White House press secretary admits she didn't know what Cuban Missile Crisis was

[tekisui]

History has a way of repeating itself.
White House press secretary Dana Perino has been front and center of the White House's push to continue to label Iran a rogue state for its pursuit of uranium enrichment technology.

This comes against the backdrop of a new intelligence estimate positing that the Islamic state abandoned its nuclear weapons in 2003.

Turns out she doesn't know quite so much about nuclear weapons as she supposes. And we're not talking about Iran.

Appearing on National Public Radio's quiz show, "Wait, Wait ... Don't Tell Me," this weekend, Perino admitted a story she'd previously only shared in private: When a reporter asked her a question during a White House briefing in which he referred to the Cuban Missile Crisis -- she didn't know what it was.

"I was panicked a bit because I really don't know about . . . the Cuban Missile Crisis," said Perino, who at 35 was born about a decade after the 1962 U.S.-Soviet nuclear showdown. "It had to do with Cuba and missiles, I'm pretty sure."

The exchange was first noted in the Washington Post.

"I came home and I asked my husband," she said on air. "I said, 'Wasn't that like the Bay of Pigs thing?' And he said, 'Oh, Dana.' "

link: http://rawstory.com/news/2007/White_House_press_secretary_admits_she_1210.html

[tanyev]

1. Why panic, Dana?

You don't know the first thing about anything else you talk about, yet you never let it stop you.

[terisan]

13. Yes she is never embarrassed to be talking "authoritatively" while knowing little. No shame about

her disservice to our country.

......and what president would deliberately hire a person who did not have enough knowledge to answer relevant questions. Imagine the lies they can get her to tell.

[spanone]

2. the tip of the iceberg of what dana doesn't know

[H2O Man]

3. Sad.

Really, really sad. I nominated this, because I think it shows that this administration has been reduced to people who are unfamiliar with the world they live in.

[Octafish]

67. Not just administration...

... the world of journalism, as well.

Back in 1993, in a newsroom I then was part of, a certain young woman exclaimed: "Tet? Tet! What is Tet?!!"

She had been staring at the AP wire and a bunch of articles were flowing into the computer concerning the 25th anniversary of the Tet Offensive.

She had never heard of it.

She soon was promoted to News Editor.

[hobbit709]

4. This explains her perfectly

[ellacott]

5. Wow n/t

[Horse with no Name]

6. It would be too much to ask, I suppose

for a spokesperson of the WH to be well-versed in important US History under this administration.

[Aviation Pro]

7. We are led by....

...complete morons. Hey, Cappucino, got any information about that little fracas that occured between 1861 and 1865 in this here, big ole, U.S. of A?

what a fucking airhead.

[Blue_Roses]

8. not surprising,

considering who her boss is:eyes:

Ignorance and incompetence is a prerequisite for a job in this administration.

[PA Democrat]

9. "It had to do with Cuba and missiles, I'm pretty sure."

Gee, ya think Dana? What gave you that idea?

OMG.

[tekisui]

18. That gives you insight to how she answers every question.

[undeterred]

22. They were packing illegal cigars in missiles...

[Drifter]

10. She is not paid to know things ...

She is paid to say things.

There is a big difference.

Cheers
Drifter

[lazyriver]

34. Precisely. If she actually knew things, she might go off and

write a tell all book someday like one of her predecessors.

I believe she was chosen specifically for her lack of knowledge and blind ignorant allegiance like oh so many other * administration cronies.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

11. She's where she is for three reasons. Looks, connections and willingness to unquestioningly

support and protect the cabal at all costs.

MKJ

[ChairmanAgnostic]

40. she gives dumb blonds a bad rep.

[Vinca]

12. In keeping with the fine tradition of Brownie,

only the best and brightest are called to serve Dear Leader.

[JohnyCanuck]

14. Their thinking must be along the lines

we can't have a press secretary smarter than her boss.

[tekisui]

15. I'm not so sure they succeeded there.

Her boss lacks much.

[ProfessorGAC]

32. If They Didn't Have This Thinking. . .

. . .the job would go unfilled. My dog is smarter than her boss!
The Professor

[CTyankee]

49. Yes, esp. since JFK's statecraft in that crisis prevented a nuclear confrontation.

His balanced use of military strength (blockade which he termed "quarintine" since blockade is a term of war) and diplomacy (getting agreement from OAS to make it a hemispheric problem, his use of high powered diplomats to personally deliver his letter to the heads of the NATO nations) averted a huge crisis.

This administration will have none of that balance stuff. I am in awe of JFK's expert handling of a terrible situation, so new in in first term of office.

[jpgray]

16. Don't let the pretty face fool you, she really is just a pretty face.

To be fair, McClellan didn't even have that going for him.

[David Diderot]

17. High School History

She might consider reading a high school level American history book.

[BridgeTheGap]

19. Hey give her break. She's just the mouthpiece for the puppet in charge

nothing more. A mouth piece requires nothing more than maintaining that aire of authority and to repeat what they've been told to say - stick with the talking points.

[rAVES]

20. The Cuban What-now?

[undeterred]

21. The Bay of Pigs was at the Zoo, right?

:rofl:

[tekisui]

23. "Cuban Missile Crisis....isn't that a sandwich with pickles and jalapenos?"

The WH Press Corp. should frame every question in a historical context to further expose how little she knows.

[KansDem]

42. Nah, it's one of those rum drinks...

You know, with pineapple and a small umbrella...

[JHB]

24. Now, Now. She's only like, a Press Secretary n'junk...

That's, like, a peeeple person job, y'know? No one told here she'd have to know, y'know, like, ancient history n'stuff.

[eShirl]

25. Press Secretary Jessica Simpson

[gratuitous]

26. She may sound like an idiot, chatter like an idiot, but don't let that fool you

She really is an idiot.

[bdamomma]

27. oh that is sad, Dana is so stupid.

[ThomWV]

28. She didn't say she didn't know what it was, she said she didn't know anything about it.

Much different statement but appalling none the less.

[The Backlash Cometh]

29. Maybe we should require MBA majors to take American history classes?

[formercia]

43. Look what it did for Junior.

:sarcasm:

[The Backlash Cometh]

52. LOL! I wasn't aware he got beyond ancient Mongol History.

:-)

[formercia]

54. Ghegis Khan was more tolerant of other religions

than this gang.

[KG]

30. really now, when your job is to tell lies for a corrupt adminstration, how smart do you have to be?

[NYC Liberal]

77. The dumber the better, actually,

because if you were smart you would start questioning things. Can't have that now. Sit down, shut up and listen.

[Vickers]

31. Dear Mr. David Gregory,

At you next opportunity, please ask Ms. Perino her thoughts about "Chicken of the Sea."

Thanks and kindest regards,

Vickers

[jhain]

36. Snort

Dear Dana,

Once upon a time there was a leisurely little fishing trip which set sail on a three hour tour. The passengers; Mega , Mata Hari, Julius and Ethel, Aldrich Ames and, Klaus Fuchs were all equipped with the latest Zebcos AND the latest listening devices. They also stowed thousands of teeny tiny microphones in their life jackets...Every fish they caught had a teeny tiny microphone shoved down its throat before it was released. (Because, of course, they were responsible catch and release type fishermen/women.)
The weather started getting rough, the tiny ship was tossed. Because of the incompetence of the fearful crew the tiny ship was lost. However, the mic-ed stomachs of all those fish are still feeding valuable information to the CIA. As they swim from sea to shining sea they intercept millions of secret messages.
Perhaps you hear that "blub, blub, liberals' fault, blub, Democrats did it, blub, Clinton had sex, blub, blub" sometimes in YOUR earpiece.

[blondeatlast]

57. ...

:thumbsup::rofl:

[Forkboy]

66. Bwhahahaha

:rofl:

[Enrique]

33. then she went on to say she didn't have enough maps

:dunce:

[jberryhill]

35. Isn't "Perino" Italian for "Lapdog"? /nt

[jhain]

38. No, I wasn't going to tell you...

But, I think you are old enough this year to handle it...
Dick Cheney is the real Santa and Dana is his head Elf:


http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1277915466

[nashville_brook]

37. i heard this -- i love "wait, wait..."! here's a link to hear the segment called "Not my job"

listen to the segment. she mentions that a friend of the family worked int he Carter Administration when she was a wee tyke. then she goes on to defend Bush's honesty -- priceless!

i get the feeling listening to her that she's not a W-zombie. She seems more an ambition-zombie. like she's holding her nose thru this job to cash in on a lobbying position once the indictments are handed down.

[gatorboy]

39. "It had to do with Cuba and missiles, I'm pretty sure."

And don't forget the crisis part.


Very important to the situation. :eyes:

[Swede]

41. It's so nineteen sixties. What could we possibly learn from history?

Wow.

[MilesColtrane]

44. Note to Dana:

Kennedy stepped back from world destruction.

Your boss won't.

And, don't go thinking that you'll get a place in the bunker, baby.

Why would BushCo™ need a spokesperson when the only things left alive to speak to are irradiated cockroaches?

[NYC Liberal]

78. "irradiated cockroaches"...those being the Bushites themselves, right?

[Ishoutandscream2]

45. Oh my!!!!

This is beyond the pale. A top official in the White House who is unfamiliar with the Cuban Missile Crisis? Dear God.

I don't care how old you are. Hell, I was just one at the time. But to not have an understanding of that situation, and you work directly for the president! Jesus!!!

[trof]

46. I heard it. She's a real pip, ain't she?

She sounds like what I imagine Barbie would.

[havocmom]

47. Any doubts that the dumbing down of America was planned & desired?

Willfully ignorant people are so much more malleable.

[malaise]

48. Where ingorance is bliss

all I can say is Duh! Oh Dana. Sometimes it is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open you mouth and remove all doubt.

[DeeDeeNY]

50. Spinderella is not the brighest person around

Her response to a question on global warming was that it's not entirely a bad thing because many people die from the cold each year!!! Yes, she did say that. I think Rachel Maddow played the clip.

[NoPasaran]

55. Spinderella! Love it!

:rofl:

[BuyingThyme]

51. Thank you.

[AngryOldDem]

53. Then she fits right in with the Bush administration, doesn't she?

If it's available, someone should gift her the DVD of "The Missiles of October." It would be an entertaining and relatively painless way to learn some American history.

Still, it takes some guts to admit publicly how stupid one is.

[in_cog_ni_to]

56. Holy shit. No wonder she works for the psycho. He can relate well to her! She's just as dimwitted!

Who, in their right mind, would EVER admit that IN PUBLIC? ESPECIALLY the WH PRESS SECRETARY!

[Dr. Strange]

58. I think she really shot herself in the foot when...

she asked if was some kind of "ethnic porn."

In her defense, though, she was only hired to make Bush look smart by comparison.

[KansDem]

59. No wonder nuclear war is a viable option with these people!

They don't know how close we came to having one 45 years ago!!!

It gives "those who ignore the lessons of history are bound to repeat them" a whole new meaning.

[Arugula Latte]

60. Gee, I was born in the 1960s, but I know about the Norman Conquest and the French Revolution

and the Stock Market Crash of '29 and Pearl Harbor and the Cuban Missile Crisis ...

There are these things called History Books, Dana. You should look into them.

[hatrack]

61. Geez, Dana . . . . and you could have just rented the movie!

It's called "13 Days" - no big thick books to read, no term papers to write, and it's not a bad movie, either.

Unbelievable.

[shadowknows69]

63. Excellent movie actually

But I suggest Dana start on the "Cuban Missle Crisis pop-up books" complete with pop up Castro cigar and pop up missles that you can launch with a pull tab.

[Blue_Tires]

62. cuban missle crisis? was that the one with al pacino

or matthew broderick?

lol

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

64. Wow - that was only a moment that held the entire nation in a state of stunned suspense

back in October, 1962. I was a kid in Junior High and I remember everyone being glued to the TV set, all across the country. How can someone who considers themselves to be well-educated not even know about this? The missles of October?

[book_worm]

65. J.C. I was born after the Cuban Missile Crisis too, but I know what it was

from school (history) and just plain reading! What a twit.

[Supersedeas]

68. no one said the WH Spinsister had to have perspective--just the ability to deflect attention

[LSdemocrat]

69. I was really hoping this was some hoax or parody news, but, sadly, it's real

[Disturbed]

71. Spinderella is proud of her ingorance.

What does it matter? She is pretty. She has a great smile. She will make $Millions after this job.
She lives the American Dream while millions live the American Nightmare.

[Mike03]

70. Holy Shit. NT

[JI7]

72. so what ?

it's not like the president knows either.

[Kansas Wyatt]

73. Yet they wonder why people think they are stupid and full of shit.

Because they are! Tax money well spent on her salary and benefits... NOT!

WTF, is she one of those Christian graduates?

[JI7]

74. who cares when she was born

i was born in the late 70s and knew what the missile crisis was in my teens. as most people do.

[grasswire]

75. Rove said she has a "fine mind"

...and is a national treasure. He told those things and more to a reporter from the Times of London.

[fujiyama]

76. I know I shouldn't be shocked

but she's about as dumb as one of those people Jay Leno finds on jaywalking excursions.

Incredible. And she holds one of the top positions in this government!

Then again, consider who she works for. Oh well she's not too hard on the eyes. I think the administration figured a pretty face would fool the DC press circuit.

I don't know. I personally wasn't born until '81, but I've read about things that happened before I was born and before I was too old to remember shit happening around me. I think they were called history classes. I didn't go to a rich private school or anything...but maybe she went to one of those elite private Christian schools.

Or maybe she's a dumb whore and slept her way up. Sorry, that may sound offensive but this is beyond appalling. The Cuban Missile Crisis was one of THE seminal events in 20th century US History. You shouldn't be AROUND politics if you don't even KNOW WHAT IT'S FUCKING ABOUT!

[progressoid]

79. oh god.

:wow:

[Jacobin]

80. I heard it on the radio driving my car Sunday

Just about drove off the road