Harry Reid, Gen. Petraeus, and cooking data

Ameican Thinker ^ | September 16,2007 | Denis Keohane

[Kaslin]

In an interview with the Reno Gazette-Journal, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid claimed a million Iraqis have been killed since the beginning of the invasion. How did Reid arrive at that figure? He probably got it from this poll. I know of no non-poll study suggesting anything like such a high number.

A poll! Questions were asked of a ‘representative sample' of 1,461 adults in Iraq, and from that casualty figures are determined. The pollsters actually suggest that their results indicate as many as 1,220,580 deaths since the invasion.

Among their conclusions, which they say are within plus or minus 2.4% (based purely on sampling size, not on the reliability of hearsay), they claim 20% of those have died as a result of car bombs. That is 244,000 deaths from car bombs, in four and a half years.

That's 150 people killed every single day by car bombs for 4 ½ years. I watch the news, and I don't see anything like that reported. Google news turns up a car bomb that killed ten in Baghdad three days ago. Reports will be in any moment now on the other dozen or so car bombs that went off that very same day, and the day before, and the day after...  won't they?

Just several days before General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker reported to the House and Senate, we heard Democrats go on and on about cooking data. Nancy Pelosi invoked the phrase "The plural of anecdote is not data." . Of course not! But her Senate counterpart seems to be saying poll results can yoeld casualty data.

Harry Reid was quoted by ABC News saying:

"Before the [Petreaus] report arrives in Congress, it will pass through the White House spin machine, where facts are often ignored or twisted, and intelligence is cherry-picked."

Now he seems to assert that poll results are useful as data on casualties! Not police, hospital, morgue or cemetery records! Poll results, based on what the authors of the poll deem a "representative sample."

Harry Reid deserves a new nickname: "Give ‘em hooey Harry"!

[Texas Eagle]

In the words of Count Lantos, “I’m not buying it.”

[Texas Eagle]

In an interview with the Reno Gazette-Journal, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid claimed a million Iraqis have been killed since the beginning of the invasion.

In the words of Barbara Boxer, "One must suspend disbelief."

Or was that Dianne Feinstein? No matter. They're all the same to me.

[depressed in 06]

Harry Reid was quoted by ABC News saying: "Before the [Petreaus] report arrives in Congress, it will pass through the White House spin machine, where facts are often ignored or twisted, and intelligence is cherry-picked."

He knows this because that is how they did it in the Clinton administration and that is how they will do it in the Clinton administration.

[goldstategop]

The funny thing is Dingy Harry and Mama Boss Nancy were the ones who demanded this report in the first place!

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[JoanVarga]

From RedState.com:

General "Lies-and-Power".

[Shelayne]

Laura Ingraham’s sidekicks, Matt and Lee, were having a blast with that sound bite (no pun intended). When Lantos said, “I don’t buy it” it sounded as if he was saying, “I don’t bite”

They played it over and over, and she told them they were being stupid. I thought it was hilarious. He sounded just like Count Dracula, “I don’t biiite.”

[txhurl]

If you torture data long enough, it will confess to whatever you wish.

[JoanVarga]

It was unintentional that, in looking for RedState’s poster, I googled the names Eisenhower and Petraeus together. You don’t even wanna see what the moonbats have cooked up with that combination.

They think Petraeus wants to be the next Eisenhower.

[Texas Eagle]

Laura Ingraham’s sidekicks, Matt and Lee, were having a blast with that sound bite (no pun intended). When Lantos said, “I don’t buy it” it sounded as if he was saying, “I don’t bite”

Busted. I confess I stole it from Laura Ingraham.

[toddlintown]

“In the words of Barbara Boxer”

Hillary.

[Texas Eagle]

Thanx for the assist.

[DakotaRed]

To accept what Herry Reid says about anything would require, how did she say it, “a willing suspension of disbelief?”

They have such a way with words ;-)

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Hillary basically accused Gen Petraeus of lying in the Senate hearings when she said.......to believe his report required a “ Willful suspension of disbelief”....

[G8 Diplomat]

"Give ‘em hooey Harry"!

I think "Give 'em hell Harry" works too...he gives sane conservatives a hell of a time with his ridiculous statements and press releases.