bill Sammon's Jeff Gannon?

NitPicker1 wrote on September 23, 2007 9:22 PM:

In last week's AusChron, Perino was profiled by someone who knew her way back when:

http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/story?oid=oid:540646

gbear wrote on September 23, 2007 11:10 PM:

Actually, Tony Snow didn't have an answer a lot of the time but he'd turn it around and say 'If you're such a smart guy, you tell me' and then proceed to berate the questioner. Dana may be only slightly less informed than Tony, but she's more of a nitwit than a neo-con a**hole like Tony.

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