“We could go down the list of questions–we could say ‘What about the president’s birth certificate? Was that legitimate?’”
—–Jay Carney, in yesterday’s news media briefing, apparently suggesting that public concern with at least four episodes raising legitimate questions regarding serious misconduct at high levels of the Obama Administration was the equivalent of “birtherism.”
Welcome to the club, Jay!
At this point, it is fair to say that Jay Carney can no longer be expected to be honest, responsible or professional, and thus can be included among the elite class of public figures, like Donald Trump, Bill Clinton, Bill Maher and Newt Gingrich, to whom absurd and unethical utterances are like breathing in and out, are shameless, and barely noteworthy on an ethics blog. Unethical people say and do unethical things. That pretty much covers it.
Carney, however, is not like the others in that he speaks for the White House, and Barack Obama. For Carney to suggest that it is ridiculous for the news media to pursue evidence of intentional and long-term lying to the American people regarding the death of an ambassador, the I.R.S. police power being used to hamper and intimidate political opponents of the President, high officials withholding evidence of wrongdoing from the public and perhaps lying to Congress about it, the Justice Department harassing and surveilling news organizations as well individual reporters, and blatantly unethical conduct by a Cabinet official, and to assert that questions about these matters are the equivalent of asking whether the President was really born in Kenya, is both an insult and a revelation….several, in fact:
Revelation #1: Apparently even completely asinine, inappropriate and suspiciously evasive public comments that reflect directly on the President of the United States is not sufficient to get someone sacked in this Administration.
Revelation #2: Since Carney speaks for the President, the President doesn’t think any of the misconduct listed above is especially important or worthy of discussion. No wonder these things occurred. And occur. And will continue to occur.
Revelation #3: The White House seems to regard all critics with the same contempt it has for birthers, who are generally racist conspiracy theorists who want to believe that the nation’s first black President had no right to run for office. It is the criticism, not the content of it, that is apparently offensive.
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Facts: Mediate
Ethics Alarms 
Couple of quibbles…
1) Not entirely sure what pile of unethical stuff Newt has done (we will assume that, for this discussion, we are limiting it to actions within this century.
2) Most birthers are not, in fact, racist, any more than people who support the whole “bloodline of christ” retardation are anti-papists.
They and just fucking insane. This sometimes tracks with racism, but it is not a fully accurate predictor.
1) Oh, search for Newt on EA. He is the only person I have ever heard of that declared an entire interview “non-operative” because he was criticized for it. He has taken the Pazuzu excuse to the next level. And that’s just for starters. He’s an awful human being.
2) At least a vast number of birthers are racist. Read the comments on any birther thread.
3) You’re right—about half are insane, and the rest are racists. Then there’s Trump.
I firmly believe that a great deal of the “birther racism” is planted comments.
Why?
Just a sense I get from many such comments – they get violently racist AWFUL fast, you know? From “That Muslim wasn’t born here!!!” to “KILL THE N*****!!!” is a very short span of time…
Reblogged this on The Blogspaper.
IF this were Reagan he’d just invade Panama or Grenada or something, and change the subject.
Only half kidding.
Or randomly fired cruise missiles at Iraq like Clinton did.
It was Sudan, wasn’t it? And ironically, Clinton was evidently trying to kill some guy named Osama bin Laden? And trust me, I’m the last person on Earth who’s interested in ever giving Bill Clinton the benefit of the doubt about anything.
Jack, why not rename the unethical quote of the week award the “Jay Carney Award?” He seems to be winning it almost daily. You could have a trophy made, or post a picture of one, and name it the “Carney.” Kind of like the “Oscar.”
No, I’m pretty sure Clinton lobbed a few at Iraq when Saddam got a little big for his britches.
Clinton did, however, turn down an offer for a government to hand over Bin Laden… Pretty sure it was the Sudan that had a hand on the guy, and Clinton said “nope! No thanks!”.
Bill “Wag the Dog Like a Flag” Clinton liked to lob a Tomahawk or two around whenever his pecadilloes gained him too much notoriety. It’s little wonder why Dee Dee Myers- his Carney equivalent- turned into a drunk! I predict that Carney will join a hippie commune in New Mexico after he quits his job!
Sudan was a targeted attack on an aspirin factory because it was possibly a front for chemical weapons manufacturing. Iraq probably refers to the bombing campaign which happened to coincide with his impeachment haring in ’98 but could also refer to ’93 strike in retaliation for the attempted assassination of (ex)President Bush, or the ’96 attack to protect the Kurds or some other incident I’ve forgotten about. President Clinton did like his cruise missiles.
I this were Reagan, or any Republican or any white Democrat, the press would be in full attack mode, 24-7, with no dissenters and no escape possible. Like it should be now.
The real attention should only be warranted when Carney makes a statement that ISN’T false or misleading. It’s become accepted among journalists, apparently, that anything he says is liable to cross the line from spin to sin on virtually any subject.
I’m starting to think the names he calls aren’t the reporter’s real names…
I daresay that assignment to the White House Press Corps is no longer considered a promotion, but a tour in Hell!
Carny is losing it.
No he’s not. He’s knows full well what he doing.
He’s part of Obama’s machine and has no qualms being so deluded he really thinks he’s telling the truth or has no qualms with flat out lying.
Either way, he and his ilk will NEVER be fired, as they serve the purpose of loyal lapdogs.
Some day, should it become politically expedient to sack Carney, then it will occur.
Carney is just one example of the behavior of the entire Obama Administration and his supporters — say anything, change your story from day to day, lie outright — anything that makes Obama look good regardless of the truth. It amuses me that when Obama talked about taking out bin Laden his announcement was full of “I did this” and “I did that”, and on and on and on. It was all him. When he gets in trouble, it’s “No one told me about it” and “I learned about this when everyone else did — in the paper.” The hypocrisy speaks for itself. (Kind of like Eric Holder “recusing” himself from the AP “investigation.” Read: “I don’t want to have any responsibility for this, so I’ll just sit it out. Then I can blame someone else.” Holder should be charged with contempt of Congress.)
All of this behavior is also totally moronic. I have always believed that Obama has no respect for the American people, and only hope the arrogance that has recently come to light makes this clear to many others.
Also, Carney is no worse that any of the other Obama hacks in the administration and (before the AP scandal) the press. Hearkening back to Obama’s promise for “transparency,” the current scandals only prove that Obama will say anything, do (or try to do) anything, to advance his personal agenda, regardless of ethics and now, we find, the law. Obama was a professor of Constitutional law, if I recall correctly, but is perfectly willing to ignore the Constitution completely if it is his own interest.
Sad to say, you are all right. 😦
Put quite simply another way, ‘Some people have asked questions that have since been determined to be silly. Therefore all questions are silly.’
I’d like to think that there was SOME point when ‘was he born in this country’ was a valid question. Preferably before he was voted into office, but we take what we can get.
Oh, good. Here’s the latest effort from Obama enablers to deflect attention from any interest in ferretting out Obama administration malfeasance:
http://swampland.time.com/2013/05/23/time-exclusive-obamas-1979-prom-photos/?hpt=hp_c2
Prom photos? Are you kidding me? Picture if you will the reaction to Haldemann and Erlichman asking the press run a story featuring Nixon’s prom photos in the early days of the Watergate investigation.
Unethical Quote of the Week: White House Spokesman Jay Carney | Ethics Alarms
Unethical Quote of the Week: White House Spokesman Jay Carney | Ethics Alarms