Proper punishment for people who harass you as you’re walking down the sidewalk trying to get you to sign up and give money to their organization? Fines and imprisonment? Or summary execution?
It was the right thing to do. But by all means let’s keep it secret.
Let’s not get distracted by what happened and lose sight of who was briefed about it.
The White House has decided to reverse course and now refuse to release photographs of abuse of detainees in Iraq and Afghanistan — even though the Pentagon had previously announced that it would release them (in response to a court order in a FOIA case brought by the ACLU).
Press Secretary Robert Gibbs is on TV now defending the move with what I have to say is an extremely lame rationale. He doesn’t look like he’s convinced even himself.
Late Update: White House press corps like crows to shiny objects: Gibbs breaks the awkwardness of the moment by confiscating ringing cell phone of Human Events reporter. Hearty laughter all around. Grilling on photos non-release quickly comes to end.
Later Update: CBS Radio’s Mark Knoller tries valiantly to get presser back on track with tough question on the non-release, but Gibbs volleys with ribbing of CBS TV’s Bill Plante, whom Gibbs had booted from room for his ringing cell phone. Good times.
Low Moments in Journalism Update: As we anticipated, the highlight of the White House briefing for CNN was the cell phone confiscation. Hardy har-har.
It’s hard not to view today’s reversal by the White House, announcing that photos of detainee abuse in Afghanistan and Iraq will not be released to the public, as a sign of how long and hard they think the slog is ahead in Afghanistan — and how crucial the outcome there will be for the future success of this Administration.
Obama has installed a new commander in Afghanistan who is steeped in counterinsurgency doctrine and devoted considerable resources and political capital to a new strategy there. I’m speculating, but the White House and Pentagon must not have cherished the idea of having their new start in Afghanistan undermined by the release of pictures that would further inflame the Muslim world.
That’s not a defense of the decision. I think it’s a bad one. But it’s an ominous decision for reasons that go beyond upholding the spirit of FOIA.
It’s a very good question for those who believe in health care reform and action on global warming whether to be heartened or worried that key industry groups now want to work with President Obama on these reforms. But it does signal something very significant in itself — that the key industry stakeholders who oppose reform have decided that outright opposition simply isn’t a viable strategy. Ron Brownstein made the point very clearly in an interview a couple hours ago on MSNBC.
We won’t have those photos of detainee abuse, but we got plenty of video of the decision not to release the pics. We start with Robert Gibbs’ defense of the decision at today’s White House press briefing (pretty lame, as I said below). Then Gibbs throwing the press corp off his scent with some well-timed humor that worked dismayingly well (I have a harder time distracting my dog with liver treats). Finally, the President himself addressed the issue (slightly more convincingly) in a late afternoon appearance.
Andrew Cuomo gets another fraudster to plead guilty (and apparently cooperate) in the ever-expanding state pension fraud probe.