The sun was shining on the sea,
Shining with all his might:
He did his very best to make
The billows smooth and bright–
And this was odd, because it was
The middle of the night.
(from Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There, by Lewis Carroll,1872)
It was a surprising week, which is saying something these days. I am tempted to say it is like the Walrus and the Carpenter and their adventure with the Oysters, but no one is really through the looking glass on anything. It is just the game the way it is played here, strange as it might be.
The Veteran’s Affair’s Department’s Inspector General released that damning report about systemic national fraud committed within the Department in the middle of the week. Everyone had to take notice.
The usual response to these sorts of things is to wait until everyone is dragging their butts out of town late Friday afternoon, bury it on a splendid almost summer weekend, and hope that things blow over by opening of business on Monday. There were a couple problems that have not followed the usual crisis management process.
First, the IG report was complete and out there. You will recall the way the IRS abuse was presented for a textbook approach: Lois Lerner planted a question in a routine press conference about what the Service’s IG inspection was likely to find, deflected the problem onto a couple rogue agents in Cincinnati and then clammed up. That was pretty slick.
The playbook was hauled out immediately this time, because everyone was mad as hell, if I remember the quotes, and “if there was wrongdoing” then by golly something really serious was going to happen. There would be consequences.
The IG report then flopped wetly on the desk, and darn it, something had to be done.
As Secretary, General Eric Shinseki accomplished three things: one good, one he should have expected, and one that is reprehensible. He expanded the waiting lists by including Agent Orange and Post-traumatic Stress claims. Those naturally expanded the waiting lists for claims adjudication, which is not at all the same thing as falsified appointment lists in the hospitals, which was a function of an organized conspiracy to protect executive bonus payments. But no matter- it was wrong, it happened when he was responsible, and he offered his resignation. The President accepted it with regret. I am not sure that Shinseki’s departure is going to solve anything, but a sacrifice had to be made.
Then things got interesting.
In an unusual second appearance in the White House Press Room, the President announced that Press Secretary Jay Carney had suddenly remembered that he needed to spend more time with his family. That surprised me, since Mr. Carney is my personal nomination for Lou Gehrig of Press Secretaries- a real iron man.
And tough as nails. I will never forget the July, 2012 press briefing when he refused to answer a question about what he considered to be the capital of Israel. It was masterful, one of the best dodge and weaves I have ever seen in the big leagues:
Rpoerter: “What is the capital of Israel?”
Carney: “Wow, I have not been asked that in a while.”
Reporter: “Well, what is the capital of Israel?”
Carney: “Our position has not changed.”
Reporter: “On what? What is the capital?”
Carney: “You know that.”
Reporter: “I honestly don’t know. Is it Tel Aviv or Jerusalem?”
Carney: “Our position has not changed.”
It was a grand run, similar to the one in Baltimore when Cal Ripken decided it was finally time to sit down after 2,632 consecutive starts.
I thought Mr. Carney was going to swing for the fences: go for the magical “10,000” number of refusals to answer questions from the podium. According to Yahoo News political correspondent Chris Moody, the streak is going to stand at 9,486 unless there are a few more prevarications before the transition to eponymously-named Deputy Josh Earnest.
A very substantial record, to be sure, but he didn’t crack ten grand. Still, an iron man’s performance, and one that will stand in the annals of spokespersonship for a long time.
I for one am going to miss him. The brilliance of his sun really lit the dark night, you know?
Copyright 2014 Vic Socotra
www.vicsocotra.com
Twitter: @jayare303