Presidential Press Secretary Jay Carney, Winner Of The Ron Zeigler Award

It's become completely a no-brainer, spike it in the end zone decision by OS's Awards Committee.

For those who don't remember Ron Zeigler, he was Richard Nixon's loyal-to-the-death press secretary. He would proclaim a lie one day, contradict the next day with another lie, and then finally admit that those first statements were lies, while assuring one and all that the country could believe today's pronouncements.

He did this with a completely straight face, day after day, never a moment's apology, as if the cognitive dissonance of replacing one lie with another and another never occurred to him. His only competitor in our time was Baghdad Bob, who claimed the Iraqi Army had crushed the invaders, as the US Marines were pulling up across the street behind him.

Some of Ron's most famous quotes--

"This is the operative statement. The others are inoperative." –April 17, 1973

"If my answers sound confusing, I think they are confusing because the questions are confusing and the situation is confusing."

"The president is aware of what is going on in Southeast Asia. That is not to say that there is anything going on in Southeast Asia." –1971, answering a question if the allied troops were preparing to invade Laos.

Jay Carney must be channeling Ron and Baghdad Bob this week--it's deja vu all over again.

It did not take a genius to see that the attack on the consulate in Benghazi was a planned and orchestrated affair. Ever seen a group of protesters show up will mortars, full-auto weapons, RPG's, and knowledge of the layout of the target?

Turns out, there were never any demonstrators at all...just attackers...

But the 'spontaneous demonstration that just got out of hand because of that terrible terrible awful disgusting YouTube video' story was the Administration's story, and Jay was sticking to it. Even after the Libyan Prime Minister stated flatly that it was a planned attack. And that they had warned the Administration days before. Even after attacks on British diplomats had occurred some days before. The Ambassador himself knew himself to be on an al-Queda hit list. Ni modo. It was all the fault of The Video! Couldn't possibly be al-Queda operation! We've killed 'em all, we've got them on the run!
Bin-Laden's dead and GM lives!

They sent Susan Rice, our UN Ambassador, to five Sunday talking heads shows to talk the White House line. They talked and talked, and ducked and ducked, and spun and spun, and lied and lied and lied. And lied.

Because to admit the truth is to admit that Obama and Hillary left their ambassador hung out to dry, and got him killed.

Here's the sequence.

Finally, today, Jay Carney does admit the obvious. But never an apology, never a moment's embarrassment, never a moment of consideration that this sort of behavior absolutely crushes what little sense of trust anyone may have in him or his boss. 

It was a Ziegler Moment. And Jay decided to 'fess up while in the air on Air Force One--with loud background noise, spoken sotto voce.

'This is the operative statement. The others are inoperative.'

'This is the operative statement. The others are inoperative.'

'This is the operative statement. The others are inoperative.'

It would be comic, except--this is how people get killed, wars get started, banks are allowed to blow up the economy, friends of the President are able to commit massive fraud and walk away scot-free, a thousand guns are put in the hands of drug cartels by the ATF and no one notices until the bodies pile up. Even then, no one can seem to locate anyone remotely responsible for the carnage.

Farewell, ObamaBob: Robert Gibbs Gets Out While He Can

It's exhausting work, ya'll, explaining away Himself and His cast of characters. Keeping a straight face while lying nonstop. Ignoring any and all inconvenient questions, especially if they come from TheNetworkThatCannotBeNamed, or ThatWallStreetJournalRag. (But let's make certain Helen Thomas is treated like royalty, and we'll just ignore the rabid anti-semitism...)

Explaining why losing 60 sump-n House seats to the Tea Party really wasn't that bad.

Explaining away a deeply-rooted populist voter revolt as a bunch of people who engage in a particular sexually perverse practice.

Explaining away a 14-trillion dollar debt that his boss helped rack up at historically breathtaking levels.

Explain, explain, explain it AWAY!!. Change the subject, change the subject, CHANGE THE SUBJECT!!

Well, at least you had BaghdadBob as a model. You know, Saddam Hussein's press secretary, who reported on the victories of the Iraqi military, with the US Marines setting up shop across the street from his hotel.

Blame it all on those wascawy Wepubwikans, or Congress, or industry, or the voters, or the Constitution, or....the banks--no, no, can't do that, cuz' what we all really want is a banking gig after this is over.

Get that faculty gig somewhere safe while you can, ObamaBob. In a blue/blue/blue state. With a huge endowment to keep leftists warm when the chill winds of reality begin to blow. Get that book advance in your pocket, and tuck that sucker away offshore. Git out, while the gittin's good.

After all, you don't want to end up like your predecessor Ron Ziegler, who went down with the ship for his boss Richard Nixon, whose reputation as the worst President post-1950 has been somewhat salvaged by your boss.

This poor guy got hisself no book deals, no lecture circuit love, no admiring eulogies from the press when he departed this vale of tears. Nuthin'. He spent years not getting his phone calls returned--from Republicans. And the rest of his old gang were cooling their heels in the Federal pen. Very cold, very lonely out there, if you work for a disgraced President. Last man at his side ends up coldest and loneliest.

(And, do make sure you've got a good lawyer. You may need one yet. And make sure you take yoh' notes and docs wij-yew, 'cuz yoh' boss gunna hang yoh' lily-white out to dry if timez gits tuff and He needz sumbody to blame. Jes' speculatin'.)

And, now, ObamaBob, OS leaves you with his favorite Ron Ziegler quote:

"If my answers sound confusing, I think they are confusing because the questions are confusing and the situation is confusing."