Killing the Messenger

Messengers in ancient times enjoyed a uniquely trecherous occupation. The easy part was risking their lives transporting vital information from point A to point B, often through hostile and dangerous enemy territory. If a messenger managed to avoid death or serious injury on the trail, he faced the likely prospect at home of being impaled on a stake if the king was dissatisfied with the message. That was the hard part.

Killing the messenger happens so often, its become a cliché, and an especially fine art in politics. Few politicians will tolerate subordinates calling a spade a spade. Politicians are so used to lying, distorting, dodging, and prevaricating, the bare unvarnished truth often affects them like direct sunlight on a vampire.    

Latest case in fact:

James Clapper, Director of U.S. National Intelligence, recently summoned for testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, was asked his opinion about which countries currently pose the biggest "mortal threat" to the United States. “Russia and China,” the chief spook responded to the incredulous panel of senators. They obviously expected a different answer and could hardly disguise their annoyance.

Clapper explained that Russia and China are the only countries who might have the capacity to mortaly threaten us. Senator Carl Levin, D-Mich., holding back outright laughter, sarcasticly derided him, saying: "By that measure, the U.S. represents the biggest threat to China and Russia.” (Well, duh, Senator; I love it when politicians, while lying through their teeth, sometimes tell the truth by mistake.)

When the senators questioned him about the conflict in Lybia, Clapper told them candidly to their utter shock and dismay that he believes dictator Muammar al-Qaddafi' will prevail over the Libyan rebels.

These small bits of honesty, truth, and candor have so outraged Senator Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., he’s calling for Clapper to resign, saying it’s time to go because he lacks confidence in Clapper's understanding of his job. "His comments will make the situation more difficult for those opposing Gadhafi," said Graham, “they undercut U.S. efforts and should not have been made in a public forum.”

Consumate longtime politician that he is, Graham knows that his own job is to lie like a cheating used car salesman every time he’s asked a difficult question about anything in the public forum, so it’s not particularly surprising to find out that he expects the same from the nation’s chief Intelligence officer, and every other government goon on the payroll for that matter.

Last month, Clapper greatly irritated the same group of politicians when he refered to the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt as primarily a secular organization. That’s the last thing they wanted to hear. (If the politicians are irritated, of course, it must surely be true. )

Clapper’s comments on Libya "should be the final straw." “Three strikes and you’re out,” cackled senator Graham from his lofty perch