Huckabee's odd failure:

Dick Polman writes about Huckabee not knowing about the NIE report: (emp add)

The NIE report is, shall we say, kind of a big story. Sixteen intelligence agencies conclude that Iran halted its nuclear weapons program four years ago, and signaled the Bush administration over the summer that this conclusion was likely....that story was on every front page and it dominated the TV news. Yesterday, President Bush had held a morning press conference about it.

While there are many details surrounding the NIE story, the essence can be conveyed in very few words. 27 in fact. That's the number in bold above. How could Huckabee not know even that? Someone listening to the news at the top of the hour over the radio (typically while driving) would grasp the main points and potentials (nuclear threat from Iran greatly reduced; goes against recent Bush public line; maybe there's a chance for diplomacy in the region; possible reduction in tension and reduction in oil "risk premium"). The basic datum - Iran halting production - can allow for all manner of seat-of-the-pants analysis, which is all that Huckabee was being asked for. It's kind of like learning that Queen of England has been kidnapped. You don't know anything other than that, but you can still opine on whether the changing of the guard will be suspended for the duration.

Odd that Huckabee wasn't able to say squat about the NIE report.


posted by Quiddity at 12/07/2007 03:59:00 AM