Cafe Talk | Talking Points Memo | Re: Rep. Harmon's Post

Well, that didn't go over too well, did it?

Apparently, she's so used to accepting lies from the Bush administration, she thinks that it will work on other people.

Posted by TPMReaderHG
April 1, 2008 6:15 PM | Reply | Permalink

Lies? Who knows.

Certainly clueless.

Posted by cscs
April 1, 2008 10:10 PM | Reply | Permalink

I'd love to be able to post an impassioned defense of Rep. Harmon, but about the best I can muster is some tepid applause for her courage in coming to TPM Cafe and offering a belated explanation for her conduct. I hate to see any thread turn so one-sided, and there's no question that more than a few posters crossed the line into ad hominem attacks. But on the whole, the posters were well-informed, and they tore Harmon's weak explanation to shreds. When politicians have to post their explanations it written form, it gives their audience the chance to pick them apart point-by-point. And when the explanations don't add up, that can be laid bare for all to see.

It reminds me of Hillary's explanation for the Iraq War - Harmon wants us all to know that it's not her fault, that she was misled. What I want out of her is an apology - a forthright acknowledgment that she erred, and some indication that she's learned from her mistakes. I didn't get that. In fact, she sounded like she's still besotted with the notion of her membership in an elite group that has access to critical secrets, and like she's still inclined not to challenge the information that she's selectively fed. That's not oversight. She doesn't belong on the select committee, if that's how she feels.

Posted by FlyOnTneWall
April 1, 2008 6:21 PM | Reply | Permalink

Well said, and I think the parallel with Clinton's war vote is exactly right and a really good point.

I don't know what it is about politicians, and their inability to ever admit they were wrong.

Hubris, as we've discovered, isn't really a great quality in a leader.

Posted by cscs
April 1, 2008 10:12 PM | Reply | Permalink

Well, she came here to trick us into revealing ourselves as willing aiders of the Mohammedan Menace and she succeeded so what's to complain about?

Posted by destor23
April 1, 2008 6:42 PM | Reply | Permalink

The nerve of us...

Posted by cscs
April 1, 2008 10:13 PM | Reply | Permalink

It's not the first time she's responded to a blog post with irrational garbage.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/10/31/10182/509

Posted by punkdavid
April 1, 2008 7:13 PM | Reply | Permalink

She's posted here at TPM Cafe before, too.

Those posts are in the archives, though, that fell off the truck. If they ever come back, they're worth a read.

Posted by cscs
April 1, 2008 10:14 PM | Reply | Permalink

You can see some of those posts by clicking through her name. I think many of the commenters were well aware of Rep. Harman’s story and also those past conversations (I don’t think she ever responded). I looked at her post about her bill to close Gitmo (in ’06). I and others not familiar with the details of her career defended her as one of the “good guys” and thanked her for posting. She is a public servant and her “service” under the auspices of chair of an oversight committee charged with protecting the public interest is ample reason for the harsh questioning she received. Did she ever perform the duties of her job and, even gently, question administration or intelligence officials in her hearings?

Posted by Don Key
April 1, 2008 11:56 PM | Reply | Permalink

One wonders though: if we made all our leaders and politicians do this on a regular basis, if we made use of our technological advances as a method for holding them accountable, and if we assumed we could actually convince our leaders to do so and in turn, listen to what we had to say...

What might happen?

Posted by Hilarym99
April 1, 2008 7:13 PM | Reply | Permalink

Well, it might help a lot.

But it's a big if. I would be very surprised if Rep. Harmon went back and read our comments, let alone post replies.

The problem with your idea, of course, is that our leaders won't do it. Because they think they know better.

Harold Ford Jr. posted here once. It was supposed to be for a week -- he left after the first day, and never came back.

Didn't like our tone, I guess. :-)

Posted by cscs
April 1, 2008 10:17 PM | Reply | Permalink

PS -- I should add, his reception was similar to Rep. Harmon's today. Some comments that way too far, but, by and large, solid critique and argument and debate.

The latter is what I think scares the pols.

Posted by cscs
April 1, 2008 10:18 PM | Reply | Permalink

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