God help us

[eots]

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

Raw Story | December 11, 2007
John Byrne

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.' "

Perino was referring to the White House briefing held on October 26, when a reporter asked her, "Do you want to address the remarks by President Putin, who said the United States setting up a missile defense shield in Eastern Europe was like the Soviet Union putting missiles in Cuba, setting up a Cuban missile crisis?"

"Well, I think that the historical comparison is not -- does not exactly work," Perino had responded

 

[Paulie]

Well, I hope Bush is already starting to take new applications.

That's pretty damn embarrassing for someone who holds one of the most important positions in journalism.

This is a GEM right here:

"I said, 'Wasn't that like the Bay of Pigs thing?"

Why don't we just put Paris Hilton HERSELF in that job?

Credibility 0 from here on out with ol' Dana?

 

[hjmick]

Considering the fact that she is only 35 years old, her lack of knowledge concerning the Cuban missile crisis does not surprise me. I doubt that history was her course of study while in college, in fact she has a bachelor's degree in mass communications and minors in political science and Spanish. One would think that the Cuban missile crisis would have come up at some point during her studies.

Ultimately, I suppose we are left to wonder...

Did she cut class that day? Is there less emphasis on the Cold War era in our schools these days? Are our schools failing our youth somehow? Or, is Dana Perino just another idiot Bush appointee?

 

[Paulie]

Considering the fact that she is only 35 years old, her lack of knowledge concerning the Cuban missile crisis does not surprise me. I doubt that history was her course of study while in college, in fact she has a bachelor's degree in mass communications and minors in political science and Spanish. One would think that the Cuban missile crisis would have come up at some point during her studies.

Ultimately, I suppose we are left to wonder...

Did she cut class that day? Is there less emphasis on the Cold War era in our schools these days? Are our schools failing our youth somehow? Or, is Dana Perino just another idiot Bush appointee?

Oh come on! If you don't know what the Cuban Missile Crisis is, you're a fucking idiot, and you know it!

How can you be the mouthpiece for the POTUS, and not know history? ESPECIALLY THAT history! I mean, that was a detrimental time in America. We were on the brink of nuclear war, for christ's sake! How could you not KNOW about that???

EVERYONE'S heard the stories about hiding under desks during air-raid drills. It's not like that was only spoken about one day out of the year, and then never mentioned again EVER.

This is grounds for excusal from her position, I would say.

 

[AllieBaba]

Everybody has gaps in their knowledge. Myself, I think people spend way too much time mulling over the past, and not enough time considering the situation they are currently in.

We live in a much, much different world now.

 

[Paulie]

Everybody has gaps in their knowledge. Myself, I think people spend way too much time mulling over the past, and not enough time considering the situation they are currently in.

The downfall of any civilization has been, and will continue to be attributed to, ignoring its history.

"Those who choose to ignore the past are condemned to repeat it." Truer words were never spoken.

 

[AllieBaba]

Actually, too great a connection to the past - coupled with an inability to see the present clearly - has lead to the demise of many powerful civilizations.

 

[Annie]

Well, I hope Bush is already starting to take new applications.

That's pretty damn embarrassing for someone who holds one of the most important positions in journalism.

This is a GEM right here:

Why don't we just put Paris Hilton HERSELF in that job?

Credibility 0 from here on out with ol' Dana?

I'm certainly not making excuses for what she said, but obviously she knew 'something' about it, thus the 'Bay of Pigs' remark. My guess is that she felt that she didn't know enough to converse, which truth-to-tell is really unforgivable given her position.

An honest broker/poster, would have stepped in her shoes, as there isn't one among us that won't say we haven't been in that position, knowing we don't know enough about the topic at hand. I actually give her credit for taking the honest way out, but still she should have known more.

 

[hjmick]

Oh come on! If you don't know what the Cuban Missile Crisis is, you're a fucking idiot, and you know it!

How can you be the mouthpiece for the POTUS, and not know history? ESPECIALLY THAT history! I mean, that was a detrimental time in America. We were on the brink of nuclear war, for christ's sake! How could you not KNOW about that???

EVERYONE'S heard the stories about hiding under desks during air-raid drills. It's not like that was only spoken about one day out of the year, and then never mentioned again EVER.

This is grounds for excusal from her position, I would say.

Lighten up Paul. It's not as if she is making policy, as you said, she is the mouthpiece for the POTUS, that's all. Yes, it is regrettable that she didn't have a better grasp on the Cuban missile crisis. I'm sure she is personally as well as publicly embarrassed. But I hardly think that her gap in knowledge in this arena is grounds for termination.

 

[eots]

Lighten up Paul. It's not as if she is making policy, as you said, she is the mouthpiece for the POTUS, that's all. Yes, it is regrettable that she didn't have a better grasp on the Cuban missile crisis. I'm sure she is personally as well as publicly embarrassed. But I hardly think that her gap in knowledge in this arena is grounds for termination.

some how I am not surprised this meets your journalistic standards

 

[Diuretic]

I'm certainly not making excuses for what she said, but obviously she knew 'something' about it, thus the 'Bay of Pigs' remark. My guess is that she felt that she didn't know enough to converse, which truth-to-tell is really unforgivable given her position.

An honest broker/poster, would have stepped in her shoes, as there isn't one among us that won't say we haven't been in that position, knowing we don't know enough about the topic at hand. I actually give her credit for taking the honest way out, but still she should have known more.

I've done a lot of education and training with adults for many years. I learned very quickly that "I don't know" isn't a big problem with adults. They don't expect you to know everything even if you're supposed to be a subject-matter expert. But what doesn't work with adults is bullshit. I'm not suggesting this woman did that by the way.

But she's no idiot:

Perino was referring to the White House briefing held on October 26, when a reporter asked her, "Do you want to address the remarks by President Putin, who said the United States setting up a missile defense shield in Eastern Europe was like the Soviet Union putting missiles in Cuba, setting up a Cuban missile crisis?"

"Well, I think that the historical comparison is not -- does not exactly work," Perino had responded

Her response was brilliant. Toss the politics aside for a moment, she was thinking really quickly on her feet, she riposted without getting entangled in what could have been a big ol' nasty bear trap. Murdoch should hire her, she's smart.

 

[Annie]

I've done a lot of education and training with adults for many years. I learned very quickly that "I don't know" isn't a big problem with adults. They don't expect you to know everything even if you're supposed to be a subject-matter expert. But what doesn't work with adults is bullshit. I'm not suggesting this woman did that by the way.

But she's no idiot:



Her response was brilliant. Toss the politics aside for a moment, she was thinking really quickly on her feet, she riposted without getting entangled in what could have been a big ol' nasty bear trap. Murdoch should hire her, she's smart.

Yep, knew too little to converse, but enough to say that and 'I don't know enough.' Again, she should have, but better, "I don't know", than trying to carry the argument beyond what she could handle.

 

[hjmick]

some how I am not surprised this meets your journalistic standards

You know absolutely squat about what my journalistic standards may be, but far be it for you pass up the opportunity to take a cheap shot? All I'm saying is, there is no reason to fire her.

Should she have known about the missile crisis? You bet. We all should. Does she deserve to lose her job because she didn't know enough to make a comparison? Not by a long shot. Had she never made her comments on an obscure game show, none of us would even be discussing this.

 

[midcan5]

Ah, come on, this is the Bush administration, if there were a competent average intelligent person with an eight grade education, who applied for a job under W, they would have been dismissed straight out as over qualified. And no, I didn't apply. LOL