absurdly ridiculous denials

sometimes it is important to parse language precisely

if I say something is "absurd" or a notion is "ridiculous", then, strictly speaking, the claim has not been denied

Since I am not laughing, I conclude that, as might be expected, the White House press officer has a better command of the nuances of the english language than the former CIA director.

It is not that hard to actually deny something.
Oh, and as former CIA officials know, saying "I didn't do it" is not synonymous with "didn't happen" - saying "none of those people told me to do it" and "I don't know anything about it" are not denials either.

Just saying.

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There was an Internet meme a while back, about how many 5-year-old fighters one could take on simultaneously. I know naught about the meme but your examples reminded me... individually easy to parse and destroy but the capacity of the Administration, Congress and the Traditional Media (formerly the Fourth Estate but now just a trampy crack-whore) can be overwhelming.

By Matt Hussein Platte (not verified) on 06 Aug 2008 #permalink

And as we have clearly seen, just because an idea is "ridiculous" or "absurd" doesn't mean some con twit hasn't already thought it up and executed it.