sure, i cooked a guy in my oven, but compared to the nazis...

B-b-but Cambodia!

sure, I invaded Poland but I'm only one man.

Sure, I killed and ate 7 college students, but compared to Jeffrey Dahmer...

Yes, mistakes were made. Yes, some bad things happened. But compared with the historical baseline of past wars, the conduct of the United States in the past eight years ... has been exemplary.


That's some serious brass balls

In our defense, the our Japanese internment camps were MUCH nicer than the Hitler's internment camps.

Yeah, I threw a mustard packet at a friend at Wendy's the other day...but compared to Saddam

That makes it so much better than. We can excuse everything.

I really would like to see the sliding scale of morality that this guy is using.

I wonder if it's like Spinal Tap. We should turn it all the way to 11!

Sure, we tortured a few people and stuff, but compared to Grand Moff Tarkin, we were "exemplary." I mean, that guy blew up a whole planet!

Sure I demanded France's surrender, but...I won't go there. Too easy.

That's some fine standards there, Lou.

Can I just say how much I hate the phrase, "Mistakes were made?"

Yes, they were made. By you, or people you supported. You made mistakes. Hell, as a government and a country, we made mistakes. Mistakes aren't things that just farking happen, appearing out of mid-air to mess things up. People make mistakes. Organizations make mistakes. If you're part of that organization, especially if you're a leader in that organization, then you made mistakes.

There is no other English phrasing in which the passive voice irritates me so.

I love Whitehouse. He's a mean old bird, but he's awesome!

"Baby, it was just a donkey punch. Compared to the shiat I've seen in some German porn I'm treatin' you like a princess."

Well that's just lovely, and you'll be pleased to know that the prisonc ell you should spend the rest of your life rotting in is a motherfarking palace compared to the accomdations in Pol Pot's re-education camps too!

Bloody William: There is no other English phrasing in which the passive voice irritates me so.

"Yes, an NSFW post was made, but I do not deserve a bannination."

hachijuhachi: I love Whitehouse. He's a mean old bird, but he's awesome!

He's the man. Protip: DO NOT piss off an ex-prosecutor when testifying; they've been professionally trained to eat lying weasels like this guy for lunch.

"Sure I've ingested handfuls of various drugs, but compared to Amy Winehouse..."

I'd just like to point out that the title/name "Senator Whitehouse" is both contradictory and awesome.

Hey, we only shot the one lawyer!!! Would any of you guys have held it to one lawyer? Yeah, well, then shut up.

Oh, the rabid screeching that would have ensued had people said "Sure, Saddam Hussein is a heinous dictator, but he's no Osama bin Laden."

Oh wait

So they'd be cool with liberals using this reasoning too right.

Sure we raised the top tax rate by 30%, but compared to the Soviet Union we're hardline capitalists.

Shaggy_C: B-b-but Cambodia!

I came in here for this, and I am not leaving disappointed.

Sure, I shot the sheriff...but I didn't shoot the deputy!

"I would suggest, Mr. Rivkin, that until you know, and we all know, what was done under the Bush administration, you not be so quick to throw other generations of Americans under the bus, and assume that they did worse."

Thank you.

(except for the phrase 'under the bus,' which is almost as grating as 'mistakes were made.')

Memes Ate My Balls: Oh, the rabid screeching that would have ensued had people said "Sure, Saddam Hussein is a heinous dictator, but he's no Osama bin Laden."

Oh wait

Actually, from a body count POV Saddam was worse than UBL, but UBL killed more white skinned folks.

Saddam would have been a great ally against UBL.

Yes, I raped and beat 2 women, but it wasn't nearly as bad as what happened to me on the streets of Mexico. Please don't release me into the general population.

Is this like a Reverse Godwin or something? Instead of comparing, you contrast?

Good thing we use the law to judge crimes, and not history.

So they want to use despots and dictators to set moral standards? As long Bush wasn't as bad as Pol Pot on down it's all okay?

Remember, Republicans are against moral relativity.

"The standard is not perfection, the standard is the alternative." - Heal's Law

Bloody William: I'd just like to point out that the title/name "Senator Whitehouse" is both contradictory and awesome.

Very few people are living separation of powers problems. ;)

"I was only following orders."

Bloody William:
Can I just say how much I hate the phrase, "Mistakes were made?" ... There is no other English phrasing in which the passive voice irritates me so.

This statement has been agreed upon.

If you want to get even more depressed, read Jane Mayer's The Dark Side.

I'm surprised. 25 posts as I begin writing, but no one here yet...

* Saying we need to just get over it
* B.. b... but Clinton started it
* It's OK because we only did it a little
* Claiming that having moral principles is a weakness
* Crying over how we don't let anyone criticize Obama immediately after saying something really stupid

Nice work.

Oh, I'm supposed to comment on TFA? Well we've known for several years that the sociopaths behind the Bush administration deserve to hang for their crimes. It's just a matter of legalities and delay tactics.

It's Shackles Day!

Bloody William: That's some fine standards there, Lou.

Can I just say how much I hate the phrase, "Mistakes were made?"

Yes, they were made. By you, or people you supported. You made mistakes. Hell, as a government and a country, we made mistakes. Mistakes aren't things that just farking happen, appearing out of mid-air to mess things up. People make mistakes. Organizations make mistakes. If you're part of that organization, especially if you're a leader in that organization, then you made mistakes.

There is no other English phrasing in which the passive voice irritates me so.

How about when Bush says he has no regrets but had "disappointments"? That should be up there.

Sure I bought a couple of Oxycontin from the local hillbilly, but compared to Rush Limbaugh...

pixistick: Yes, mistakes were made. Yes, some bad things happened. But compared with the historical baseline of past wars, the conduct of the United States in the past eight years ... has been exemplary.


That's some serious brass balls

I thought that was the subby making something up. That's. . . exceptional. Holy farking shiat.

UN. F*CKING. BELIEVEABLE.

I'm absolutely certain that in another dimension/reality, numerous members of the Bush administration are actually being prosecuted for this insanity.

This is truly incredible.

MasterThief: "The standard is not perfection, the standard is the alternative." - Heal's Law


Okay, I'll take the alternative of Sweden. Or the Netherlands. Or even France.

Oooh, shiat, we still suck. . .

brainiac-dumdum: So they want to use despots and dictators to set moral standards? As long Bush wasn't as bad as Pol Pot on down it's all okay?

Remember, Republicans are against moral relativity.

Yeah, it's pretty interesting how much they condemn others' moral relativism, and yet all their major policies are grounded in moral relativism. Oddly enough, it's the same with the religious right.

I assume it's projection.

It's also interesting to me that the Republican Noise Machine cogs divide ethical systems into "dualism" or "moral relativism." Are they really that ignorant?

Sure I robbed that bank, but compared to Bernie Madoff...

Darwin's Prophet: So they'd be cool with liberals using this reasoning too right.

Sure we raised the top tax rate by 30%, but compared to the Soviet Union we're hardline capitalists.

More like, "Sure we raised the top tax rate, but compared to top tax rates under Ronald goddamn Reagan, it's still a rich man's paradise."

coma: "Baby, it was just a donkey punch. Compared to the shiat I've seen in some German porn I'm treatin' you like a princess."

Flawless victory!

Torture helps the war on terror.

/if you are on the other side

MasterThief: Very few people are living separation of powers problems. ;)

I hope he runs in 2016.

The buttons alone will be great.

Bloody William: Can I just say how much I hate the phrase, "Mistakes were made?"

I've crucified people who've equivocated less in project meetings.

Sheldon Whitehouse is pretty badass.

Enjoy him America.