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You are here: Home / Politics / Republican Stupidity / The Snow Fallacy

The Snow Fallacy

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See if you can spot it (hint ).

MATTHEWS: My concern is we‘re going to see a ginning-up situation whereby we follow in hot pursuit any efforts by the Iranians to interfere with Iraq. We take a couple shots at them, they react. Then we bomb the hell out of them and hit their nuclear installations without any action by Congress. That‘s the scenario I fear, an extra-constitutional war is what I‘m worried about.

SNOW: Well, you‘ve been watching too, too many old movies featuring your old friend Slim Pickens is what you‘re doing now, come on.

MATTHEWS: No, I‘ve been watching the war in Iraq is what I‘ve been watching. As long as you say to me before we leave tonight that the president has to get approval from Congress before making war on Iran.

Yes, just add this to the list of our White House spokesman’s irritating habits. At least with this guy the President is well and truly connecting with his base.

***

I think that Kevin Drum is largely right that Congress doesn’t and shouldn’t sign off every time the military fires a shot. In that sense, then, the idea of bombing someone without permission isn’t all that ludicrous. That being said a full-blown conflict with the largest country in the mideast seems like the sort of thing about which a declaration would be appropriate.

Reader Interactions

21Comments

  2. 2.

    Tom in Texas

    As long as you say to me before we leave tonight that the president has to get approval from Congress before making war on Iran.

    I’m going to go ahead and assume that, after his Hollywood review session, Snow didn’t answer the question. The answer, of course, according to Yoo/Cheney et al, is no. The President needs no permission slip to defend us.

  3. 3.

    p.lukasiak

    See if you can spot it

    offhand, I’d say that the fallacy involves Snow comparing a film about the efforts of a sane president trying to stop an insane general from starting a world war with the reality of sane generals trying to stop an insane president from starting a world war….

  4. 4.

    Krista

    Ah yes, Tony “What a ridiculous question” Snow.

    Does he honestly think that people won’t notice that little tactic?

    Oh wait. All together now, boys and girls…

    “Yes, yes he does. This has been another edition of easy answers to simple questions.”

  5. 5.

    Dave

    It does looks like we are trying quite hard to provoke Iran doesn’t it. Carriers with Patriot missiles, raiding Iraian consulates, Bush’s speech calling out Iran and Syria for no apparent reason.

    Let’s hope Iran is smart enough not to give Bush a reason to invade.

  6. 6.

    Tom in Texas

    Of course, Tony isn’t the only one dodging the query:

    Rice rejected lawmakers’ pleas to consider talks with Iran and Syria (“That’s not diplomacy; that’s extortion”) and refused to promise that Bush would seek permission from Congress before attacking either country

  7. 7.

    BobJones

    On the subject of those detained Iranians in Irbil that couldn’t possibly be interpreted as provocation towards Iran, did anyone else see that there was some type of standoff between US and Kurdish forces at the non-consulate? You know, the same Kurdish forces that are supposedly going to be moving into Baghdad as part of the surge.

    This administration seems to find ways to fuck up even their already obvious fuck-ups don’t they?

  9. 9.

    Zifnab

    I think that Kevin Drum is largely right that Congress doesn’t and shouldn’t sign off every time the military fires a shot.

    No more than the President signs off every time the military fires a shot. Or even the top brass. Shooting regularly takes place without reams of beaurocracy. But that’s not what we’re talking about, is it? We’re talking about taking aim at a soveriegn country that just happens to border one we are currently occupying. Calculated aim. With airstrikes and cruise missles.

    Much like in the FISA case, the President certainly has permission to act at a moment’s notice if he feels time is off the essense. But he still needs to come back and justify his actions before Congress and the American People.

    And much like the FISA case, the President is insinuating that if he acts before he has Congressional permission, he shouldn’t be held accountable after the fact when he fucks up.

    No Accountability. It’s the White House Golden Rule.

  12. 12.

    Punchy

    Well, you‘ve been watching too, too many old movies featuring your old friend Slim Pickens is what you‘re doing now, come on.

    Tim, that’s WAY too easy. The fallacy of which you speak is that Slim Pickens really wasn’t a friend of Matthews. Everyone knows Pickens is a Russert man!!

  14. 14.

    Tsulagi

    That exchange between Matthews and Snow was funny. I counted seven times Matthews tried to get the Snow man to answer the question, but it just wasn’t going to happen. Dodger Man.

    I think Syria and Iran were on the original to-do list when we invaded Iraq. Their thinking, as Rummy said, was six months top for the Iraq job. Then they would have been free for further freedomizing and democratizing adventures. The glory of their brilliance and daring do would shine for generations. Riiiight.

    Even given the results of their monumental incompetence to date, change in control of Congress, and public opinion that has no faith in their job performance, I’m sure these guys still lust after Syria and especially Iran. Probably irritated circumstance are keeping them from fulfilling their messianic mission. But, if you can provoke Syria or Iran into firing shots, well then…..Jesus Akbar!

  15. 15.

    tBone

    Wow, Tweety’s been eatin’ his Wheaties, hasn’t he?

    No, he’s a spineless fucktard who finally managed to get enough slobber on his finger to detect which way the wind’s blowing.

  17. 17.

    Dave

    Wow, Tweety’s been eatin’ his Wheaties, hasn’t he?

    No, he’s a spineless fucktard who finally managed to get enough slobber on his finger to detect which way the wind’s blowing.

    Well I wouldn’t go that far, he did compliment Snow for being “…the greatest press secretary since James Hagerty.” Granted all I know about Hagerty was he was Eisenhower’s press secretary so I suppose it could be a backhanded compliment.

  19. 19.

    TenguPhule

    So much for not pissing off the Kurds.

    Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, a Kurd, also said U.S. forces tried to seize more people at the airport in Irbil, 220 miles north of Baghdad, prompting a confrontation with Kurdish troops guarding the facility that was resolved without casualties.

    But it seems the first raid wasn’t on a consulate, barely. It was in the process of becoming one.

  20. 20.

    chopper

    i love the snowflake baby. he doesn’t sweat nearly half as much as scotty did. more entertainment for my dollar.

  21. 21.

    Darrell

    Yes, just add this to the list of our White House spokesman’s irritating habits

    From the 16 comments on that carpetbagger link:

    “Now, Malkin is embedded in Iraq right now, and I certainly wish her a safe journey.”

    I don’t.

    Comment by Farinata X — 1/12/2007

    with a lovely bit of racist venom for good measure

    Michelle Malkin: proof that an aging Olongapo boom-boom girl can find a way to pay the rent now that the fleet no longer calls in Subic Bay.

    Now she’s just a righty “boom-boom girl” – but she’s still getting these bozos who can’t get any any other way to pay her to fuck them.

    Comment by Tom Cleaver — 1/12/2007

    Noted approvingly by other commenters:

    Thanks for that Tom Cleaver. LOL and no doubt true, too. Farinata X, right on.

    Comment by Ed Stephan — 1/12/2007

    Is there any way we can get Tom Cleaver’s comments as a headline on the Huffington Post? Our brothers and sisters in truth could use a good laugh.

    Comment by eddiejoe

    Classy. And to think you libs are the ones driving around with the ‘Hate is not a family value’ bumper stickers

Comments are closed.