Monday, December 10, 2007

Quickie: But She Knows All the Words to New Kids on the Block's Hits by Heart

A fun anecdote to start your Monday from this morning's Washington Post:

Still looking for that last-minute Christmas gift for White House press secretary Dana Perino? May we recommend a gift certificate for the forthcoming book on the Cuban Missile Crisis by our colleague Michael Dobbs, "One Minute to Midnight: Kennedy, Khrushchev, and Castro on the Brink of Nuclear War," due out next summer?

Appearing on National Public Radio'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.' "

17 comments:

Matthew Hubbard said...

History that happened before you were born is like... so BORRRRRING!

Like, I'm pretty sure George Washington and Jesus hung out together, but just try telling that to my snotty history teacher Ms. Prentiss. Like she knows everything!

Anonymous said...

- A "large red leather jewelry type box full of dates, 8 bottles of olive oil and six bottles of wine," from Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. Valued at $381.

- A "multicolored orange and green print chiffon silk scarf with turquoise embroidery" and a "black pebble leather draw string tote with white stitching and handles," from Italian Justice Minister Clemente Mastella. Valued at $625.

All for Condi!!!!!!

FROM: A Look at Gifts From Foreign Leaders - Associated Press,
Washington Post, December 8
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/08/AR2007120801242_pf.html

Anonymous said...

History that happened before you were born is like... so BORRRRRING!

I know, right?

dguzman said...

"Oh, Dana," indeed. What a typical BushCo moron. Can you imagine what Michael Feldman thought of her as she told this idiotic story?

Anonymous said...

The Mouth of Sauron doesn't need to know this stuff. She only has be able to regurgitate and obfuscate to cover the sins of her overlords.

Anonymous said...

sorry to report: michael feldman has left the building.

not sure when it happened, but peter sagal is now the host. I miss feldman!

we had the radio on saturday and happened to hear perino. hahahahaha omg she was soooooo cute! it almost made up for her being soooooooo dumb!

and just to square the circle, she L-O-S-T!

Anonymous said...

wait! wait!

can it be that feldman's show was/is? different from "wait-wait" with sagal??!

anyone know fer shure?

Fran said...

Wow! So she is not smarter than a 5th grader! Glad that is sorted out.

I mean first of all, in fairness to Dana (and I actually heard that drivel when in my car and almost drove off the road) I thought to myself... Like, it's so not fair to ask her about old stuff 'n things. Especially when it was like a total Democrat in the like White House. I mean you know? No fair."

Who was that President anyway? Oh never mind, as if it matters. Duh.

Then I realized something really important... Wait! Wait! Don't Tell Me!! could be the new branding program for the White House. That way the President and Dana can be in synch when he has not been told something... because no one is supposed to tell him!

Anonymous said...

Feldman's show was/is 'says you'

Don't they teach that Cuban missile Crisis in school? I have always been a fan of those big cigars since I learned about them.

Anonymous said...

Okay I'm going to say it, I'm 33. And frankly, I could sketch you a general outline of what happened: but do I know it? Not really. Admittedly I'm not the POTUS's press secretary (and thank god for that), but I just don't find it all that surprising that someone wouldn't know what its all about. I can't really even remember when I studied it in school: 10th grade perhaps?

And so I was going to continue on with this defense of her (I have no idea, why, I just thought perhaps people were being mean -- and so I went to Wikipedia and notied that she has a minor in Political Science!

So never mind. Continue to pile on.

Distributorcap said...

Dana at press briefing -- what do you mean President Bush mentioned World War # -- we had two world wars already????

i will get back to you on that one Helen.

Karen Zipdrive said...

Didn't the dumb bitch go to college?

Anonymous said...

Michael Feldman "Whad'ya Know ?"

Peter Sagal "Wait Wait, Don't Tell Me."

dguzman said...

OH that's right -- Wait Wait and Whadya Know are two different shows. Sorry to create a flumox. (wait, is "flumox" a noun? oh well)

I'm always amazed at how little these BushCo people (and most repubs) know about history, current events, politics. After all, their only prerequisites to get into office were a willingness to steal and a willingness to fake christianity. Not so hard for some, apparently.

Anonymous said...

I was just pulling into the curling club parking lot and missed the second half of "Wait, Wait..." Sounds like it was fun.

We shouldn't be surprised that the Bushies don't know what happened 40+ years ago, and they don't care. These 'Pubs are driving us back another 40 years before that. Forget the Cuban missile crisis (done!), it means nothing. Remember Teapot Dome? That's the decade to study!

Anonymous said...

Best line from the show:

Peter Sagal lets her know she needs to get the last answer right in order to, "what's the word... 'salvage your legacy'".

And lulz were had by all (except Ms. Plato... I mean Perino).

Anonymous said...

I heard Dana on the news this eve and was wondering about her "Wait, Wait..." appearance as it was the 2nd in a few weeks. I am chagrined to say that I was wondering which staff member from the program was seeking her sexual favors.

Speaking of which, I think Mr. Hillary got some of those cigars, now that we're mentioning Kennedy's legacy.

Last but not least, I was three during the CMC and I hate to say it but I have even seen a Kevin Costner movie about it. Wake up and smell the steam from the blocakade, o foolish mouthpiece wench. Youth is no excuse, though working for an idiot may be.