Zeev's Turnips Talk Politics (ZTTP)

[seabass]

>>>The Vice President's office clearly did not send Joe Wilson to Africa.<<<


Don't think we'll ever know exactly who made the final decision to send Joe Wilson to Niger but at least we seem to agree it wasn't Valerie Plame. Considering what was at stake, I was hoping we could also agree the decision was made at a fairly lofty level which would invalidate your claim that Joe Wilson was known as a useless liberal hack with no credibility and hostile feelings towards the Bush administration.

You do know he worked for Bush Sr. at one time and was pronounced a war hero by him....?


"From 1988 to 1991, he was the Deputy Chief of Mission (to U.S. Ambassador to Iraq April Catherine Glaspie) at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq. In the wake of Iraq's 1990 Invasion of Kuwait, he became the last American diplomat to meet with Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, telling him in very clear terms to "get out of Kuwait".[9] When Hussein sent a note to Wilson (along with other embassy heads in Baghdad) threatening to execute anyone sheltering foreigners in Iraq, Wilson publicly repudiated the dictator by appearing at a press conference wearing a homemade noose around his neck, and declaring, "If the choice is to allow American citizens to be taken hostage or to be executed, I will bring my own fucking rope."

Despite Hussein's threats, Wilson sheltered more than one hundred Americans at the embassy, and successfully evacuated several thousand people (Americans and other nationals) from the country. He was praised by President George H. W. Bush for his actions: "...when I arrived back in Washington on January 13, 1991, the very next day I was in the Oval Office ... The President introduced me to his War Cabinet as a true American hero."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_C._Wilson


You know what I think? I think the VP's office was well aware of Wilson's credentials and considered him a great choice for this mission. He had worked for both parties in the past, he had deep diplomatic relations established in Africa and his report would be respected across party lines. Problem was.........neoconservatives never consider the possibility of being wrong so when Wilson was unable to prove them right, the shit hit the fan and then some.