THE PLANK DECEMBER 10, 2007
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A charming story (third item) about White House Press Secretary Dana Perino:
Appearing on NPR's
light-hearted quiz show "Wait, Wait . . . Don't Tell Me," which aired
over the weekend, Perino got into the spirit of things and told a story
about herself that she had previously shared only in private: During a
White House briefing, a reporter referred to the Cuban Missile Crisis
-- and she didn't know what it was."I was panicked a bit because
I really don't know about . . . the Cuban Missile Crisis," said Perino,
who at 35 was born about a decade after the 1962 U.S.-Soviet nuclear
showdown. "It had to do with Cuba and missiles, I'm pretty sure."So
she consulted her best source. "I came home and I asked my husband,"
she recalled. "I said, 'Wasn't that like the Bay of Pigs thing?' And he
said, 'Oh, Dana.' "
It did have to do with Cuba and missiles--good guess! This counts as somewhat of a relief, however, because it confirms that Perino's general cluelessness on the podium is not in fact an act. And for that bit of authenticity we should all be grateful.
--Isaac Chotiner
5 comments
TNR Talkback problems? Never heard of them. Do they have something to do with TNR and Talkback?
- rishy
December 10, 2007 at 3:56pm
Donald Fagen said it best:
"Yes we're gonna have a wingding, a summer smoker underground. It's just a dugout that my dad built, in case the reds decide to push the button down. We've got provisions and lots of beer. The key word is survival on the New Frontier."
"Introduce me to that big blonde; she's got a touch of Tuesday Weld. She's wearing Ambush and a French twist; she's got us wild and she can tell. She loves to limbo, that much is clear. She's got the right dynamics for the New Frontier..."
- williamyard
December 10, 2007 at 4:17pm
That's "Missile" crisis.
- benjamin81
December 10, 2007 at 4:26pm
if Dana were just a housefrau with a bevy of small children then her story is endearing, but good lord, she is the press secretary. You know, it would actually be better if Bush were getting some on the side and this was her reward, but Bush ain't no Clinton. All in all, I still hazard she is smarter than her boss.
- blackton
December 10, 2007 at 5:31pm
When they hired her, they wanted someone who literally wouldn't be able to answer ANY questions making comparisons to Watergate. Isn't that like a hotel or something?
- dabeffert
December 11, 2007 at 10:16am