Shots Across The Bow

Straight Talk from Clark, and Lies from George Will

The followng post up to the update, is untrue. It was based on a column by George Will, which manipulated a quote to suggest that Wesley Clark lied.

"Wesley Clark tells it like it is. He's not afraid to stand up and tell the truth! He'll bring that atttitude to Washington when he's President, just you wait and see."

Actually, we don't have to wait.

On June 15, he says""I got a call at my home" saying that when he was to appear on CNN, "You've got to say this is connected" to Iraq. "It came from the White House, it came from people around the White House. It came from all over."

By July 1st, it's "A fellow in Canada who is part of a Middle Eastern think tank." and "I'm not going to go into those sources. . . . People told me things in confidence that I don't have any right to betray."

By July 18th: "No one from the White House asked me to link Saddam Hussein to Sept. 11."

By Aug 25th: "a Middle East think tank in Canada, the man who's the brother of a very close friend of mine in Belgium. He's very well connected to Israeli intelligence. . . . I haven't changed my position. There's no waffling on it. It's just as clear as could be."

He's right; it is as clear as can be. He lied.

(Hat tip Jim Miller)

UPDATE: Well, there was a lie, but it doesn't appear to have come from Clark. In a sterling example of Dowdian manipulation, Will has doctored Clark's quote to create the appearance of a lie. Barry B. links to this piece from Open Source, which reveals how Will manipulated Clark's statement to create a false impression. The correct quote may have some ambiguity, but it is clear that Clark never claimed that he received a call from the White House, as the Will piece suggests.

Manipulation like that is reprehensible, and self defeating. With the internet, it will always come out.

Posted by Rich at September 18, 2003 1:35 PM | TrackBack