General Discussion

bigbrother05

(5,995 posts) Wed Nov 15, 2017, 02:32 PM Nov 2017

Thought experiment: Can you imagine Holder or Lynch using "don't recall"?

A long serving Senator that is now the US AG coming across as a bumbling fool that just fell off a turnip truck when testifying before Congress. Can't even imagine either of Obama's AGs having that kind of difficulty regardless of the subject.

Sure Alberto Gonzales wasn't much better, but even that knucklehead didn't sound like casting reject from Deliverance.

In my mind, each "I don't recall" translates to "Yep, you got me".

6 replies

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Thought experiment: Can you imagine Holder or Lynch using "don't recall"? (Original Post) bigbrother05 Nov 2017 OP

That really started getting a lot of use during Iran Contra. The_Casual_Observer Nov 2017 #1

How about all the hours Sec. Clinton spent in front of these kind of congressional inquiries? TexasProgresive Nov 2017 #2

I went back to the transcript of Hillary Clinton's marathon session gratuitous Nov 2017 #3

And I doubt she was reading her answers from typed out, pre-vetted fierywoman Nov 2017 #6

Actually Holder did use "don't recall" when qestioned about receiving some documents... PoliticAverse Nov 2017 #4

AG Alberto Gonzales. April 19, 2007. 64 times. underpants Nov 2017 #5

The_Casual_Observer

(27,742 posts)

1. That really started getting a lot of use during Iran Contra.

Reply to bigbrother05 (Original post)

Wed Nov 15, 2017, 02:40 PM

Nov 2017

The Reagan people were real assholes.

TexasProgresive

(12,165 posts)

2. How about all the hours Sec. Clinton spent in front of these kind of congressional inquiries?

Reply to bigbrother05 (Original post)

Wed Nov 15, 2017, 02:40 PM

Nov 2017

I don't recall.

gratuitous

(82,849 posts)

3. I went back to the transcript of Hillary Clinton's marathon session

Reply to bigbrother05 (Original post)

Wed Nov 15, 2017, 02:43 PM

Nov 2017

A search for the word "recall" had 22 hits. Eleven of them were questions from the panel ("Do you recall" ). Of the 11 times Secretary Clinton used the word "recall," three of them were in the formulation, "As I recall," two of them were "As you recall" (addressed to the questioner), and six were "I don't recall." Two of those six were a stammer, "I don't recall . . . I don't recall," so I'd count it as five.

Of those five instances of Secretary Clinton not herself recalling something, they were usually for the exact detail. That is, "Did you ever call the ambassador about thus and such?" "Yes." "When was that?" "Some time in May or June, I don't recall exactly." That would be five times in 11 hours of testimony. I'd bet Sessions had more "I don't recalls" in practically any five minute span of his appearance.

fierywoman

(7,707 posts)

6. And I doubt she was reading her answers from typed out, pre-vetted

Reply to gratuitous (Reply #3)

Wed Nov 15, 2017, 02:59 PM

Nov 2017

statements in front of her. Sessions did it a lot.

PoliticAverse

(26,366 posts)

4. Actually Holder did use "don't recall" when qestioned about receiving some documents...

Reply to bigbrother05 (Original post)

Wed Nov 15, 2017, 02:53 PM

Nov 2017

related to the Marc Rich pardon.

underpants

(183,041 posts)

5. AG Alberto Gonzales. April 19, 2007. 64 times.

Reply to bigbrother05 (Original post)

Wed Nov 15, 2017, 02:54 PM

Nov 2017

Explaining his role in the botched firing of federal prosecutors, Gonzales uttered the phrase "I don't recall" and its variants ("I have no recollection," "I have no memory&quot 64 times. Along the way, his answer became so routine that a Marine in the crowd put down his poster protesting the Iraq war and replaced it with a running "I don't recall" tally.

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