Now here’s disturbing news, and so soon after our trip to Hershey. The Chocolate Manufacturers Association apparently has a petition before the FDA to redefine chocolate – and the new definition wouldn’t require any of those pesky coca butters or cocoa solids.
Can’t wait to see the revised factory tour that discusses those delicious hydrogenated oils.
People have been lining up to weigh in on George Tenet’s new book, At the Center of the Storm, about the lead up to the Iraq war. Most predictably among them, his former bosses, who were shocked, just shocked at some of the allegations he made. So shocked that they spent most of Sunday making the rounds on the talk shows to make sure everyone knew that.
But of all who have weighed in, perhaps the most interesting comments come from a group of Tenet’s former CIA colleagues who sent this open letter to him, detailing their thoughts on his willingness to keep his mouth shut about his misgivings about the war just long enough to get a seven-figure advance for said book.
They write:
By your silence you helped build the case for war. You betrayed the CIA officers who collected the intelligence that made it clear that Saddam did not pose an imminent threat. You betrayed the analysts who tried to withstand the pressure applied by Cheney and Rumsfeld.
Most importantly and tragically, you failed to meet your obligations to the people of the United States. Instead of resigning in protest, when it could have made a difference in the public debate, you remained silent and allowed the Bush Administration to cite your participation in these deliberations to justify their decision to go to war. Your silence contributed to the willingness of the public to support the disastrous war in Iraq, which has killed more than 3300 Americans and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis.
As a matter of theory, it would seem ludicrous that we as a society would need the equivalent of a Son of Sam Statute for our highest ranking government officials. That we would have to compel them not to profit from the explicit or implicit crimes they commit against the citizens they are supposed to serve.
But the reality, the reality that certain people in Washington are so adept at obfuscating, is that some people quite literally have no shame. And George Tenet is the least of these.
I was over at the Obama campaign site last night checking of the new Women for Obama initative launched earlier this month with a series of kickoff speeches from Michelle Obama. The first thing you notice about Michelle is that she’s a terrific speaker. Very witty, very engaging, very concise. The second thing you notice is that regardless of what the rest of the campaign is trying to do in presenting Barack as some kind of rock star or political deity, she’s making it her mission to remind everyone that he’s just a man who leaves the butter out and doesn’t pick up after himself nearly as much as she thinks he should.
That in and of itself might be a calculated strategy but even if it is, it’s still pretty funny. Sort of a “My wife thinks I am an idiot but even she thinks you should vote for me” thing.
There have certainly been stranger ones used in the past.
That said, I’m listening to Michelle and I can’t help but notice how much what she is saying mirrors most of the Moms Rising platform. Is that on purpose? That got me thinking…and wondering. When the time comes, will Moms Rising, which, by the way, was co-founded by Joan Blades (a co-founder of MoveOn.org) endorse a presidential candidate? What will their criteria be?
I’m also wondering if the Woman for Obama initiative has been part of the plan all along, after all there is Students for Obama initiative already. Or is it a strategy to get out in front of Hillary?
These are just some musings on a Sunday morning. Anything to avoid having to watch the Sunday talk shows or fold laundry.