by Frank James
When Stephen Hadley, President Bush's National Security Adviser, repeatedly and erroneously referred to Nepal instead of Tibet on ABC News's "This Week" on Sunday during a discussion of whether President Bush would attend the Olympic opening ceremonies in Beijing, many of us just assumed it was a senior moment.
Many, but not all. Some people apparently thought he could've meant it intentionally, especially since on an earlier Sunday talk show he had gotten it right.
For instance, this is from Daily Kos:
Very curious -- is Hadley just a moron? Or is there some diplomacy reason that someone would tell him to actively switch from "Tibet" to "Nepal" between shows?
Or how about the other option, that Hadley just had a moment of brain fade, especially since George Stephanopoulos, host of this week, had just had a discussion with President Jimmy Carter about Nepal?
It's just another example of how the Bush Administration by its actions has helped to create such an air of distrust among many Americans, that when a top Bush aide makes an obvious gaffe, it takes on an ominous meaning.
What many of us saw was a flub by a man who probably spends a lot more time looking for his car keys than he used to, an experience many of us can relate to.
Almost as jarring as hearing the president's National Security Adviser repeatedly cite the wrong Asian country was that Stephanopoulos didn't step in to correct Hadley which is what he normally does in a situation like that. Was he having a premature senior moment too?
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Comments
These "flubs" somehow go from flub to fact with this administration. McBush will bring more of the same. His "flub" on sunnis and shia and al-qaeda and Iran is a desperate attempt to make al-qaeda look like they are everywhere instead of the truth.
Posted by: bill "Hussein" r. | April 14, 2008 8:30 AM
Stephan Hadley has nothing on GW. Bush is funny. A war crimminal but funny.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=to2hIhXrRTk&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqLvBUSJucg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdxFn8FfauU&feature=related
Posted by: Logic Prisoner | April 14, 2008 8:57 AM
Unfortunately, these are not "flubs."
These merely demonstrate the remarkable skill of President Bush to consistently appoint political hacks to high office for which they are incompetent to serve.
Just as Tibet is spelled N-E-P-A-L, Afghanistan is spelled I-R-A-Q....oops...and that's the rest of the story!
Posted by: Just Tim | April 14, 2008 9:52 AM
Leave it to Frank James to go to the Daily Kook for his information, Swamp items and apparently talking points -- and then James and his demented minions take something more out of it than just an innocent flub. If he got it right on one show, but goofed on another -- especially as Frank "Rank" James notes, Nepal was the point of discussion prior to Hadley's appearance.
It's really a shame that the once great Chicago Tribune has become the pit of journalism with crap like this and from an alleged journalist who uses the same source time and time again, and who like Tim Oliphant, gets his marching orders from hateful far left garbage like the Daily Kook and Media Matters for UnAmerica.
Posted by: John D | April 14, 2008 10:04 AM
It's really a shame that the once great Chicago Tribune has become the pit of journalism with crap like this and from an alleged journalist who uses the same source time and time again, and who like Tim Oliphant, gets his marching orders from hateful far left garbage like the Daily Kook and Media Matters for UnAmerica.
Posted by: John D | April 14, 2008 10:04 AM
Hey John D, how do you really feel??? Right wing crybaby.
Posted by: Logic Prisoner | April 14, 2008 1:26 PM
What can you expect, when you are appointed by our Incompetent-in-Chief? He, as many other of the Incompetent's appointments, they are all third-rate ideologues!!
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE. NOW.
Posted by: Don Fitzgerald, Chicago | April 14, 2008 4:30 PM
This isn't necessarily accidental. As one person noted, for this administration Afghanistan was spelled I-R-A-Q, and now it seems that Tibet is spelled N-E-P-A-L. What people here don't seem to know is that the Maoist Communist Party of Nepal (an organization on the US terror list) just swept elections into power this weekend, obliterating "the responsible" partners to peace. This "slip" of language may have the purpose of subliminally preparing minds for US opposition to the new Nepali government.
Posted by: ulises | April 14, 2008 7:31 PM
Frank
"It's just another example of how the Bush Administration by its actions has helped to create such an air of distrust among many Americans, that when a top Bush aide makes an obvious gaffe, it takes on an ominous meaning."
or Frank is it the press that has created that "air of distrust"?
Posted by: Terry | April 14, 2008 9:46 PM