Why do politicians say such things?
Bull Durham is one of my favorite sports movies. In a wonderful scene, Kevin Costner teaches Tim Robbins how to handle an interview by practicing his "cliches," things that you can say that will never offend anyone. "I'm just glad to be here and to help the team in any way that I can." "We're just taking it one game at a time." Bland, almost meaningless comments, that will never cause a sensation. I wonder why politicians can't just learn their cliches.
Vice President Dick Cheney said of Donald Rumsfeld "Don Rumsfeld is the best secretary of defence the United States has ever had." This was in answer to calls for Rumsfeld's resignation in the wake of documented abuses at Abu Ghraib. Huh? At the very least Donald Rumsfeld was unaware of the abuses taking place in Iraq, on what is "his watch." The abuses certainly gave America a black eye in terms of world opinion and may have severely damagesd our ability to create any kind of meaningful. democratic caoltion in Iraq. In a worst case scenario, the charge may be made the Donald Rumsfeld permitted a culture of abuse, of illegal actions, to grow and fester under his command. Wait, that might not be the worst case. We can only hope that the charges, when first made, were investigated fully and quickly.
Dick Cheney may like Donald Rumsfeld. He may have respect and admiration for the way that the combat phase of the war was carried out. But a series of incidents have occured and been brought to public light that do irreparable harm to the US. A Brigadier-General, Janis Karpinski, has been suspended. There is no way that this is a good thing.
What Dick Cheney should have said is "This is a matter that is currently under investigation and I do not think it appropriate to comment on such a matter. But let me add that I have complete confidence in Donald Rumsfeld to find out all the facts and to take appropriate action." Learn your cliches.