Perversion Of Government: The Pentagon Vs. Barack Obama

Perversion Of Government: The Pentagon Vs. Barack Obama
By Oliver Willis on February 23, 2008

Much like how the Bush administration manipulated the timing and quantity of terror alerts in 2004 to attack the Kerry campaign, they are now using the Pentagon and its spinners to attack Sen. Obama.

In January of next year we're going to have to bring giant vats of Raid to get these people out of our government.

http://www.oliverwillis.com/archives/2008/02/23/perversion-of-government-the-p/

Bush Pentagon
02.22.08 -- 10:35PM By Josh Marshall

It would appear that we have another case where the Bush Pentagon, particularly the Office of Public Affairs is forcefully inserting itself into the civilian election process. Earlier today I referenced Barack Obama's anecdote from Thursday night's Democratic debate about an Army Captain in Afghanistan who said his unit had had to get from captured Taliban ammunition they weren't able to get quickly enough through standard Army supply channels. ABCNews' Jake Tapper talked to the soldier in question, who confirmed the story he'd told Obama. Now NBC News also appears to have confirmed the story by talking to the Army Captain in question.

But Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman is telling reporters he doesn't think it's true and that of course they can't confirm it unless the soldier -- still on active duty -- comes forward to discuss the issue with the Pentagon brass, a step that would surely do wonders for his future in the Army.

I don't know how far this is going to go. Phillip Carter, the military affairs writer who's in the reserves and did a tour in Iraq, says that from his own experience in Iraq and discussions with Afghanistan vets who report doing the same thing as the anonymous captain, he finds the story "eminently believable." But this is becoming a pattern in which political appointees at the Bush Pentagon volubly insert themselves into domestic political debate or even election campaigns.

Expect this to be a major factor in this year's election campaign.

more at:
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/179784.php

And today Talking Points Memo reports that Bryan Whitman, a man suspiciously close to each of the incidents I described above, is busy behind the scenes telling reporters that he doesn’t think it’s true. But you’d have to understand just what Mr. Whitman means by “truth” to fully appreciate the meaning of his comments. My understanding of the way the phrase works is pretty simple, and widespread in the world. Truth serves the interests of the party. Truth is what we make it. And since the interests of the party are served by implying that Barack Obama is a liar, even though Mr. Whitman has no basis to say that, of course he’ll charge right ahead and do it. Brian Roehrkasse has his Doppelgänger.

So is Obama’s statement true? Well, unfortunately for Mr. Whitman, it is true. ABC News’s Jake Tapper tracked down the Army captain and interviewed him, and he confirmed Obama’s account. And NBC News then also identified and spoke with the Army captain and also got his confirmation.

more at:
http://www.harpers.org/archive/2008/02/hbc-90002481

doubt they'll pull out all the stops to try and discredit him--even to the point of using the DoD for political purposes (which they've been doing for 7 years now).