The Minister of Propaganda Speaks Out, Sorta

So I’m listening to a live press conference today with the Minister of Propaganda Scott McClellen, when I have a few insights. He was desperately trying to dance around a distinction between bad leaks, which are ones that hurt the White House politically and are used for “crass political” gain by Democrats, and good leaks, which are ones that help the White House politically and are made because they are “in the public interest.” The latter are therefore “public releases of important information” and not really leaks at all.

When the reporters attempted to get him to clarify this good leak/bad leak difference, he accused them of twisting his words and engaging in semantics (which, apparently, is a bad thing). When the reporters pointed out the Minister’s contradictions, he launched into a long semantic justification of his phrasing (which, apparently was a good thing).

The other major discussion the Minister of Propaganda had with the reporters was over questions citing a federal prosecutor’s release yesterday of testimony by a former White House Staffer that he had been told that the President had authorized the leak/release of previously classified information to a reporter. McClellan explained that the President could declassify classified information anytime he chose to do so, and refused to say whether a formal process was necessary for him to do this, or if he could just decide on a moment’s notice to declassify something. When pressed for details, the Minister insisted, as he has many times before, that he couldn’t comment on matters that were involved in ongoing investigations or legal proceedings.

It suddenly dawned on me that he will therefore never have to answer questions about any of the scandals surrounding the Bush Administration, because the investigations and legal proceedings will continue for the next several years! He will be safely retired and all the statutes of limitation will be expired before he will ever have to testify about his knowledge of the internal workings of the Administration.

Further thought also reveals the underlying Christian dualism beneath the Minister’s linguistic tactics. “Since” the President represents the Forces of Good, anything he does or says is good, and any criticism from the Forces of Evil (the Democrats, Greens, Libertarians, or anyone else who disagrees with the President) is “therefore” bad — end of discussion! White vs. black, right vs. wrong, no shades of gray allowed — let alone the full spectrum of deceit and incompetence demonstrated by this administration.

Would somebody *please* give the Democrats in Congress enough spinal transplants to enable the impeachment trials this nation needs? Just remember, “Impeach Cheney first!”