How Did We Get Here?

I wasn't watching press conferences while GDub was in office. They were like scenes of automobile accidents I have driven past so I didn't look; the possible sounds and sights seemed too ugly to contemplate, so I looked away. But at some point during that time period, we went from "I feel your pain" when it wasn't a cruel joke, to asking and answering our own questions. This completely eliminated any possibility that a public persona might have to hear what he was actually saying, and eliminated the chance that any of his colleagues might say in response, "Hey! Are listening to yourself? Do you know what you just said?" No other or further questions are allowed, and the answer has been given. It also eliminated that nasty little split second in time that often rightly occurred in the third grade. That tiny flash of self doubt that creeps in just after shouting, "Me, me, me teacher! I know the answer!" and the moment the teacher points at you, and says your name out loud in front of the whole class. The speaker makes up the question, frames it his way and immediately answers it, defusing the entire exchange.

Q: "Could we have done things better?" A: "You bet... ... ..." (Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld - many times) This is usually followed by a few short sentences infused with reasons/excuses why it could not have been done better. Since no one else in the room has done any fact-checking, the discussion ends.

I'd like to think, as the financial bail out is played out, and TARP covers all, we will be hearing the last of this, but a prime example popped up in the Washington Post article yesterday to vex me. Scott M. Polakoff, Deputy Senior Director of the increasingly poorly named Office of Thrift Supervision is quoted:

"Are banks going to fail when events occur well beyond the confines of reasonable expectation or modeling? The answer is yes," he said in an interview. Asked and answered; sort of.

Notice how he ended all discussion by appearing to acquiesce to the low opinion of his job performance held by his inquisitors. In reality, he slipped in the "events occur well beyond the confines of reasonable expectations" phrase. Is he listening to himself? Does he know what he just said? His job is make certain that someone is watching over these people so that those same "events" do not occur. So I'm assuming that he is saying, "You are paying me to attempt a job that I know can't be done. I'll take the big salary, but I can't earn it."

To end this screed, I'll just ask, "Can an Obama administration stop this practice?"

I'll let them answer.