the rix mix

It was a good day for creepy political language. The White House said that America & Iraq are seeking "a general time horizon for meeting aspirational goals, such as the resumption of Iraqi security control in their cities and provinces and the further reduction of U.S. combat forces from Iraq."

The term time horizon is not an invention of Bush's advisors, although in this context it means somewhere over the rainbow. Aspiration goals is also not original. A posting a year ago at Unspeak website picked the phrase apart:

“Aspirational” is a glossy-magazine lifestyle fantasy of fast cars, large houses and single-malt whiskies. And aspirations are always virtuous, even if they are — almost by definition — not actually going to be accomplished.

Then there was Sen. Larry Craig of Idaho, a man I definitely do not want standing at an adjacent men's room urinal, saying he does not want Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Nigeria, etc. "jerking us around by the gas nozzle." Videos of his astonishing statement are everywhere. We get what you mean by gas nozzle, Larry, but wonder who Saudi Arabia & Venezuela signify. Anyone we know?

Labels: count the yoyos, in the news