"WE CAN'T SAY THAT!"

Courtesy of Scylla & Charybdis

"The Panel cannot conclude that a political agenda at 60 Minutes Wednesday drove either the timing of the airing the Segment or its content" Is this a declaratory sentence? I think not. A declaratory statement would be written, "The Panel concludes that no political agenda..." It is exclamatory! For "The Panel cannot conclude..." I hear them saying "We can't say that!"

Also this quote: "there was a need for meticulous care to avoid any suggestion of an agenda at work. The Panel does not believe that the appropriate level of care to avoid the appearance of political motivation was used in connection with this story.' In the opening scenes in the film The Dirty Dozen, Lee Marvin talks with Charles Bronson who says, "And that mother- was running off with the aid kit. So I shot him". (I am paraphrasing from memory). Lee Marvin says, "Yeah. But you let someone see you do it!" Note to 60 Minutes; someone saw you do it! Thank you Little Green Footballs, Buckhead, Powerline et. al. (Have I forgotten anyone? )

"The Panel does not believe...appropriate...care..." Heh.