Today, Al Queda acknowledged the death of Osama bin Laden, insisting people should strike out in force against America.
Today, Tim Pawlenty, former Minnesota governor/current GOP presidential candidate and a man 4% of Americans have heard of, insisted the president still needs to release the photos of a dead man. “I don’t think the president needs to be the censor-in-chief, absent a clear national security need for it to be secret or confidential,” Pawlenty said. “He was the one who said he wanted to have the most open and transparent government in the modern history of the country.”
A couple of thoughts:
1. Al Queda’s confirmation that bin Laden is dead sorta officially seals it, if we needed it to be sealed: He’s dead. Muerte. Adios.
2. Where was Tim Pawlenty when the Bush White House refused to allow the coffins of soldiers to be photographed/seen?
3. Men like Pawlenty are, to be blunt, fucked. They entered the race early to get a jump, and—still—nobody knows who they are. So they need issues. Any issues. Issues to be angry about. Issues to rant over.
4. To me, the matter is sealed. No need to release the pictures. It’s an odd thing, actually. People are clamoring for the photos to be released because, they insist, it’ll prove this or that or up or down. Reality: We’re intrigued and fascinated by images of dead bodies. It’s true. Not sure why … curiosity, perhaps.
Hence, I’ll do Pawlenty a favor. Here’s Tupac. Enjoy …
