Everybody says it the same way, with quotation marks. Representative Tom Reynolds [R-New York] cancelled his appearance on the Sunday Talking head show because he had "flu-like symptoms." I guess there’s a general consensus that the fact that the Republican story line about Foley isn’t exactly flying and Reynolds is plummeting in the polls [down 15 points: 48% to 33%] is the real reason he didn’t show up.
Instead of snickering and tee-heeing, I think there’s a lot larger point we can make. Without "spin," they have nothing that they can say. It’s a hell of a day when a politician, particularly the chairman of the committee that is in charge of getting people elected, figures that he’s better off not talking. Likewise, Cheney called up Bob Woodward, angry that Woodward quoted him as saying that Henry Kissinger was a frequent visitor [adviser] to the White House. Why was he mad? Because he didn’t want that fact with that story. He wanted it with another story.
They only want the story to be told in the way they want it to be told. That interview with Wolf Blitzer was a similar issue. A Republican was ranting on about the Democrats being behind the leak of the Foley information. Blitzer said, "Yes or No, Do you have evidence that is true?" Representative Patrick McHenry [R-NC] said, "They need to deny it." In other words, the Republican accusations are true until proved wrong. And if Reynolds is any example, when proved wrong, they disappear.
Tucker Carlson hints that some Democrat has been hitting on female Pages and it’s going to come out. True? Who knows? And if it’s true, does it make Foley and the Speaker of the House overlooking his behavior for years okay? Of course not. Expose whomever needs exposing. But don’t throw out teasers and smirk – smirk and run.
The trouble with "Smoke and Mirrors" is that when they stop working, they really stop working. Once the little man behind the curtain is seen, it’s over for Oz forever…
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