White House: No 'cooking the books' with Petraeus

[sabra]

Source: ChicagoTrib SwampPolitics Blog

The White House says it has played no part in shaping, writing or even reviewing the testimony that Gen. David Petraeus will present to Congress today – though President Bush got his own briefing by the commander of U.S. forces in Iraq last week and understands the general thrust of the general’s argument that the military “surge’’ is yielding results.

“We have not seen it… we have not shaped it,’’ Tony Snow, the White House press secretary, said of Petraeus’ testimony, which the general will deliver to the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees this afternoon. “This is independent testimony… He hasn’t seen the testimony.’’

Sure, the president has spoken with both Petraeus and U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker, with whom he met during a surprise Labor Day visit to the western Anbar province of Iraq.

“He’s got a general sense of what they’re going to be saying,’’ said Snow, displaying some surprise today that the White House press this morning was asking if the White House had reviewed the words that the general will deliver on Capitol Hill. “If the president had been vetting it, you’d say, ‘Why is it that the president is pulling the strings and deciding what to say?’’ Snow said. “This is not something where the White House is going to sit around and tell these guys what to do.’’

Read more: http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2007/09/white_house_no_cooking_the_boo.html#more

[babylonsister]

1. What a bunch of malarky - those kidders. nt

[Dr.Phool]

16. Did Karl Rove take the cook book with him?

[Bluebear]

2. Tony Snow: “We have not seen it… we have not shaped it’’ Hahahahahaha!

Cue 1950's sitcom laugh track.

[tridim]

7. I thought Snowjob quit to make more money

Why is he still lying? Can he just not help it?

[Benhurst]

11. Poor old Tony. Poised at Hell's gate, he just can't stop lying.

[shaniqua6392]

25. Not even when death is closely stalking him

will he stop the lies. The cancer will win for sure.

[Double T]

3. Sure Tony, and we're ALL a bunch of stupid idiots like your boss.

This is an insult!

[Kagemusha]

4. Testimony? I thought it was the REPORT that the WH was shaping.

Isn't that a straw man?

[hedda_foil]

18. There no longer IS a report. There is only testimony.

Very strange indeed.

[soothsayer]

5. I thought we already knew that the WH was writing his report? why are they pretending

otherwise now? (sigh)

[Supersedeas]

28. right down the ole WH Press corps memory hole -- not a peep from powdered face Anchors

[keopeli]

6. black is white and up is down nt

[0007]

36. 2 + 2 = 5

GOD IS POWER

FREEDOM IS SLAVERY

IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH

[underpants]

8. general thrust

:spank:

[berni_mccoy]

9. "I am not a crook!" ... if they have to make statements like this, then, well, their credibility

is completely shot. No need to believe another word that comes from the administration or Petraeus.

[rateyes]

10. Well, mark down yet another lie told by this administration. nt

[Lobster Martini]

12. Can't type while laughing

“This is independent testimony…" Right. I believe that, and my shoes are on the wrong feet.

I am going to miss Tony Snow. He's been such a reliable source of amusement.

:rofl:

[truthisfreedom]

13. "And just because our war guy wants more war is no indication that he's only doing it for the big

financial reward that all of our shills get at the end of this administration's reign, after we've funneled every last penny of the US Treasury into our cronies' pockets and secured another decade or two of oil profits that will stop any drastic changes in the infrastructure or development of alternative energy over here."

"And by the way, shut up and let us get our war on."

[tabasco]

14. AS IF anyone expected the hand-selected stooge to say anything contrary to what the neocons wanted

him to say. The generals placed in the top positions have been selected for political loyalty, not for military competency. The Bush/Cheney oil mafia has totally corrupted the functions of our government by placing incompetent yes-men in every area.

[bullimiami]

15. they didnt need to cook the books. they wrote them.

bush already fired anyone that disagreed with him.

[proReality]

17. If they say they didn't....

we know they did!!!

[guitar man]

19. no need to cook the books

GAO says they missed 11 of the 18 benchmarks, s that's what, a 39-40% success rate?

They won't need to cook the books, after 6+ years of this shit, they will just turn up the spin machine to turn that 39-40% into a "passing grade"... :eyes:

[Botany]

23. they hit 3 and got partial credit on the other 4 so ....

3+2/18 = 28%

but in Iraq 1 million dead, 2 million homeless, 2.25 million have left the country

[skip fox]

20. Data on Surge, from # of deaths to Iraqi resources:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1772973

If you find more links, send as replies to this thread, and I'll add to the file and periodically repost for DU's research purposes.

[JNelson6563]

21. What a pantload!

Typical from this gang of thugs. :puke:

Julie

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

22. It's a COOKBOOK!!!!!

[KansDem]

26. It should be titled, "To Surge Man"

More apropos, n'est pas?

Nifty photo of a younger Cheney without his glasses...

[Solly Mack]

24. That they even have to deny it....says it all

[Enrique]

27. well that settles that

[trusty elf]

29. SURGIN' GENERAL'S WARNING:

Smirking May Be Hazardous to Your Health.

[FREEWILL56]

30. Does he really even have to let bush in on it?

I'm quite sure Petraeus is quite on track with the pretzeldent (love that phrase) and will be a good little republicon by reporting it just the way the pretzeldent and the rest of the republicons would want it reported. No conference is needed as they are on the same page and all lie to achieve their ends.

[trusty elf]

33. UNPRETZELDENTED!

[Up2Late]

31. Yeah, RRRRIIIIIGHT! No cooking the books, but there has been "Cherry Picking"...

...of Intelligence and the White House is re-writing the report, but "cooking the books?"

Naaaah!:argh:

[Magleetis]

32. They even lie

about their lies. Will it ever end? Petraeus is nothing more than a puppet.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

34. This time I'm NOT LYING

I swear. I've been lying all along, but this time I'm really not. And just because what I'm saying now is the same thing I've been saying all along, well, that doesn't mean that I'm lying. It could just be a really, really funny coincidental kind of thing.

Is there anyone outside of Joe Lieberman who is stupid enough to believe a word that comes out of this administration? It's like Lucy pulling the football away from Charlie Brown. Are they going to fall for this crap every single time?

[VP505]

35. "No 'cooking the books' with Petraeus"

Ya, and if you believe that, I have some really nice beach front property in Arizona I would like to show you.

[Politicub]

37. I'm still catching up on the news

But did Petraeus provide progress reports for the five measurements of progress that Bush himself laid out last year, or did they change the ruler to match the data?

[peaches2003]

38. They didn't have to cook the books

Technically the WH is probably telling the truth. Petraeus has all of Bush's speeches, a record of all their past conversations, and he knows like we all do what Bush wants to do in Iraq. The man is no fool. Didn't he get his last star when all the other generals had gone against Bush or quit and he was the last one standing to do what Bush wanted. He wants to keep the job and knows exactly what to say without being told specifically.

[FREEWILL56]

41. This time they probably didn't,

but they have done this in the past. Remember, there's no such thing as global warmings as they did cook those books.

[HuffleClaw]

39. he uttered those words with a straight face?

i'm impressed.

[goforit]

40. I guess they didn't like Move-on's quote of "Cooking the books" They've-use it

LOL!!!

[superconnected]

42. Like they have integrity for us to believe them.

[Olney Blue]

43. The books have been quick fried to a crackly crunch.

[TankLV]

44. Sure...and we should believe anything this habitual LIAR says, why again exactly?,,,

[Spazito]

45. When the WH says they had no part in something, just by them ....

saying that, we KNOW they had EVERYTHING to do with whatever they are disavowing. It is a very consistent and obvious pattern with them, imo.