Paddy just linked me to this story that has apparently knocked the socks off the right’s big, smelly feet:
The US government secretly advised Scottish ministers it would be “far preferable” to free the Lockerbie bomber than jail him in Libya.
Correspondence obtained by The Sunday Times reveals the Obama administration considered compassionate release more palatable than locking up Abdel Baset al-Megrahi in a Libyan prison.
What?! They did? Oh em gee! How could they?! That’s abominabibbleable!
Why, that terrorist-loving President Obama is a fiend! A scoundrel! The devil incarnate!
The document, acquired by a well-placed US source, threatens to undermine US President Barack Obama’s claim last week that all Americans were “surprised, disappointed and angry” to learn of Megrahi’s release. [...]
The US has tried to keep the letter secret, refusing to give permission to the Scottish authorities to publish it on the grounds it would prevent future “frank and open communications” with other governments.
Holy crap. I feel so used. So dirty.
I want a divorce.
Hang on, there’s a knock on the door. I wonder who it could be.
Why as I live and breathe, it’s Little Green Footballs, of all sites! And they’ve come armed with their shiny new Debunk-izap 3000!
In the letter, sent on August 12 last year to Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond and justice officials, Mr LeBaron wrote that the US wanted Megrahi to remain imprisoned in view of the nature of the crime.
The note added: “Nevertheless, if Scottish authorities come to the conclusion that Megrahi must be released from Scottish custody, the US position is that conditional release on compassionate grounds would be a far preferable alternative to prisoner transfer, which we strongly oppose.”
It’s the new, self-debunking outrageous outrage, brought to you by the same old hacks. The White House did not back the release, but if Scotland was going to free him they preferred compassionate release instead of transferring him to a prison. Even this slight amount of nuance is apparently too taxing for the right wing.
Boyoboy is my face rouge now. I nearly got taken in! Just like the rest of America, I might have only heard and/or seen the Big Nasty Lying Headline and been bamboozled into thinking we had a traitor in the White House. Especially if I limited my Tee Vee Machine watching to ClusterFox. Especially if I were that stupid. Good thing I have a brain… and a co-editor named Paddy.
Thank you Little Green Footballs. Now by all means, make yourself at home and stay for dinner. We’ll be serving crow to Drudge (who’s pushing these lies—surprise!) and all his smarmy little pals. Pull up a chair.
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