Kerry heads for home after going back to France

[karynnj]

http://news.yahoo.com/kerry-heads-home-iraq-afghanistan-visits-102734413--politics.html

This has likely been one very intense trip.

One OT comment - why can't the AP get writers or editors who better understand the nuances of words. I realize that one meaning of clandestine is "secret", but the connotation is that it is illicit and the intent was for it to remain secret. The various trips made by Reagan officials re Iran/Contra were clandestine. The stops in Iraq and Afghanistan are better described as "not announced prior to his arrival" - obviously due to security needs. In addition, they were not even secret - as they were covered in real time or near real time.

After thinking about it, I think the word is not being used to suggest any illegitimacy of the state department, Kerry or Obama. I think it is just incompetence.

[blm]

1. I see more than incompetence with corpmedia re Kerry. Their job has always been to

marginalize him or defame him. They need his work to be seen as questionable because his body of work includes uncovering of IranContra, BCCI, S&Ls, and CIA drug running.

[Mass]

2. I noticed the use of the word as well, and was trying to figure out what to make of it.

Even assuming that Matthew Lee is just another reporter who just does not know how to do his job, it is probably not an accident that papers like the Washington Times, who barely reported on the trip, decided to use this article.

Anyway, these trips were not clandestine. The media were on it, so how is that a clandestine trip?

[karynnj]

3. I was completely thrown by the word.

It is interesting that the Washington Times (and the Boston Herald) printed this. I saw it first in the Herald - and ignored it there - as they are pretty low on the good journalism scale.

There was NOTHING clandestine about those two visits - the media even briefed on what message Kerry was bringing and all his activities. The State Department website had lots of information. Not to mention, EVERYTHING said in both places was 100% the administration policy and in our interest.

[ucrdem]

4. All that in two weeks.

If only he'd gotten to do this eight years ago imagine where we'd be. Oh well, better late than never. An impressive performance by any measure. Agree about the word choice, seems a stretch.