Like most of my fellow human beings, I have many gripes about the world as it is. One of mine has to do with Sunday morning political talk shows. I will be watching (let us say, as an example only) Meet the Press, and Tim Russert will ask Congressman Lautermauth of the House Foreign Relations Committee a question similar to the following:
"Congressman, do you believe we should maintain subsidies for milk to Iraqi schoolchildren?"
It's a simple enough question, and all Congressman Lautermauth needs to say is, for instance:
"Yes, Tim, I believe that we should."
Or, if he has no use for children, he might answer:
"No, Tim, I believe that we should relieve the American taxpayer of that unnecessary burden."
But Congressman Lautermauth (or whoever his incarnation is this week) will never, ever, ever, use the simple words "Yes" and "No." Instead, he will reply in the following vein:
"Tim, I'm not sure that the American people understand the current situation with respect to milk for school-age Iraqi children. The question can be argued either way. As I'm sure you're aware, a bipartisan study group headed by former Republicrat Senator Honk Foghorn has concluded ... on the other hand, recent media reports from Tikrit and Mosul suggest ..." Blah, blah, blah, until, five minutes later, Congressman Lautermauth ends his recitation without ever having said "Yes" or "No," but secure in his knowledge that we, the viewers, will have only the vaguest memory of what the original question was.
Like many others, I'm pleased to be made aware of the background to whatever is going on, whether in Oakland, California, or in Tehran, Iran. But I'd also like to know the answer to a simple "yes or no" question. And in my experience, Sunday morning is not a good time to expect such an answer. Hey, Tim, George, Chris, all you other guys — is there some way you could arrange for a straight answer, every once in a while? It would be a welcome change ...
The Iraqi government says guards from US security firm Blackwater killed more people than previously thought.
Posted by: Maxim at October 8, 2007 11:24 AM