Inoperative

During the Watergate affair, Nixon’s press secretary, caught up in ever-changing White House versions of the events, was compelled to declare previous statements “inoperative.” In other words, “we were lying then, but we’re not now.” From that point on, there was nowhere to hide. The Nixon loyalists had to grimace and shrug; independents moved away, and the Democrats had a field day with it.

I wonder if we’ve reached a similar point with “stay the course.” Bush has been trying to back off from this phrase, but it had been so pervasive that he can’t do so. Unsurprisingly, the Dems and the lefty bloggers have picked up all his previous references. Think Progress found 30; I think someone else claimed 52. But that’s not so interesting.

What is interesting is what Tony Snow said …

Think Progress » Snow Falsely Claims Bush Said ‘Stay The Course’ Only 8 Times (Actually, It’s At Least 30)

SNOW: This a great story, because we went back and looked today and could only find eight times where he ever used the phrase stay the course.

“Only eight times.” Excuse me? What does that mean? Does he mean that until the President says something nine or ten times that it is inoperative? “Oh c’mon, guys, don’t be such a bunch of nit-pickers … he only said that eight times.”

EIGHT TIMES? People in my family have been remiss in replacing empty rolls of toilet paper. I have mentioned it … more than once … more than twice … probably more than three times. But I assure you, if I have said something eight times, I mean it.

But according to Tony Snow, until President Bush says something … oh .. a zillion times .. it’s just idle chit-chat.

Related Posts

    White House Statements

Comments

  1. sockpuppet wrote:

    commie, come on, this is a game of gotcha. it isn’t serious Olbermann and Rosa Brooks have jumped on this this week. apparently taking marching orders from thinkprogress. Snow obviously goofed with his “8 times” comment, but come on, be honest. Does “stay the course” mean we can never adapt? or was it used to mean “If we waiver, we lose”? Be honest. I understand where you are coming from, but you don’t need ammo like this.

    Posted 27 Oct 2006 at 10:47 pm

  2. sockpuppet wrote:

    apologies for the worst syntax ever.

    Posted 27 Oct 2006 at 10:48 pm

  3. commissar wrote:

    I’m specifically not taking issue with 8 vs. 30. Read the post.

    As for what it means, pick any definition you like. The problem here is that Bush suddenly “doesn’t like the language” and is trying to deny the language. “We’ve never had a ’stay the course’ policy.”

    Obviously what Bush is trying to do is to claim, “When I said ’stay the course’ 8/30/52 times, I didn’t mean it the way my opponents are now using it.”

    And to me, keeping the the same number of troops, but moving them around and giving them different missions, is indeed staying the course.

    Posted 28 Oct 2006 at 7:51 am

  4. sockpuppet wrote:

    Fair enough.

    Posted 28 Oct 2006 at 2:02 pm

  5. Michael wrote:

    You guys are so dense.

    “Stay the course” means “I did not have sex with that woman!”

    And Bush did not, in fact, have sex with that woman.

    Hope this helps.

    Posted 28 Oct 2006 at 8:46 pm

« A long way from “shock and awe”
Borat’s coming to town »