Thursday, April 28, 2005

 

Today's Word is "Zampolit".

Steve Clemons thinks that John Bolton was spying on Colin Powell, apparently to make sure he toed the PNAC Platoon party line. This wouldn't surprise me in the least if it were so. I seem to recall an incident from last year, right before Powell announced he was leaving the Bush administration, where a woman who was supposed to be one of Powell's subordinates was in fact caught on TV telling him what she wanted him to say to a reporter -- and he was resisting mightily. The Soviets made sure that they had zampolit, or political officers, attached to people of even minimal importance in the power structure. Powell apparently rated at least two of these ideological nannies. ------- UPDATE: Thanks to Anonymous Commenter, I now am reminded who the first Powell minder was -- and guess what? She was one of DeLay's hired gunsels that worked to stop the count in Florida in 2000:

Powell staffer who stopped interview had defended Republican protesters during Florida recount "melee" Emily J. Miller, described on May 18 by The Washington Post as "the controversial press aide" who "ordered a cameraman to stop filming an interview with" Secretary of State Colin Powell from Jordan on NBC's Meet the Press with Tim Russert on May 16, worked as a spokesperson for House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) during the 2000 Florida presidential election recount. ... http://mediamatters.org/items/200405190002


Comments:
Powell staffer who stopped interview had defended Republican protesters during Florida recount "melee"

Emily J. Miller, described on May 18 by The Washington Post as "the controversial press aide" who "ordered a cameraman to stop filming an interview with" Secretary of State Colin Powell from Jordan on NBC's Meet the Press with Tim Russert on May 16, worked as a spokesperson for House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) during the 2000 Florida presidential election recount. ...

http://mediamatters.org/items/200405190002
 
Yes! Emily Miller!

Thank you -- I was blanking on her name, and I didn't remember enough about the incident to Google it successfully.
 
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