Friday, May 05, 2006

Notice How Carefully Goss Uses His Words Today

In case you are hiding under a rock, you didn't notice that CIA Director Porter Goss resigned (e.g. fired) today. I loved his two paragraphs at today's ceremony. Let's pick them apart, shall we:
DIRECTOR GOSS: Mr. President, thank you very much. It has been a very distinct honor and privilege to serve you, and, of course, the people of the country, and the employees of the Central Intelligence Agency. I can tell you the trust and confidence you've placed in me and given me the latitude to work is something I could never have imagined and I am most grateful for it.
Can't imagine that he deserved the trust becuase he knows how bad the intelligence was, or that the means were manufactured to justify the ends. Right?
I would like to report back to you that I believe the agency is on a very even keel, sailing well. I honestly believe that we have improved dramatically your goals for our nation's intelligence capabilities, which are, in fact, the things that I think are keeping us very safe. And I honestly would report to you, sir, that we are safer for your efforts, your leadership and for the men and women in the community that are working so hard and doing so well.
He would "like to report," but can't, can he? And, honestly would report that we are safer, but he can't do that now either, or can he?

As a director of the CIA, I think he chose his words very carefully. What do you think?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I would like to report back to you that I believe the agency is on a very even keel, sailing well. I honestly believe that we have improved dramatically your goals for our nation's intelligence capabilities

WS, you're right that Goss is choosing his words carefully (you know, as is my style, I went for the sensationalist interpretation over at Blognonymous :-) ), but I bugs me that he was smart enough to point on being appointed that he wasn't qualified. Then 9 months in, when it was clear that he wasn't qualified, he didn't step aside.