# Thank you Mr, Clarke **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 25, 2004, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-mr-clarke/236232 "2004-03-25T00:14:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2004, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-mr-clarke/236232/21 "2004-03-25T02:08:15Z")
> [@askeptic](#): > > Note to self: Bushistas[ul] > [li]lieu[/li][li]rjung[/li][li]johnMace[/li][/ul] You forgot me, asshole. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2004, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-mr-clarke/236232/22 "2004-03-25T02:12:43Z")
> [@askeptic](#): > > I am such an idiot Can I use that in my sig? šŸ™‚ ---
**Author:** ![askeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2004, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-mr-clarke/236232/23 "2004-03-25T02:27:35Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > Can I use that in my sig? šŸ™‚ Sure, if like me you are a card carrying idiot. šŸ™‚ ECV:How was I wrong on either count? Vunderbob:How could I forget you, if I didnā€™t know you in the first place? ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2004, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-mr-clarke/236232/24 "2004-03-25T02:29:20Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by **John Mace** > _You are an idiot._ > > Originally posted by **askeptic** > _I take that as a compliment from the likes of you. In fact I may just put in my sig._ I think youā€™re an idiot too. Can I be in your sig? ---
**Author:** ![El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/41988e/32.png) [@El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Cid_Viscoso)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2004, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-mr-clarke/236232/25 "2004-03-25T02:37:05Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > I think youā€™re an idiot too. Can I be in your sig? Oh shit. His sigā€™s gonna be longer than the credits to _Superman_. ---
**Author:** ![askeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2004, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-mr-clarke/236232/26 "2004-03-25T02:38:22Z")
is this sig OK? ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2004, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-mr-clarke/236232/27 "2004-03-25T05:28:31Z")
Wouldnā€™t it be simpler, and a heck of a lot snappier, **askeptic** , to make this your sig? _Itā€™s unanimous! **askeptic** is an idiot._ ---
**Author:** ![askeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2004, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-mr-clarke/236232/28 "2004-03-25T05:59:13Z")
like this? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2004, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-mr-clarke/236232/29 "2004-03-25T06:06:00Z")
> [@askeptic](#): > > like this? I feel like my brilliant insight has been cheapened by democratization ---
**Author:** ![askeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2004, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-mr-clarke/236232/30 "2004-03-25T06:25:21Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > I feel like my brilliant insight has been cheapened by democratization Imagine how I feel. (what was this thread about?) ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2004, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-mr-clarke/236232/31 "2004-03-25T06:29:53Z")
> [@askeptic](#): > > Imagine how I feel. (what was this thread about?) I imagine you feel like an idiot. šŸ™‚ ---
**Author:** ![askeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2004, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-mr-clarke/236232/32 "2004-03-25T06:40:24Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > I imagine you feel like an idiot. šŸ™‚ Damn, at first I did not see the smilie. Now what am I going to do with the brilliant insightful and scatheingly (SP?) witty 3 page flame I just wrote? šŸ†’ ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2004, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-mr-clarke/236232/33 "2004-03-25T07:53:52Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > I get the feeling Mr. Clarke may have a somewhat overinflated opinion of himself and his importance to the administration. Stung by being passed over as #2 in homeland defense, heā€™s spinning the administrationā€™s listening to other equally qualified experts on counter terrorism as refusing to listen to him. They were formulating policy, just not entirely his policy, and heā€™s chaffed. > > Itā€™s excellent fodder for the left but while some of it is undoubtably trueā€¦ itā€™s plainly bent. > > Iā€™m judging his book by his cover. Congratulations, you nailed almost all the White House talking points! We would have also accepted ā€œClarke was out of the loopā€, ā€œBut we had a map of Afghanistan spread out on the tableā€, or ā€œWe have no record of such a meeting between Bush and Clarkeā€. I see somebody heard Cheney on Rush Limbaughā€™s show the other day. ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2004, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-mr-clarke/236232/34 "2004-03-25T07:57:11Z")
> [@AmericanMaid](#): > > All Iā€™m saying is lying about a blowjob killed no one, lying about a war has killed thousands and counting. Are you kidding? Millions of sperm died in vain. šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![askeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2004, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-mr-clarke/236232/35 "2004-03-25T08:03:17Z")
> [@blowero](#): > > Congratulations, you nailed almost all the White House talking points! We would have also accepted ā€œClarke was out of the loopā€, ā€œBut we had a map of Afghanistan spread out on the tableā€, or ā€œWe have no record of such a meeting between Bush and Clarkeā€. I see somebody heard Cheney on Rush Limbaughā€™s show the other day. Much better than I could do. šŸ™‚ ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2004, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-mr-clarke/236232/36 "2004-03-25T08:10:07Z")
If they invite me to the Bushista party, Iā€™ll bring a few candy bars to drop in the punch bowlā€¦ šŸ˜‰ ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2004, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-mr-clarke/236232/37 "2004-03-25T11:29:12Z")
> [@rjung](#): > > If they invite me to the Bushista party, Iā€™ll bring a few candy bars to drop in the punch bowlā€¦ šŸ˜‰ Just donā€™t drink the cordial. ---
**Author:** ![APOC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f8ce5/32.png) [@APOC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/APOC)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2004, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-mr-clarke/236232/38 "2004-03-25T12:18:28Z")
A man of principle no doubt but one with a book to plug and a [letter](http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0323042clarke1.html) to ignore. ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2004, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-mr-clarke/236232/39 "2004-03-25T12:27:19Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > I donā€™t care about Mr. Clarkeā€™s character, I donā€™t care if he is brazenly and shamelessly self-promoting. I donā€™t care if heā€™s a disloyal backstabbing SOB and only in it for the money. I donā€™t care if he spends his spare time stuffing kittens into blenders or is directly responsible for the death of Bambiā€™s mother. > > Is he telling the truth? He names names, specifies dates, makes verifiable or falsifiable statments of fact. If heā€™s lying, the Bushiviks should have no difficulty at all proving so. So far, they are focusing on matters of the manā€™s character and motivation. If the facts donā€™t back him up, and they have those facts, why are they going for a field goal instead of the touch down? You make a very good point but I canā€™t help thinking that if Clarke had of released a book saying that Clinton was 100% to blame and praising Bush to the heavens the Dems on this site would be trying the book deal self-promoting angle and the Reps would be saying what your saying. Still a very good point nonetheless. So how about it folks surely with the info Clarke has provided it should be easy to actually prove that heā€™s talking shite rather than just blame him for trying to make money in the great capitalist society the world has ever known. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2004, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-mr-clarke/236232/40 "2004-03-25T15:34:01Z")
> [@yojimbo](#): > > Still a very good point nonetheless. So how about it folks surely with the info Clarke has provided it should be easy to actually prove that heā€™s talking shite rather than just blame him for trying to make money in the great capitalist society the world has ever known. Not really. Because it boils down to a nuanced evaluation by Clarke of whether terrorism was a #1 priority or a #2 priority (urgent vs important). As Mr Clarke has demonstrated himself, itā€™s easy to spin it either way. And when he throws in obvious personal insults like implying that Condi Rice had never heard of al Qaeda, he undermines his own credibility. There are 2 things going on here. The commission is trying to understand how our system broke down before 9/11, and the press is trying to find out ā€œwho is to blameā€. The partisans are going to latch onto the 2nd issue, but I seriously doubt that those Americans w/o a preconceived agenda are going to believe that either Clinton or Bush did a good job about terrorism, and that trying to pin the 9/11 attacks on either of them is foolish. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-mr-clarke/236232.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-mr-clarke/236232.md?page=3)