Fellow NYC attorney/blogger Glenn Greenwald gives us this downright bizarre account of an e-mail exchange he had with General David Petraeus’s aide and spokesman Col. Steven Boylan.
The point of it appears to be a brilliant misdirection on the part of the Colonel, to wit, raising numerous attacks at Greenwald while never directly taking on Greenwald’s point, to wit, that Petraeus, at least, appears to be a monstrously partisan whore of the first order (I’m impugning his partisanship, not his sexual mores… the Senate may feel free to issue a resolution of their disapproval of me, if they can find the time…) Elements of the Army (and our military at large)– supposed to be non-partisan in any conception of a free, democratic republic– have taken to deliberately leak things and give exclusive interviews to right wing extremists, such as right wing bloggers, Fox “News”, the Weekly Standard, etc., et al.
While Col. Boylan (who adds to the mirth and merriment by apparently later denying it was even him… while using the same e-mail and IP address for the denial that the original email used…!) choses to apparently attack specific aspects of Greenwald’s comment, again, not addressing the main thrust, i.e., that certain general officers and the military at large are engaging in selective leaks and limited “exclusive interviews” only to loyalists willing to carry their story line.
I have always admired Glenn’s cojones. Glenn openly dared use his vaunted position at Salon and his humongous readership to call Petraeus on his partisan interviews, and asked to interview him, openly. (Full disclosure: I have asked the military to have spokespersons speak to me re: GTMO and GWOT related issues, and gotten no response by and large, though a couple of individuals, to their credit, have at least acknowledged me and politely declined… ) Naturally, that is one of the only issues taken on by Col. Boylan (or Bizarro Boylan): suggesting that “a journalist” like Emasculated “Liberal” Alan Colmes would be a less challenging assignment for Gen. Petraeus and/or Col. Boylan than would Greenwald (notwithstanding that Glenn probably has a larger audience!)
Coming at the same time that the Grey Lady’s Sunday magazine is reporting thatit looks like the power of Evangelical Christian “values” voters has been grossly overstated (and indeed falling apart)… and more and more disarray is developing amidst the Religious-RightWing Axis… one wonders if there is a method to all the madness… or if, as it is looking more and more apparent… it’s just madness… turns out, they’re missing Karl after all.
tdog
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