Robert Gibbs rattled by Telegraph story lashes out

[katty]

more: http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/toby_harnden/blog/2009/05/29/robert_gibbs_rattled_by_telegraph_story_lashes_out_at_british_press

EXCERPT:

Gibbs didn't feel he was on sure enough ground to attack Taguba or deny the Telegraph's story so he attempted to throw up a smokescreen by launching into what Daily Kos called a "cheap hacktastic smear attack on the British Press in general".

Anticipating the question and preparing his attack, Gibbs came up with a plodding (and botched - it's not the Champion's League "Cup") quip about British football (aka soccer):

"I will speak generally about some reports I've witnessed over the past few years in the British media, and in some ways I'm surprised it filtered down. Let's just say if I wanted to look up -- if I wanted to read a write-up today of how Manchester United fared last night in the Champion's League Cup, I might open up a British newspaper. If I was looking for something that bordered on truthful news, I'm not entirely sure it would be the first stack of clips I picked up."

Later on, he said:

"Again, I think if you do an even moderate Google search, you're not going to find many of these newspapers and truth within, say, 25 words of each other."

But notice that when Gibbs was asked a direct question, he obfuscated:


Q: So are you saying that the report is completely false?

MR. GIBBS: I would refer you very closely to the statement that DOD put out that the article is wrong and mischaracterizes the photos that are in question.

[sandnsea]

1. And more from Robert Gibbs

As the statement says, none of the photographs in question depict the images described in the article.

I have not seen all of the photographs, but I can tell you, as the Department of Defense can, that what is depicted in the article and what is depicted in the photographs are not the same thing.

I believe -- I will go back and ask. I believe that -- and I just don't have this in front of me -- that all of the photos that are part of the pending court case have to do with potential detainee abuse through the end of 2004; that as a result of the investigations that is where the photos came from, that they had been looked into, yes.

[movonne]

2. So show the photo's .... if this is not true then all photo's should

be shown because this would prove we are not the monsters we look like...

[sandnsea]

3. The photos in question

have already shown what kind of monsters we are. The real question is to get to the bottom of the connection between the actions and the Executive Branch, which is being totally diverted by this quest for the release of photos that show what we already know.

The other question is - are there OTHER photos that do not pertain to the case in question - which it would seem to me any 10 year old would think to ask given the totality of the responses.

Instead, as usual, Kos gets lost in irrelevant gotcha-game minutia.

[snowdays]

4. Why does not Gibbs know for sure? geesh!!

[IndianaGreen]

5. I miss the days of Pierre Salinger

The fact is that children were raped by people acting in our name. Obama's coverup and unwillingness to prosecute the criminals of the Bush era has tarnished his image.

[BR_Parkway]

6. He could have said ask Senator Graham - I recall his statement years

ago of it being rape and murder

[Bluenorthwest]

7. Gibbs is not only wrong in this instance

but in general is terrible at his job. He puts his foot in his mouth for no good reason, misses chances to control the message, relies too heavily on sports analogies, speaks too softly and meekly, stammers, stutters, uses darting eye movements and nervous hand gestures. He can not control his voice nor his physical presence, to the point that he seems evasive when he says "Good Morning." Press Sec is a high turn over gig for a reason, and Gibbs shows us why each day.

[FiveGoodMen]

8. Thankfully, no dodging the question the way they did under Bush

[emulatorloo]

9. Helps to remember the telegraph is kind of wingnutty EOM