Once again, we'll brave the pages of the thin Saturday newspapers to see what Friday announcements are flying under the radar.
First, there is the announcement (via NYT) that the new head of the FBI's National Security Unit is, surprise!, an FBI agent. Not only an FBI agent, but one who last post (only two years ago) was head of the FBI's Counterterrorism bureau, and before that, head of the Washington DC FBI office. He has no formal training in the Middle East, Islam, international politics, or foreign cultures. No problems here!
Second, we learn that in this administration it's fine to torture people, argue for extra-constitutional Presidential powers, fail to accurately describe Iraq's WMD program, or fail to plan for post-war reconstruction, but never, ever have an affair (via NYT). That's right, no one has been fired for all the screwups over the last four years, but they fired a four-star general for having an "consensual adult affair". At least the children are safe now!
A friend of Arnold Schwarzenegger (who just happened to own a couple of tabloid magazines, and be rich) paid "an alleged paramour" $20,000 not to talk about it publicly (via WaPo). I'm just as sure this is completely squeaky clean as I am that this will help his falling poll numbers.
Finally, and I realize this isn't Friday news, but will someone please explain this to me:
WASHINGTON - The Pentagon will hold a massive march and country music concert to mark the fourth anniversary of 9/11, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said in an unusual announcement tucked into an Iraq war briefing yesterday.
"This year the Department of Defense will initiate an America Supports You Freedom Walk," Rumsfeld said, adding that the march would remind people of "the sacrifices of this generation and of each previous generation."
The march will start at the Pentagon, where nearly 200 people died on 9/11, and end at the National Mall with a show by country star Clint Black.
Other than the obvious insanity of this, can any tell me when the last time the US government (or a branch thereof) organized and promoted some sort of march or concert or event (Fourth of July doesn't count)? This just makes me feel creepingly fascist.
Have a good weekend!
Posted by baltar at August 13, 2005 10:58 AM | TrackBack | Posted to PoliticsFascist, soviet, potayto potahto. Who says we didn't learn anything from winning the Cold War? When they start propping up quasi-corpses for parades, then we'll worry, right? Pandagon did a round up.
Honestly, I thought this was one of those urban legends running around the leftblogosphere. I couldn't imagine that something this tacky was actually true.
Posted by: binky at August 13, 2005 11:34 AM | PERMALINK