Reply #45: Funny thing - the U.S. Story and Aristide's Story are the Same [View All]

Sometimes when I watch the Bush administration I catch myself channeling the PGA's PR department - These Guys are Good.

The Busistas know just how to play the press. If you want a good laugh, compare Aristide's charges of a coup and kidnapping with the official account from Colin Powell that he was escorted out of the country for his own protection. Notice something? Yeah. It's the same story.

Aristide says the U.S. troops showed up, told him there were people outside waiting to kill Aristide, and that they wouldn't protect him unless he resigned and left the country.

Powell says U.S. troops showed up, told him there were people outside waiting to kill Aristide, and that they wouldn't protect him unless he resigned and left the country.

Yet somehow, we have this perception in the press that this is some kind of "he said, she said" situation. Well, he and she are saying the same shit. It's just that Aristide says "I was kidnapped" and the U.S. says "He was taken into protective custody."

There's a problem with the U.S. story. If Aristide was being taken into protective custody to prevent him from being killed, there was no need for him to resign. He could have just left the country with the intention of returning to his post once the situation was sorted out.

I'll give 15-1 to anyone willing to bet an editorial writer at the NYT or WaPost points this out in the next 7 days.